Originally Posted by iaflyer

I live in Ann Arbor - every time I'm chatting with a FA or pilot of a certain length of service, they always say, "we used to layover in Ann Arbor on the 727 and loved it..."

Ann Arbor is a good example of a nice "downtown" layover if the length is decent. Many, many choices of places to eat, of all budgets and tastes. Things to see and do, places to exercise outside for joggers where you aren't taking you life in your hands (run on campus or in the arboretum). Also, being a college town the place doesn't close up at 7pm like some downtowns. For the FAs, it is safe with vibrant, unique shopping.

I've talked to guys who always layover at the airport at other airlines. Man, what a pain. Essentially you're stuck in the hotel, until you make the Frogger like dash across multiple lanes of traffic to reach the two places to eat. Oh, and no sidewalks because everyone drives by the airport, so you're stuck walking in the weeds next to the highway.

We spent a fair percentage of our life in hotels and on the road. I don't want it to be miserable.