Greatest Airports... Worst Airports
 

Losthellhound posted a journal entry about having to survive LAX and it started a series of comments about airports...

I'd love to hear your best and worst airport stories.

GOOD
Toronto Pearson Terminal 1
Believe it or not, there are a few really well organized airports out there. One of my favourite ones is the new Toronto Terminal 1... It is bright, airy, and easy to navigate... I am sure it will be even better once it is complete. I'm not sure if my love of this Terminal is owning to the fact that the old T1 was pure hell (especially when arriving) that Terminal 2 still sucks or that it can stand proudly with some of the other great airports opened in recent years (I hope it is the latter).

BAD
There are many airports that truly suck. Some suck because they are so utilitarian and drab (Taipei's Chang Kai Chek comes to mind) or convoluted (Chicago O'Hare anyone?)... but for being all that and more I have to vote for the Frankfurt Airport. The question is, when will the renovations ever stop? I have been travelling through this airport for the past 8 years, at least four times a year and it is still under renovations. While I can now figure my way around, it took some time to figure it all out. The airport lounge is nothing special (but they do have gummy bears and a great multivitamin drink on tap).


OK TFP travellers... let's hear yours.

The airport in Raleigh, North Carolina has rocking chairs in the food court area. I think that adds a nice Southern charm to the airport.

I really didn't like Dulles when I went through there...the air conditioning was off and it was horribly hot, not to mention dirty. Likewise Midway. While it's convenient, I hated flying into Midway, as it was always horribly crowded and dirty. And the third on my triple threat is Kennedy, for the same damn reasons.


Ok airports: Hartfield (Atlanta), DIA (Denver), SeaTac, O'Hare.

While these are big, they seem to me to be better designed to get people into and out of them easily. They only rate ok with me because...well...they're big and as such you have the usual big airport issues.

I guess I can add Houston to that list. It's been a few years since I was down there, but the 3 or 4 times I went through I can never remember anything good about it.

(I've been through LAX, but I can't recall pluses or minuses on it.)

The smaller big city airports usually rank as my favorite. Portland has a great airport which is easy to get into and out of. My big complaint with it is that they have totally screwed up the security areas, but I almost feel like that isn't their fault. Billings had a nice little airport and Augusta Georgia's airport was just plain cute.

Non-descript: Columbus(OH), Cincinatti, Philly, Birmingham (AL), Charleston(WV)

Vegas was too damn flashy with all the slots, but Salt Lake was Morman clean and also well designed.

O'Hare is an ok airport with one major exception. If you are flying international and coming back into the US, stay as far away from O'Hare as you can. The have the worst customs setup I've seen. All internatonal inbound flights go to the international terminal which is far away from the other terminals. Then after going through customs, you need to get to the other terminals to get to your connecting flight. It's a royal pain in the ass and if you have a three hour layover time, you will just barely make your connecting flight.

I like DIA for the fact that you can move between concourses without leaving the security area.

DFW is ok, but you really have to do a lot of walking in that airport.

Schipol Amsterdam is a really nice airport.

Charlotte is nice. They have rocking chairs in the concourses!

Terminal C at Raleigh-Durham International is nice. Termal A is a pit, but they're working on it.

Salt Lake City International is very nice.

DFW is okay. It's a long way between gates, especially if you have to change terminals, but it's fairly new and clean, and has good amenities. The distributed baggage claim and check-in design is neat. God help you if you're driving through the airport and get on the service roads. There's no escape from service road hell.

Atlanta Hartfield is lousy. Endless brown halls with dim flourescent lights and long nondesript tunnels between terminals. Blech.

As Hub airport... Atlanta is meant to service a large number of people who arrive and then leave without leaving the airport (as opposed to other airports that mostly service locals). Knowing that, I think it is even worse... just drab and boring... Not a nice place for a layover.

mirevolver... that is exactly why I didn't like Chicago O'Hare...

The rocking chairs in Charlotte made me wonder if I was dreaming when I got off my red eye - I didn't see them in I was at Raleigh-Durham.

I didn't mind the San Diego Airport so much, but LAX and the Frankfurt airport feel like rat mazes as you go around trying to figure out just exactly where the escape door is.

I really liked Santa Fe. They don't let jets in and there is only one gate. You walk down the steps across the tarmac and into the one room airport. Then you walk right out the other door and either walk across the lot to a car rental agency or get on the one van that acts as a taxi for everyone going into town. They drive the cart with your luggage right around to the back of the van for you.

