> but also that flying in Europe was a much better experience with less BS at the airport

For what it's worth, that's no longer true since 9/11. We have the same security theatre the US has (with the exception that we don't demand TSA locks), our airports have gone all in on upselling you overpriced crap (really, they're better equipped than some malls, it's insane), and Ryanair drove down the bar for "acceptable" behavior to below zero.