Best Big: Don't know Atlanta is easy to navigate for connections and has quick customs; its very crowded and has low ceilings though. I remember Orlando being nice, had a large terminal with lots of space with trains connecting concourses. Worst Big: I hate O'hare, although that may be the fault of United workers incompetence more than anything. Also the line at security in the international concours took almost an hour and a half to clear. Heathrow has been a generally negative experience too. Best Medium: Prague, bit biased, but it is very efficient and nicely designed. Worst Medium: Memphis, its old, crappy, and depending on what side of that asinine giant Y, with Northwest's hub, you land on, you could be in for a long hike to connect. Best Small: maybe Albuquerque, haven't flown into many smaller airports, but it has ample food options and a SW art exhibit. Worst Small: toss up; Jackson MS or Brno CZ; both are old, small, and increasingly being used beyond capacity. I think Brno may have opened a new terminal since last I was there, so I guess Jackson takes it.
This one is even better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2DAGwJ1kpM At about the 4:30 mark is one of the most amazing recoveries I've ever seen.
When I was a kid I thought Dulles Airport was the niftiest place ever. In those days, the people movers also functioned as gates. People would wait in the people mover and when it was time to board, the people mover would go right out to the plane. It was pretty ********ing cool for a 9yo.
O'Hare is just too darn crowded. Bali's airport made me nervous. When you're standing line for customs and you see the signs that tell you smuggling drugs into Indonsia with get you the death penalty, it just makes you a little uneasy even if you aren't doing any thing illegal.
They were fun, weren't they? That was in the days before they built the "C" terminal, and anything larger than a 737 had to be boarded out on the tarmac.
Worst airport experience for me has (repeatedly) been Heathrow whenever I'm traveling with my US passport. Those lines at 6 in the morning are horrendous and make me want to kill myself. Can't count the number of connections I've missed because of this. When I'm traveling on my Italian passport (i.e., whenever I'm going to Italy), I just breeze right through. A close second is Madrid's Barajas airport. Anyone know if it's now non-smoking? Either way, that place was a smoke-filled cancerfest every time I was there. And when I had to wait for the ex to pick me up, it was unendurable.
best -heathrow its alright if you travel first class and go in the virgin atlantic lounge (like i did) -San francisco beautiful design and quick service. worst -vegas moronic staff and crappy lounge -mallorca (las palmas) nothing like getting prodded by a jobsworth airport security guard with a truncheon and told to move quicker. I dont pay money to go to that sh1tehole anymore. -Gibraltar nightmare steep angle descent into the airport will make your stomach churn. and the airport is crap. Not to mention security guards with attitude problems.
Another small airport is Long Beach, CA. We took Jet Blue there for MLS Cup and it's SUPER easy in and out, you walk across the street and you're at the rental car area. K
i think you have it backwards. The El drops you off near Terminals 1, 2, or 3. in order to get to 5 (International Terminal) you have to get on the tram thing.
Agree with JFK. Biggest shithole in the US Detroit is suprisingly awesome. Scariest? Sao Paolo, Brazil. You actually fly thru skyscrappers and billboards to land there.
Gotcha . Only been there twice, and once was just to catch a connecting flight... although when I went out for a smoke the security staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. When you're not American (and these days even Irish, which affords you countless free passes and leisures in the States), security staff over there are always VERY cautious of you in this (post 9/11) day and age. That elevator was a disaster though. Note for others: never, EVER make that mistake getting off the El.
