Best and worst airport you've been in

[Sleeping Politician 32]

I ask this because I have been going back and forth across horrible airports for the past 1 1/2 months.

 

My least favorite airport has to be Chennai Airport. The new, stylish terminals are cool but they are not efficient. I went to the international terminal and I saw only 4 gates.

 

My favorite airport is Delhi Airport. I saw that it was huge and had lot of good shops and restaraunts. It was'nt chaotic and crowded when I went.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Best: Sky Harbor, Phoenix, AZ

 

Worst: Pearson International, Toronto.  Always under construction and miles to go before your gate.

[hamsterTK 93]

I have flown exactly 3 times in my entire life; but the best one I've seen had to be Denver. It is "new" by US infrastructure standards,being built in 1994. It looks like something you'd expect to see in a new modern Asian city, and is now getting a fast train link to the city.

 

DFW(Dallas) is not necessarily bad, it's okay because it has an automated train that runs in a big loop connecting all the terminals inside of the security, so it's easy to get from one gate to another. Architecturally, the older terminals are dark, have low ceilings, a lot of exposed concrete beams. It's like a cross between being inside the concessions area of an old stadium and the set from a 1970s science fiction movie.

 

In my parent's time and before the tram it was infamous for being badly designed, created in era where the philosophy was to put parking as close to the gates as possible and thus creating really narrow long concourses and neglecting the airport's actual function as a major hub where people would be going from one end to the other.

 

Madison, Wisconsin has a nice airport for a small city. So does Killeen, Texas(visited but not flown out of it).

 

My town's airport is tiny and flights out of it are overpriced, but it's worth taking a puddle jumper to the nearest hub over driving for hours. And at least security is really easy.

[RipRap 4,400]

Best - Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok)

It's the best that I've been on because it's not that confusing and it's also very comfortable to stay at when you have to wait for your next flight.

Worst - Manila

You've never been on a bad airport unless you have arrived on one of Manila's three terminals. There's an airport fee of $20 (P750) when you use their terminals. The facilities are never clean, there are no connections between the three terminals, snarly traffic and robbers (yes, robbers) inside the terminal. It's the worst airport on the world!

[VMIUJcadet09 250]

Best: Baltimore Washington International or Charlotte

Worst: Toss-up between Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson and Frankfurt

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

Probably the worst is my hometown's own airport(Fresno) simply because of the limited number of flights; in terms of major airports Denver is the worst because of the long walking distances(Years ago when we were coming back from Boston, we arrived at Gate B10-something and our flight home was at like B80-something and we had only 40 minutes of layover); i'd say Phoenix is a runner-up for the same reason

 

As for the best, can't really say because it's been a while since I've been to certain airports(Like Boston, London, Paris, o'Hare, Dallas among others) but i'd say the best is either San Francisco(The modernity of the international terminal really pleased me) or Washington-National(Closeness to the city). Milan-Malpensa is a runner-up due to its nice location and lack of congestion(At least when i was there)

[mrsmartman 200]

The best: Seoul Incheon (excellent service)

The worst: among those candidates, flight delay and/or bad design are the factors taken into consideration.

[Duke87 1,070]

Complete list of every airport I have ever been inside of a terminal building at:

 

LGA (New York)

JFK (New York)

EWR (Newark)

TPA (Tampa)

MCO (Orlando)

MIA (Miami)

RDU (Raleigh-Durham)

DEN (Denver)

PHX (Phoenix)

SAN (San Diego)

LAX (Los Angeles)

 

All in the US, so I can't make any international comparisons. And half of those I have only used pre-9/11, so my experiences will be outdated.

 

Among these, though, LGA is the clear worst since it's a cramped and clunky old place. Dunno precisely which is the best although I do like PHX, if for no other reason than that "Sky Harbor" is a totally awesome name for an airport, it sounds like something out of a video game.

[timmie 988]

I haven't been in a lot of airports, but of the airports I know, Zürich and Frankfurt were pretty good (modern, efficient, clean,...). Edinburgh was less good, but it is also much smaller, so that's not a fair comparison. I also wasn't impressed by Rome Fiumicino, that one needs serious renovation.

[jmdude1 20]

The best: Seoul Incheon. I use it often and it's great. Very quick, clean, and efficient. The airport subway drops me off 10 minutes from my door.

 

The worst: Chicago O'Hare. It was so busy, always delayed (in my experiences), and security took forever.