I really like the Maui airport because it means you are arriving in Hawaii. Then at the end of the trip it means you are leaving, and I hate that.

I live in Atlanta and I have come to terms with Hartsfield. As big airports go, I actually think it is pretty good, but I have never had to change planes here. I hate changing planes in Dallas. Just give up if you have to change terminals there. The last time I had to run through an unbelievable distance (but I did make a connection that saved me another connection with a 6 hour layover, so I was happy. If there had not been a seat on that plane and I would have had to go back to the other terminal to catch my scheduled flight I would have been pissed.) Another time I went to the tram only to find it was out of service and had to wait more than 30 minutes to catch a bus. I got the last seat in the back and a cover to the motor compartment was not attached. It kept swinging out and back over my head, missing by inches when I ducked.

Charles de Gaule in Paris must be the worst for connections. You have to wait for hours to catch a "bus" to and from the plane. The food is horrible (so much for french food) and you will pay for any work stoppages. I had a four hour layover but a 15 minute strike meant my luggage did not get back to Atlanta for 4 days.

I agree greytone. Worst airport is the one you are sitting in on your way home.

Ack. Wrong about the rocking chairs in Raleigh. It was Charlotte.

Worst airports are the ones with no air con.

Dar-Es-Salaam International, middle of january, 35 degrees centigrade, no air con, huge lines for passport control.

On the way out 3 months later, security was tighter than at Heathrow. I had to boot up my laptop for them to check that it wasn't a) a bomb or that b) my OS wasn't set to Arabic.

There is no avoiding croissants in airports, even in Africa.

I have to say that Vancouver Int. is my favourite. Nice design, lots of plants and a really cool indoor waterfall type-thing just above and behind the passport control place.

Vegas has to be one of the good ones. Well laid out, clean, and in house gambling to help pass the time

I HATE the Detroit airport.....It's uber-confusing, and most of the workers inside the airport, from the concessions to the airline employees, HAVE NO FREAKING IDEA of what's going on....

I'm dreading flying back there in 2 days!

I have to give it up for my homestate, Salt Lake International has a very nice airport. I like the one in Raleigh Durham too, except for the parking is way screwed up. I also thought that Orange County (aka John Wayne) airport was nice, very airy and open. I wasn't too impressed with Chicago O'Hare or Newark. Haven't been in too many international ones, but the one in Hermasillo, Mexico was pretty dreary, and it seemed like a mile walk from the main area to the terminals at the Gatwick, London airport. However, the main area in Gatwick was pretty nice.

lebell have you been to the newly upgraded Seatac?
its a lot more "cozy" now and less in and out as before.
its possible to lounge there comfortably and ejoy the scenery inside.

edit
ill throw in a soso airport
Ft Lauderdale was small and very get your stuff and get out like to me.
Houston if i remember right was like that too
and Vegas was to me, just like a huge diner with food , slot machines, and tons of souvenir shops.
editx2 maui airport was very strange to me, open everywhere except loading area and quite small but at the same time, *almost* comfortable.

i gotta say i love MSP. i live here...so i sort of have to, but the stores are nice, and they've put in a tram and lots more moving walkways...the things sprawls like a mofo, so they had to.

ATL is good, bradford i don't mind, la guardia is america's best flight approach, and SFO a close second.

i hates LAX with a burning passion, and Newark is a pit of despair.

Martinguerre - I have to admit MSP has gotten much better in recent years. I remember I had 45 minutes to make a connection once, but it was on a different airline. It took me all of 40 minutes to get from gate to gate. Not to mention I was only 14 years old, and by myself. I had a much better experience when I flew out of there in May.

I live in Atlanta and I love our airport....I've only ever been in the one in newark, las vegas, and midway in chicago, and ours of course.....out of those Atlanta is the best

skinnymofo:

Last time I was at Seatac was in 96'. Now I'm only a 4 hour drive away, so I probably won't be flying through there anytime soon again.