Best: Geneva. There's a train station in the basement. 200m from plane to train - next stop, mountains. It doesn't get any more convenient than that. Second scariest: Congonhas in Sao Paulo (as Chico13 accurately described a few posts back). It's nickname is "The Aircraft Carrier." There was a terrible accident there a few months ago. It's used for domestic flights within Brazil. Scariest in the world: Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. [youtube]v_z5HtME9n8[/youtube] Some hair-raising reading about this airport. It's all true! http://www.airliners.net/articles/read.main?id=8 Tegucigalpa is the capital city of Honduras. The international airport there is one of extreme interest because of its difficult approach and because of its surprisingly short runway. There are many unknown facts about this airport. The runway at Toncontin (TGU) is only 6,132 ft (1869 m) long. The airport was built on a plateau in the city. Tegucigalpa itself is situated in a basin between several tall mountains. This unique location allows for some spectacular approaches and interesting landings. The approach into TGU is breathtaking. Up until a few years ago there used to be a small hill some 200 ft (60 m) from the runway. Planes used to have to fly low, ascend the mountain, and descend into TGU. That hill was bulldozed during the early 1990’s. Now the approach into TGU is just as interesting and not as dangerous. An airplane landing at runway 01 at TGU must circle inside the basin below the mountaintops. It is very interesting to look up at the wing and still see trees and mountains while being banked the other way. After it circles the basin it has only 100-200 ft (30-60 m) to line up before the runway. Because of the short runway as soon as the plane crosses the fence separating the airport property and the highway, it must make contact. The runway has a “displaced threshold” leaving only 5,436 ft (1657 m) of useable landing runway. That short runway, coupled with a 1.06º downhill slope on runway 01, allows for little braking time. The runway here in TGU is very short compared with many runways in other countries. It is the second smallest international airport in the world. The actual length of the runway is 6,132 feet (1869 m). It was built on a plateau in the basin that holds Tegucigalpa and Comayaguela. Takeoffs here are really awesome. The airliner sits at the end of the runway with the parking brakes on and adds full throttle to the aircraft. After about 5-10 seconds the pilots release the brakes and you are hurled down the runway and leap into the sky with only a 1000-1500 feet (300-460 m) of runway left. It is an incredible feeling to stand on the outside beside the runway and listen to the RPM’s of the aircraft taking off. Almost every single landing and takeoff at TGU interrupts the flow of traffic along Boulevard hacia Loarque. There are two traffic lights on either side of the runway that stop traffic whenever an airplane takes off and lands. They do not normally stop traffic for small Cessna’s or other small propeller planes; however, for jets and turbo-props traffic is stopped. The reason traffic is stopped is because of how low the aircraft must get to the ground on approach to TGU. They didn’t always stop traffic though. It wasn’t until a few years ago when a jet struck a passenger bus on approach that they finally added the traffic lights. There is only a 4 ft (1,2 m) tall fence separating the traffic from the runway.
It is a nice airport, except it was the only airport where I lost my luggage and it was the airport's fault too.
My favourite US airport is undoubtedly Portland, Oregon. Very modern, very well organized and comfortable, and free wireless access everywhere. Favourite outside the US is probably Zurich. Heathrow is my least favourite because it's simply an overcrowded mess.
I really hate Dallas DFW airport. Because of how sprawled the gates and concourses are, I've almost missed flights twice while connecting there. I can't think of too many airports in the US I like, Denver, I guess is alright. I like the new main concourse in Detroit as well.
I actually went to Honduras last May and landed at this airport! It was pretty cool. When it was landed and my side of the plane was facing the direction we approached from all you see is that hill right in the path of the runway. It's pretty nuts. Even though the hill was (mostly) removed there is still some kind of landform in the way. Although from the vantage point of that video taken, it didn't seem much like that.
Moscow a complete shithole. Just back from JKF, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta. All OK but my vote goes to Atlanta as it had a smoking room
I forgot about Moscow...I had a transit there about 12 years ago it was a total chaos.No organisation whatsoever,everything is toilets had been smashed to pieces and there was nothing to eat nor drinkg except for caviar and vodka... Is the smoking room in Atlanta nice?I don't smoke any more but even when I did I lasted no more than a couple of drags in a smoking room...
It is actually. After 9 hours without a cig it was like the Ritz to me It was quite a walk from where I was getting my connecting flight and when I eventually got there I had left my cigs in my bag!! A nice Englisg lady gave me a couple. What other airports have smoking areas????
Vancouver has a dark and poorly ventilated one. Heathrow did five years ago and maybe still does;it was located right in the middle of a corridor with opening on each side;I felt very uncomfortable as non-smokers would pass by constantly glaring at us... Bangkok int'l airport had one years ago;it was actually a tiny cubicle made of tinted glass. I would bother to find a smoking area only when I was there for transit so these are the only ones I know.