 

While in Laos I was at a very small airport in a town called Phonsavan. There are only a couple flights daily at this airport and my flight was still delayed by 4 hours. So I waited outside and watched the 'security' guards chase cows off the grounds. 

 

I agree with Tonraq as well. Manila is a hard airport. It's hot and crowded and really needs a big upgrade. Taking a bus between the terminals (or taxi) is a pain too.

[Drack 616]

from all the airports i've been, my best so far is Hongkong International (HKG/VHHH) although Shanghai Pudong (PVG/ZSPD) comes a close second.

 

i don't really have a worst in my list although i did pass thru Manila's T1 terminal (coined as the worst one), but that was back in 1999. i've been through T2 and recently T3 since. no problems there so far.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I have to say that most of my flying was pre-9/11, but it was pretty much always international with customs at one end or the other.  Since the 9/11 flap it is much, much worse.  My last set was all domestic and it was as much trouble as going international.  Overall, the air travel experience is not worth the exaggerated fees and other foolishness that is part of it now.  Next time, I'll travel overland or by sea.

[Sleeping Politician 32]

I like to go on flights for some unexplained reason.

[bluemoose 223]

Out of LGA, JFK, Newark Liberty, BKK, Tokyo Narita, Prague, Munich, and Frankfurt, LGA obviously is the worst.  

 

JFK terminal 4 is lovely, but I can't say the same for the others.

 

Overall, I'd say BKK was my favorite.  Bangkok's shiny new airport was beautiful, but very very large.  It took an eternity to get from our plane to customs, where we were welcomed by signs to the "Kingbom of Thailand" lol.  We drove through Don Mueang, the old Bangkok airport, and it looked like a nightmare, comparable to LGA.  

 

Narita was set up in a silly way I thought, but it was nice.  Same with Prague (also, Prague needs to get on that A-line Metro extension to the airport.  As it was it took an express bus to Zlicin, Yellow line Metro to Florenc, and a long haul bus from there to where we needed to go.)  

 

I can't remember much about Frankfurt, as i was only there for about a 30 second layover (literally, we were coming out of the jetway as they gave the last call for our connecting flight.)  or Munich (except the rough security lady).

 

All of this is post-9/11.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

I've always disliked how the international customs area looks at Tullamarine Airport (MEL) being rather cold. On the plus side the terminals are very close to each other and easy to walk to. On the minus side, I have found there to be minimal seating and poor public transport connections. Parking however is okay.

Sydney is not too bad either, but the international is on the other side of domestic so that can be annoying.

Other than that, I have been to Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Kuala Lumpur and Frankfurt.

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

Another good airport i've been to is San Jose in California; the lack of lines/waiting for security, the modern Terminal and variety of flights is something I like about that airport....

[bluemoose 223]

Oh, that reminds me of SFO.  I liked that airport.  Very walkable and spacious.  Could have done with better retail (read: food) options, and I was never quite sure whether I was airside or landside, I assume was only ever airside as I was connecting, but It never felt like the airside of other airports.

[Mr Saturn64 742]

I've only been to two that I csn remember, so here goes.

Best - Philadelphia International Airport. I have nothing else to compare two.

Worst - San Diego International Airport - wanna wait for three planes to take off before you can? Neither do I.

[Alejandro24 575]

Best. The airport of my hometown, Aeropuerto Internacional Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, GDL.

I don't remember too much details about O'Hare in Chicago, I only remember that I was really huge and the metro station.

Not worst, but still an airport. Airport of Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, CEN.

Not sure if it counts as airport but It was terrible. I've been in a dirt land strip near Sayula, at the south of the state. It was making hot as hell under a really heavy sun, without any kind of protection just only my hat.

[Evandad 109]

Best: Portland International  (PDX)-Nice and quiet (When I was there), had great restaurants and a modern open  concept. Probably one of the cleaner airports I've been in.

 

Worst: Calgary international (YYC)- (lLester B. Pearson Int'l would've won if  I'd been there  longer) A lot of it is brutalist architecture, but that's in  the middle of changing. Plus, YYC now has canada's longest runway. Crowded, no direct transit  link to it despite  people petitioning   city council about it for years. Fortunately, it's undergoing major changes & an expansion, so it'll  get much better within a year.