Let's see:
Chicago:
Midway - -it's a dump -- it's super easy access via the El to the Loop, but that's all it's got going for it -- a decent cup of coffee is no where to be found, security is hopelessly disorganized, and every flight I have had out of there has been at the furthest possible gate out.
O"hare --
Terminal 3 - two admiral's clubs, but they close too early. There's a starbucks every 20 feet which is good, and a pretty decent food court. Changing planes, you are in for a hike. Flights rarely take off on time. Baggage in this airport is usually pretty good, I can make it from the gate, one stop in the ladies, and head down to baggage claim and my bag is right there.
The El is 45 minutes into midtown, non rush hour it's a waste of time.
Terminal 2 - Security is a joke - the United Airlines tunnel playing Rhapsody in Blue is very cool, the food court isn't bad, but it all closes early.

Newark: My home airport
Terminal A - It's laid out really well and it makes the airport kinda cozy. The coffee places don't open early enough, and the admiral's club doesn't stay open late enough, but security is pretty efficient.
Terminal C (ContinentHell's Terminal) is a mess. It's just gotten too big, and no one seems to know anything. If you are unlucky enough to have to change planes here, bring your running shoes, because it's guarenteed you are going for a jog - -and there's tons of ground stop delays in Newark, so that 2 hour layover you had, gets cut to 15 minutes.

Las Vegas
Dirty Dirty Dirry
Too many slot machines and too many disgusting people.
Just a nasty place to have a layover.

Ontario - Orange County California
Nice cute little airport -- no food services to speak of but flight took off, landes and no baggage delays.

Manchester Regional - New Hampshire
A tiny airport that used to be a dream - -I could go from curb to gate - check my bag and check in for a flight - including clearing securitry in 15 minutes. Now, it's taking longer. the airport is going thru some growing pains. Airport can't handle anything larger than a 737 but it's still an efficient airpott, if you can ger a direct flight - Three stars in my book.

Logan - _Boston
Hate it Hate it Hate it.
The water is pretty though

Atlanta -
Another place running is mandatory. The train in the airport doesnt help when you ahve to go from gate 2 to gate 122 (it's about a mile hike - with no automated walkways, trams, and the train doesn't help at all) Transferring is ugly.

Hobby - Houston
Big Hair, bigger belt buckles - buncha good ole boys here. I was there a few years back and ended up missing a connection because the shuttle to go from one terminal to the other (was changing planes) was delayed/

I was waiting for maleficent to find this thread and deposit her vast airport knowledge.

I really liked Las Vegas airport. I loved the setup and the people in that city are pretty nice...wish Tucson was like that.

The airports I have been through and there is a lot:

Good ones: DFW (well organized) the only thing good to come out of texas, no offense to anyone that lives there or likes it there, it's a hot, humid place with nothing to do. Dulles, I think it's pretty simple to get around.

OK airports nothing good or bad to speak of: San Diego, LAX, Perth Australia, Baltimore.

Bad Airports: Singapore (confusing mess); Detroit (A mess of an airport); London-Heathrow (confusing); and lastly Karachi, Pakistan (The country is already bad, try letting them build airports. Not only is it dirty and confusing, you have hoards of people trying to get into the airport and escape their lives there, you have no idea what a bad airport is until you get there.)

My best airport experiences:
1. Mexico City (helpful ticket agents saved my day)
2. London, Heathrow (do not leave any bag unattended)
3. Vancouver, Canada (just don't travel through at Christmas)
4. San Diego, California (planes pass directly over the city)

Worst;
1. Athens (too small for being a major hub)
2. San Francisco (good transit but, a long drive into the city)
3. LAX, Los Angeles (your connecting flight is on the other side of the terminal)

tiltedbc... don't travel at Christmas is good advice for *any* airport.


punx... i surprised you didn't like the Singapore airport... it isn't one of the new modern airports but I have experienced much worse. I've always been able to find my way around quite nicely.

amonkie...i should add that only counts if you're flying NWA/KLM. Why or how you would get a flight in to MSP on another carrier is somewhat beyond me... and since they own the damn place, they're good about holding flights or offering other connections.

Some more Good:

Hong Kong's new Chek Lap Kok
Arriving here was a breeze. I stepped off the plane, went through customs, picked up my bags and walked onto a waiting train to take me into the city... they reason this was remarkable was that at no time did I have to climb any stairs, turn any cornerers, etc... Well organized and efficient.

As for being in Transit, not too bad. The United lounge is nice and well situated. You can sit in the airy lounge and have a clear view of your gate below...


Nice: Cote d'Azure
This is a relatively small two terminal airport. It feels old and dated... but functions fairly well. The departure area in Terminal one is always dirty (they still permit smoking in public areas). The lounge was deplorable and hardly worth using. The arrivals area is, again, functional but nothing to write home about... the only thing worth noting is the occasion opportunity to see stars like Bono waiting for their luggage.

