A Nice (If Empty) Gesture

By Alicia Dorr in News on Dec 20, 2006 8:01PM

Traveling during the holiday season is bad, but this season airports are possibly the worst. Pouring out containers of your much-needed contact solution, fancy au-de-toilettes, and 12-year scotch because you forgot the size and description of liquids allowed on planes (you terrorist) just adds to the frustration for travel-weary crowds who don't like to take off their shoes and/or be delayed.

Well, the Chicago Department of Aviation peeps all got together and decided on something pretty nice for airline travelers this season — free gift wrapping! As of yesterday, you and the other 3 million expected fliers will be able to bring your gifts to O'Hare and Midway to be wrappified while you sit cozily with a drink of your choice and listen to live entertainment.

Holiday travel will never be the perfect situation unless you get paid to people watch, but perhaps this little perk will distract you for a few minutes. If nothing else, you can just insist that all your underwear are elephant gifts for family and friends and see if they will wrap them.