[TekindusT 3,809]

I have been and transited in the following:

Barcelona-Prat (BCN)

Menorca (MAH)

Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

London-Stansted (STN)

Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF)

Berlin-Tegel (TXL)

New York (JFK) - only Terminal 1

Brussels (BRU)

St. Petersburg (LED) - only 6 hours ago

The Best

CDG - I just loved its architecture and functionality, at least on the T2. It's modern, full of natural light, large enough to host its traffic, with all kinds of amenities... It even has an automatic people mover! Excellent.

The Worst

SXF - Actually, both TXL and SXF would be close to the worst position, but SXF is just obnoxious. Horribly planned, with a passengers traffic MUCH higher than it is designed to host, small duty free area, barely no seats in the waiting areas, and stupid and dirty corridors. The flight from BCN arrives at the veeeeery end of the longest pier and in order to get to the baggage claim you have to go upstairs, walk, go downstairs, walk, go upstairs, walk, go downstairs, walk... Horrible. Its terminal A gets better, but it is almost reserved to flights to Russia and the ex-Soviet republics. The train station is quite far from it, and, as in TXL, the city U-Bahn doesn't reach it.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

Aren't they building a new airport in Berlin now that Tegel is closed?

[krbe 193]

When CDG gets on top of someone's "best airport list" you know there are divergent opinions here on what makes a good airport. I've never been there myself, as I have avoided it at all costs (never flown on a French airline, never been to France). My girlfriend is so lucky she's assigned to Africa, so she gets to go there frequently. Still not feeling good about that Paris suggestion...

As for good airports, any medium-sized Scandinavian airports are good. You don't have to spend more than 40 minutes before boarding if you're leaving with luggage; some 10 minutes if you travel without. Out in 10 (int.) or 5 (domestic).

Of bigger, more well-know airports, there are Copenhagen, Prague or Zürich; efficient and usable. Aeroflot's terminal D at Sheremytevo is one I would like to use more often though.

As for bad airports; take your pick. Transiting through Oslo frequently is an excersise in long walks, with few benches and even fewer toilets in an enviornment where a burger cost €30. No thank you.

Dublin Airport was fond of scheduling SAS and KLM flights from terminal D; after passing a cramped check-in and security area, a loooong walk into a waiting area that looked like a converted warehouse with some benches and lightning.

I second the sentiment about Berlin TXL - that airport is not meant to be a main airport! The SAS economy desk was manned by one person dealing with two full flights leaving within 30 minutes of each others...

However, by far the worst airports I've ever been to is JFK terminal 3 and St Petersburg's Rossiya terminal. Cramped. Usless security everywhere. Dirty. No information. No food. No shopping. Just thoughts of "how on Earth did this place use to function?" Then, more security.

Of still-open terminals the Egyptair terminal at Cairo is the worst. There is NO seating (lying now: Found two benches outside of the fenced off gate areas). No shopping. Limited food. Only one lounge for non-business class passengers (8 for C passengers). On the upside, the variety of passengers you never see in the West and the unpronouncable destination names will bring me back. As will their double baggage allowance and €600 tickets to Bangkok. Recommended.

Overall, I'd say BKK was my favorite.  Bangkok's shiny new airport was beautiful, but very very large.  It took an eternity to get from our plane to customs, where we were welcomed by signs to the "Kingbom of Thailand" lol.

Much more welcoming than American immigration, I can assure you.

We drove through Don Mueang, the old Bangkok airport, and it looked like a nightmare, comparable to LGA.

I take it you haven't actually been on the inside? The roads around the airport are absolutely crap. Can take an hour in a cab to get into town.

The inside is a whole other story. Dark and a little run-down, yes. But efficient and quick. This used to be Bangkok's main airport until 2008, accepting widebodies from all over Europe and Asia. I can't imagine the cattle herd conditions with 500 pax/plane operations. These days there are only 737s and A320s, which leaves plenty of space, plenty of seating, alright eating options and decent queues at the taxi rank.

[Turjan 1,048]

I've seen images of some Asian airports that look amazing, like Singapore. Never been there myself though.

 

Regarding all the airports I have been to, it's hit and miss, sometimes within the airport. Terminals can be very different. Like Phoenix Sky Harbor: Terminal 4 (the largest) is very efficient and okay to stay, but has long ways to walk. 50% of the time, they announce the wrong conveyor belt for your luggage. Terminal 3 is smaller than it looks and has a horrible garage. Terminal 2 is the easiest to use.