I have always liked Skyharbor in Phoeniz, despite the "emergency, assume the crash position" landing my plane had to make there... It's a pretty airport - and I recall it being clean (when I was so happy to be on the ground I wanted to kiss the ground)

Sydney, australia had a nice airport -they made a lot of improvements for the Olympics, and when all the Olympics finally left, it was a great airport.

Heathrow I remember being really hot, and I don't remember if it was Heathrow or Gatwick that they didn't open the gate area until 15 minutes before the flight was supposed to leave (so there was no place to sit down and just chill out)

Gatwick - bad experience. Arrived at 1:00am, and found that the taxi cab drivers were on strike, and had to call for a cab from a coin operated pay phone. (I just arrived and had no change) Someone finally took pity on me and called a cab for me, and I sat down to wait, and there was a very drunk person about 5 feet from me, who stood up and the proceeded to spew forth the contents of his stomach into the nearest trashcan. Ewwwww.


Haven't been to Toronto in years, but for a while I was commuting there. It used to annoy me that it was a 50 minute flight from NYC to Toronto - but it never too less than 3 -4 hours to reach my destination -- between the longest taxiway in the world - and customs that was just useless-- it was never a good time.

Detroit =Shudder.. (I've been thru detroit a bunch of times, and each time, my luggage has gotten misdirected.

Columbus, Ohio - Cute little airport, but no decent coffee or really anything once you clear security.. I could make a fortune by putting in coffee kiosks at some of these airports, The shopping in this airport is a hoot - -it's all Ohio State all the time... there was also a store that had a really amazing selection of hot sauces...

Yup, think it was NWA - had to catch a hopper plane to go from MSP to Rochester.

Personally I hate the Charlotte airport.. BORING!! I'd hate to get stuck there I know that.

RDU in raleigh is ok.. They are doing major renovations to it..hopefully they'll be smart about it.

DFW is a decent airport.. it's too big though. Like others have mentioned it takes forever to get from gate to gate sometimes.. oh well

Orlando Intl. isn't too bad..granted it's full of tourists and scammers but that's home so I can't say too much bad about it.

Las Vegas is horrible..it's just dirty from the top to the bottom.. I hate that place

Atlanta isn't terrible considering how big it is.. it could be worse but could be alot better.

I guess I've never had any real major issues with airports. Maybe I'll think of a story. I've been to more airports than the ones listed..I just don't recall them.

Among the big-complex-megaplex airports, AMS,HKG,ICN,SIN are amongst the best.
Amsterdam is very easy to traverse, so is Hong Kong. New Seoul and Singapore are super clean and efficient too.

U.S based airports do not even begin to understand the experience these above mentioned airports strive to create. Dining options in Hong Kong,Singapore are amazing.

Worst: How about an airport that is just a runway ? Tamarindo, CostaRica = No checkin, No arrival and departure lounges :)

London Standsted Airport, UK - Well designed and purpose built, so you can walk in one direction.

Dusseldorf, Germany - Just a very pretty airport

International customs is almost always a drag... that said, I think you will really like the new Terminal... very posh. The lounge, which was always good is better.

and nothing is longer than the bloody taxi in at Charles De Gaulle...

charlatan...I went through the singapore airport over 10 years ago, so things could have dramatically changed. All I know is when we went through customs was a bitch and finding McDonalds took an hour.

Punx... it is very different now... I'd say it is one of the quickest airports for me to get through customs and out (and the customs guards serve you a big mac as they stamp your passport).

I fly all over the Midwest & to the Boston area in the Northeast. Here are my assessments:

Cincinnati (my hometown)/Northern Kentucky: It's OK as long as you're flying Delta. Fairly non-descript, but well laid-out.

Detroit (my former hometown) Metro: LOVE the new terminal! Haven't been over to the non-NorthWorst side in ages. I remember it being old, skanky and even more skanky. Hell of a way to treat passengers lucky enough to make it to Detroit.

Cleveland: HATE IT. I seem to only have the luck <?> to fly through Cleveland late at night, after everything I might want to frequent has closed. That sure makes an awfully long wait for that 1 hour connection.

Newark: I got very used to the Continental terminal. Never really LIKED it, but I got used to it. I did like the fact that there's a Staples in-terminal. Made buying a cellphone earpiece convenient, since every time I flew in, I seemed to have forgotten/lost mine.