 

It's hard to pick overall good airports. At SFO (San Francisco), I like the terminal, but the flights are often late. Oakland in comparison is nearly always on time, but you have to take the bus. In Chicago, O'Hare is nice to stay over, but the walks are long and planes often late, and Midway is easier to use and reach. Paris CDG is efficient. Very quick changeover, even between terminals. Madrid Barajas airport is very efficient without much waiting at all anywhere, but oh God, the distances. They built it for titans I guess. The new Dusseldorf airport is quite nice, but food is overpriced and not good.  I liked Brussels, with all its cheap chocolate stores, but it was very boring. And many other mediocre spots, like LAX, which can be from good to horrible, depending on your connection.

 

The worst are easier to remember. I guess Atlanta is a contender for top spot. It's a huge airport, but everything moves sssllllowww. Even people move and speak as if in slow motion. It once took me 3½ hours to get through security and start looking for my connecting flight. Total chaos. Taxiing, so the plane leaving the gate until it actually takes off, may take 50 minutes or more. Horrible. London Heathrow is also on my hate list, although the new terminals are somewhat better. 25 minutes bus ride through the bowels of an airport to change terminals were no fun. You still may have to drive 10 minutes from the gate to your plane nowadays. When they announced gates only 20 minutes before gate closure, you had to stare at the announcement sign in order not to miss this, as it sometimes took 20 minutes walking to reach the outer gates. Nowadays, they stretched this to 35 minutes, which is enough. The terminal is a big, overpriced shopping mall with seats cramped between the stores. At least now you have enough seats. So, it was getting better, which is the only reason it missed spot #1.

 

Small airports don't really count, I guess. Berlin Tegel (TXL) was built for a city of less than 2 million people and three airlines. It's totally over capacity nowadays. Belfast was a concrete barrack without bus, train or taxi service. Not sure whether that's still the case though, probably not. On the other hand, there are charming ones, like Santa Barbara.

 

So I still have to meet my perfect airport. Given that I have been using PHX most in my life, I guess I just unfairly disregard it. It's quite good.

 

When CDG gets on top of someone's "best airport list" you know there are divergent opinions here on what makes a good airport. I've never been there myself, as I have avoided it at all costs (never flown on a French airline, never been to France).

 

What puts you off? Their attitude? Their unwillingness to communicate in English? They have their advantages. I had one of my most baffling security experiences there, not in a bad way, but baffling anyway. I had been traveling with some obviously harmless protein samples for experiments through CDG, but the difficulty was that they were not supposed to be X-rayed, as that would destroy them. I had some official paperwork etc., and I had to plan my route very diligently not get through difficult airports, but my call up-front to CDG was somewhat inconclusive (French only). So I get to security at the airport, explain the situation to the people at the checkpoint, and they call their supervisor. He led me to a table, put my samples on there, and explained. "It's strictly forbidden to bring any biological or chemical samples on any plane in France. To get an extraordinary permit, you have to ask for such a permit, in writing, at least 4 weeks prior to the flight, at the Ministry of Health in Paris." There he stopped and looked at me. Then I asked "so, and what are we going to do now?" He simply repeated the exact same statement from before. I still wasn't sure, then thanked him profusely for the explanation, took my samples from the table and went to the plane. That's the French way.

[TekindusT 3,809]

Aren't they building a new airport in Berlin now that Tegel is closed?

 

Seems your infos haven't been updated for a while . Both TXL and SXF keep operating as they did (actually I'm flying TXL -> BCN tomorrow). The brand new BER was scheduled to open in last quarter 2012 but it never did. They cancelled the opening while stuff was actually being carried to the new BER, which is just in front of SXF. Even in Berlin transport maps the two airports didn't appear anymore. But its opening was cancelled.

The reason? Thousands if them. Mainly the fire safety systems do not work properly, lights keep open during the day, the nearby houses haven't been properly acoustically isolated (I work in Wildau, a town very close to BER), nowadays grass is growing on the unkept runways and they have to reasphalt it... BER became a joke among Berlin people. According to a big shot (can't remember who, but Google may bring some light), it would be cheaper to demolish the current BER and start it from scratch again than fixing it on its current state.

[tankmank 853]

Some of the worst have to be Cardiff (CWL), Bournemouth (BOH) and Entebbe (EBB), primarily due to the prices in them and lack of anything really. 

 

Amsterdam Schipol (AMS) was one of the best. Was only connecting though, but despite being large, was easy to get around 

[Sleeping Politician 32]

I hated the Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu. So crowded, ugly and old. Looks more like a dilapidated warehouse than an airport.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I was through both Orly and Charles de Gaulle when I transited Paris from Bordeaux just after the latter port opened.  Seemed nice, but I wouldn't choose it as either a favourite nor an unfavourite.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I haven't actually flown that often.  Let's see what I can remember about the handful of flights I've been on.

 

Orlando (MCO): I cannot remember at all, I flew back with my dad from a Florida vacation before the rest of my family because we both had jobs (mine was only part-time).

Cleveland (CLE, probably): I can't remember this one, either.  It's what we flew into.

Toledo Express (TOL): Small, not much there.  Probably the most boring.

Detroit Metro (DTW): Every time I've flown to or from Japan, it has been the first or final point for me.  It's a fine airport, and nothing about it bothers me much.  Certainly there is more to do there than there is at Toledo.

Nagoya/Chubu (NGO): The first time I flew to Japan was into here.  I was exhausted and the only thing I remember was that the buildings were older and dingier than DTW's and the humidity was so oppressive I thought it was about to be hauled before the UN Human Rights Council.

Kansai International (KIX): When my wife and I moved to Osaka, we flew in here, and it was shiny and new, but a pain in the ass to get to because they built it on an artificial island in the middle of the Seto Naikai.  I was the most tired I had ever been in my life because we were finally landing after four connecting flights and countless hours without any kind of quality sleep.  What stands out the most was a Japanese dude shouting at another Japanese dude for letting his kid kick the back of his seat the whole way there from Hawaii.  Money quote: "YOU ARE THE SHAME OF JAPAN!"  God, I love Osaka.

The four connecting flights: Honolulu (HNL), Portland (PDX), and Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): I remember almost nothing.  They were all older than DTW.

Narita (NRT): Also older than Japan, but with friendly staff, friendly security guards, friendly store clerks, it's friendly all the way until the exiting immigration officers who are humorless and rude and probably cursing themselves for choosing a career path in which they have to deal with dirty foreigners every day.  Probably the best airport I've flown through.

Marquette K.I. Sawyer (MQT): Small, brightly lit, clean, everything is fast and easy to do because there are only a half-dozen flights on any given day.

I may have flown through Chicago O'Hare at one point, but I can't remember any more.

 

NRT was the best, taking the prize from DTW (which I do like, so far as airports go) because in Japan, there is no TSA.  TSA has ruined flying for me and I will avoid it whenever I can.  Just give me a road and a car and some gas money and I'll go my own way.

 

MSP was probably the worst, if I'm forced to name one.  I can't give any reasons other than Minneapolis is where the Twins play and screw those guys.

[bmag_20 61]

In the past 5 or 6 years I've managed to hit 24 airports in Canada/USA, 3 in Europe and 13 across Africa. Eeek, really gotta start watching my carbon emissions 

 

Addis Ababa (ADD) is on my list for worst. Ethiopian Airlines is turning into a fine airline with a modern fleet, but flying through their hub in ADD can be a nightmare (makes Nairobi look like a dream!). It's a newer glass/steel building, but already seems to be way above capacity and looks tired and worn out. The crowds are a mess and most flights tend to arrive / leave late. Good luck finding a seat (either at a restaurant - there's 1 and an overcrowded business lounge - or just in the gate area) to waste away a layover. The Ethiopian Airlines staff do try however - will pull you through the chaos if you're going to miss a connection, and are generally quite friendly. And because missed connections happen quite often, they have their own program for getting you a visa and will drive you to and put you up in a nearby hotel for a night. 

 

Best I'll say is Schiphol in Amsterdam - it's efficient, has great airfield views, and really good food/drink options. Although I always have a soft spot for Canadian airports - Including Toronto (YYZ) and Halifax (YHZ) as it usually means I'm on the final leg of a trip home - YYZ is easy to get around, organized, and the Mill Street Pub on the domestic side is very good. YHZ is just a great size, and I tend to run into some familiar faces there. Legend's pub at YHZ is always on my list if I have time on a layover. (As you can tell, a good pub is an important factor in my airports of choice)

 

I'll be flying through the new T2 at Heathrow in a week or so, so we'll see how it stacks up!