La Guardia: Don't get me started. Ick. I flew through a few times during spring/summer & they seemed to delay or cancel at the drop of a hat.

Boston Logan: I'm there WAY too much. This is the kind of airport that makes me want to wash my hands BEFORE I go to the bathroom. At least I know where my equipment has been. ;)

Atlanta Hartfield: I agree with previous posters that transferring planes can be a nightmare, especially with Delta's under-planned connect times! Thank God the last time I went through there my plane was LITERALLY right next-door.

-----------

Best food: Detroit, for the Japanese restaurant that's in-terminal. Newark comes in a close second for their extensive food court in the Continental terminal.

Worst food: Boston Logan's terminal C (Delta) ... there's NOTHING once you get past security, save a Sam Adams bar & Dunkin Donuts that both serve pre-packaged sammiches. Awful for when you find out last-minute that you didn't get the upgrade you were hoping for, and will either not eat until after 11pm, or have to go get a $9 sammich & drink.

Let's see, best:

Midway: subway within walking distance, if you call ahead on Multicom Altantic Aviation will have fresh cookies! Plus there's a Dunkie's in the subway terminal which I sorely miss in Indiana. The new terminal isn't bad but I normally fly in a private plane.

Denver: Love it! Just a beautiful airport and well laid out. Best large airport in the US IMO

Providence: Easy to get to, friendly to GA, nice terminal. Only bad thing is the insanely long security line.

Indianapolis: I can't say enough good things about this airport. Raytheon Aviation is awesome to GA. Free parking for 30 minutes when dropping off an picking up. The terminal is well laid out and has only once had a long security line in the many times I've been there. Only one problem: long ass taxi times when the wind's from the NE.

Boston: Home airport, love the approach. Plus the subway is very close. Don't drive in though, it sucks paying $3 just to leave the area.

Any place with an observation deck. MSP counts because the garage is an awesome vantage point and the cops are understanding of nerdy college students with cameras.

WORST:

O'Hare: Like the terminal, shitiest runway design ever. Nice to have one of the busiest airports in the US drop to half it's normal capacity with bad weather, which is a lot in Chicago.

Reagan National: Love the River Visual to 18 but the terminal sucks. I hate having to leave security to change gates. Plus, GA isn't allowed there any more, which also sucks.

Heathrow: Two things... what a dump and only three runways?! Freakin' holding patterns.

Any place with only Signature Aviation serving GA. Nothing like flying in and getting charged for a "security screening" when you're flying the damned airplane. $40 in fees when flying into Meigs (rest in peace) not counting Chicago landing fees and fuel. My ass still hurts.

Airports I like:
Pittsburgh: Great assortment of food and stores. Awesome place to have a layover. Not so good though if you fly in to Terminal E and have to go to the main terminal for your connection.

Manchester, NH: Nothing like a full service airport in a teeny-tiny living space. Easy in, Easy out, cheap parking and they have a McDonald's AND a Dunkin' Donuts.

Reagan International: Though the river approach is a bit surreal the first time you take it, the airport is a snap to get in and out of and easy to navigate through.

London City: Small airport, simple check in, nice lounge area. A pain in the ass to get to, but once you're there it's smooth sailing.

Airports I don't like so much:
Heathrow: So huge, kind of a pain in the ass to get around especially if you have to make a connection on the other side of the damn place, and the signs are horrible.

Chicago Midway: Fly into the middle of a neighborhood and navigate the labyrinth that is the terminal building. It's a great time!!

LaGuardia and Kennedy: Flight delays, last minute gate changes-to the other side of the airport, surly airline workers, these two have it all!

Oslo Airport: It was rebuilt for the Lilihammer Olympics so it is big spacious and new... very pleasant with a great rail link to the city. Tranfering was a breeze.

Stockholm Airport: very old school, not poorly designed but relatively forgetable... the central area was nice and airy though which is a plus.

Jakarta: The arrival was initially quite nice. The jetways are glass enclosures that look out onto landscaped teraces... The waiting lounges are like little clay roofed pagodas (for lack of a better word) sticking out from the central corridor. The "fun" starts when you have to line up for first your visa and then customs... Long slow moving lines. The main terminal is actually rather dull compared to the rest of the airport but is reasonably well laid out. The lounge, while nice, was looking a little rough around the edges when I was there in December.

Chang Kai Chek - Taipei: This was the most dull and boring airport I've been to. This was exacerbated by the fact that I was there at 5:00 am. The design felt like Asian mall meets airport.... low ceillings and narrow hallways. The arrivals and departures were definately old school and had a bit of charm because of it but just felt old and dirty when it came down to it... I believe they were building a new terminal when I was there last...

I've been in and out of a few airports and my favorites are:
Portland Int'l--PDX is, quite frankly, what every airport should strive to be--simply organized with pleasant public spaces, easy access to transportation and services, etc. I have never encountered a problem flying in or out of PDX.

Denver Int'l--I've only changed flights in Denver a couple of times, but it's a reasonably nice airport in which to pass some time. Pleasant public spaces, nice shopping. Good food.

Gatwick (London)--Gatwick has to be the handiest airport I've ever been to. I took the train in, managed to find my way to the check-in desk without problems, and also managed to pass the several hours before my flight took off quite comfortably. I enjoyed my experience there...though mostly I was glad to be going back to the States.

Airports I dislike:

Seatac. Despite remodels it's still ugly and doesn't even begin to compare to PDX. The traffic in and out of the airport is really terrible at times and it's just an awful place to be. Blech.

Atlanta. Despite the spankin' new international terminal when I was there, I didn't like it...too crowded, seemed really hot and dirty, and just...no.

Reno. Small, dirty, gross. 'Nuff said.

HATED Charles De Gaulle in Paris.
I have often flown through Atlanta and the Airport is good, but I hated trying to check in there. To be fair it was Christmas time.
DIA is good, but that is home so I am use to it. I did take a wrong turn once and it took me over 30 minutes to get all the way around again.
Is there a good airport in Texas?
Logan in Boston can be ugly. I don't like the approach, plus getting in and out is a pain.
When I was in Salt Lake they were remodeling or something and we had to cross between concourses outside. That was not pleasant. That was a while ago.
I though Charlotte was nice.
I don't remember much abt Ronald Regan so it couldn't have been too bad.

Gatwick was like that. I stood in the hallway with my bags for what seemed like forever, finally got into the seating area, sat for five minutes, and then boarded.

London Heathrow. BAD. It took me almost an hour to transfer flights BECAUSE IT IS SO GIGANTIC! I was moving the whole time, including a bus transfer and it was almost an hour from one terminal to the next!!! Nice airport, just so huge! I'de say any tropical airport is the best, because you see the blue when you fly in and it smells like flowers when you land!

I actually found Heathrow to be more than adequate, if a bit bland.

I seem to be the only person who likes O'hare, but then, I'm from Chicago and flown through there so many times maybe I just know the layout quite well.

Denver has a fantastic airport.

BWI sucks.

Schpol in Amsterdam or Minni have the best ... and the worst would have to Munich Germany ... so hungover and so many people who didn't speak english = so hard to find ANYTHING

When were you at the Munich airport? I've arrived and departed there and been in transit there and thought it was one of the better airports I've been to. Conveniently organized. Nowhere near as chaotic as Frankfurt.

Schipol is a very nice airport, but I think that might be because the Dutch people are sooo nice! And good-looking! Schipol had the hottest passport control/customs agents I'd ever seen in my life. I liked that it was easy to figure out where to go--I was tired and hungry when I arrived after a long flight from the States and it was the first time I'd traveled without my parents--and that everyone seemed so damn helpful. Very nice.

Although I dont travel much, Id have to say I dont think Atlanta Intl is quite as bad as you guys have said. Its an incredibly busy airport (i think the busiest in the us) and does a pretty good job at getting people in and out. It has decent wireless coverage, and there are plenty of venues etc. to keep occupied while waiting for your flight. Im sure there are better airports out there, but I doubt they deal with the amount of traffic ATL does.

Schipol in Amsterdam comes to mind as being nice. Dulles is a pretty good airport, especially when compared to National. Charles de Gaulle in Paris is pretty average, from what I remember Logan is terrible. Heathrow in London is average too.

Tampa isn't amazing, it was just kind of fun when I was a kid because they have these metro-tube-type things that shoot you out to the terminals, and you go over roads and cars and stuff. For a kid who was growing up in Africa at the time, that was pretty cool!

Favorites: Charlotte-Douglas, LaGuardia, Narita, Charles De Gualle, Ohare
Hated: Raleigh-Durham, Newark-Liberty, JFK, Dulles

Worst:
1: Cairo - No organisation to speak of (other than, walk through the doors and then join the nearest throng while screaming as loud as you can.) A truly gruesome airport guaranteed to bring out the savage in you.
2: Jeddah - It's a cow-shed on an airstrip. The busiest airport in the Middle East with by far the worst "facilities." Don't even think of going to the toilet there unless you're in the mood to lose your lunch.
3: Nairobi - How can an international airport in the middle of Africa not have air-conditioning? Steaming.

I don't really have "favourite" airports. As long as they don't piss me off, they'll do.

Do you mean the new or the old airport? I found the new one much better though still a little chaotic.

Best ones for me are Hong Kong (new one) and Singapore.
I hate the airport here in Melbourne, Australia. Hate nearly everything about it, the hassle of going through customs etc, one time they had 2-3 planes baggage arriving on the one carousel while the others were not in use, the thing would get clogged up with baggage every couple of minutes and it'd take 2-3mins for someone to fix the problem.
Another airport I hate is the LA one. You have to enter the USA to change terminals, that was a huge hassle for us. Especially my mother who required a visa which meant trips to consulates and a price of around US$100 to change planes on our way to Canada.

I found the munich airport less hectic than the Frankfurt one but I speak German so I didn't experience the language diffuculties you speak of.

good:

cancun- open and airy. small distance between arrival gate and customs. lightning quick passport lines.
narita- easily navigable for international travelers. could work on improving access to tokyo.
phoenix- efficiently laid out. stable weather makes for fewer delays.
salt lake- clean and functional.
john wayne- THE way to access l.a. and its orange county environs. small and clean. uncrowded, punctual.

bad:

lax- worst airport in the world
o'hare- too prone to weather delays, though that might not be their fault.
lax- have i mentioned this is the worst airport in the world?
dallas- haven't really enjoyed the airport-as-a-campus design much.
lax- i really dislike lax
mexico city- poor signage, unhelpful staff.

Ontario is my preferred airport. It is clean, efficient, and stress-free. Traffic is not usually a problem and it is un-crowded. I suggest anyone flying into the LA area domestically not to fly into LAX. If you are smart, you could pick a time when traffic is not too bad (midday) and you wouldn't have to deal with much traffic getting into LA (about 40 miles to the west of Ontario).

By the way, Ontario is in San Bernardino County, not Orange County. Orange County has John Wayne Airport, which is not bad either.

Also, if you are coming from Boston or NYC, I highly suggest the Jet Blue service into Long Beach airport. Long Beach is the smallest LA area airport, but it is by far the least crowded. It is also only a little farther from downtown LA than LAX.

Gatwick I liked, customs was a breeze and I was on my train and headed to London with no problems.
London Luton I hated. Of course our flight was late and that didn't help but the waiting area near our gate was uncomfortable and dirty.
I was in Edinburgh Airport for all of twenty minutes after my flight but it seemed servicable enough. I flew in on EasyJet which was no picnic but the airport gave me no problems.
Charles DeGaulle had all those guys with machine guns walking around and we had to take a bus to our train to get to Paris and then a bus to our plane on the tarmac on the return flight. There was a lot of waiting. It was a bit off-putting.
I've only flown out of Dallas DFW a couple of times but got turned around and confused both of those times.
O'Hare has never given me any problems other than late flights.
The Birmingham AL airport reminded me of a bus station.
Phoenix Skyharbor seemed alright.
Overall I'm not crazy about any airport, just trying to reach my destination.

Christchurch, NZ was amazing, 5 min from car to gate.

I'm a native Chicagoan, so I figured out O'Hare long ago.

LAX gets my vote as worst. A 5 hour layover may or may not be long enough to clear customs.

I've got a new one to add under the worst airports (from a pilot's perspective):
Nassau, Bahamas. The place was totally messed up with one runway being torn up and only one left for the planes. The ground controllers are cool though and really good about getting you out of there fast, once you get started after your 40 minute wait to taxi. The approach controllers on the other hand were totally incompetent. All the sequencing done to our little planes was horrible. We were either given 10 miles spacing between us and the jet before (10 miles = 7 minutes) or they put planes way too close, such as 1 mile between us and a 767 behind us or 1/4 mile for the 737 departing in front of us. Can't beat the view though.

Edit: Toronto City Centre now makes my best airport list. Everybody is so friendly and customs is awesome. The downtown area is less than a stone's throw away from the airport and the only problem is fuel is so expensive!

My favorite airport is Monterey County Airport in Monterey, CA. The area isn't large, but the population is filthy rich and flies a lot, so several lines fly out of the local airport. The airport looks like a metro area airport and has all the same services -- except that it's tiny. Long-term parking is 20 yards from the front door. Baggage claim consists of a couple of guys putting all the luggage on a counter and asking you to choose yours, and the luggage always turns up within 10 minutes of debarkation. There's a little concourse where you can get a good meal at a reasonable price, no waiting. Everything's clean; the toilets automatically put a new sanitary wrap on the toilet seat after each use! I live halfway between San Jose International and Monterey; and when I can get the flight I want there, I fly Monterey, even if it costs a few bucks more.

As for worst -- most airports don't make me smile, but I'll agree Hartfield is on the ridiculous side.

I love airports! Have since I was a little girl- granted, I've not been to that many of them, but I still like 'em!

Didn't like the Atlanta airport at all- way way way too big, I'm glad my brother was with me when I had to do a layover there.

I have flown out of Charlotte-Douglas the most, and have found it to be pretty and well organized. You come in, go down the hall, then you go left or right. Pretty simple.

Liked the design of the Denver airport- don't know that much about it as I was in a group that had someone else leading the way through it.

Was in a section of the Philidelphia airport for about four hours on a layover to London, it seemed nice enough but some other people in my group said it was hell if you had to start from the other side of the airport. I also hated the approach- whose grand idea was it to have the runway start 10 feet from the river?

Gatwick was really really big, but again I was in a group with a leader who had navigated it a bajillion times before- came in at like, 5 am to so didn't have to deal with a lot of people. Going out I was sitting in the airport for like, 6 hours (long story, nother thread) and I was trying to find a travel charity that no one knew about (least the police types) so that was definitely stressful. I found the decor to be a bit early 60's and the old style flipping flight thingee to be quaint as hell. Course, this was back in 99 so they could have changed it since then.

Raleigh airport is pretty messed up, but I think they're trying to fix that. When I was a kid my aunt would always take me to the plane observatory thingee, which was fun.

I liked the West Palm Beach airport- seemed to be clean and pretty, but they lost my luggage. Plus I got to see Donald Trump's jet, which was neat!

I wouldn't say I have a favorite airport-- the worst was definitely St. Louis though. Our family actually never made it into the airport, we sat in the plane for three and half hours waiting for it to be deiced. We missed half of our cruise because of it. It sucked a lot-- when we got to Miami, we spent three days hanging out in that airport, so I'm not terribly fond of Miami, either.

Damn, I hated both London Stanstead and Heathrow.

I used the St. Louis airport last year... I did't find it all that bad. I'd say it is about average in every way.

Amsterdam Airport is quite good (cant remember its name) but the worst one I've been to is Zantee in Greece. That was a complete hell hole. Hours queing up outside, the inside stank, JCB's and cranes parked on the side of the runway. Scarey stuff.

I'll have to second the praise for Pittsburgh's airport. Best one I've ever been in, and I've been in at least 15 in my various traveling.

LaGuardia was pretty bad the one time I used it.

Newark was always a crazy place, no matter when I was there.

The lines I had to deal with at Reagan were way too long, hard to recommend the place after that.

Dublin's airport was quite the interesting place, I must say. Almost like a shopping mall.

Atlanta's seemed pretty solid, but I was only there on a stopover. Same with Minneapolis and Omaha.

I've been through a ton of airports in my time, and unfortunately I hardly remember any of them.

The ones I hate is Atlanta, mostly because 1) I hate the state (even though I lived there for 12 years and 2) it was in a horrible disrepair when last I went through it, as well as unclean, the bathrooms were the opposite though, it was clean and very well maintained but the rest of the airport seemed to be in shambles

I don't like the Alaska airport only because its too damn small, but they got some great cheesy fries at one of the restaurants :)

I liked the Denver Airport quite a bit; clean, friendly and a vibrant atmosphere
not to mention those long escalator walking things are fun to play on :P

Martinguerre: Newark is a pit of despair <- what he said.

Also, I'm fairly certain i left part of my soul in Dulles after a 10 hour layover, in the dead of night, with no smoking anywhere but out the main door(and subzero temps/snow). But, even if I weren't a smoker, that airport just blows...

Nairobi Airport, now there is a pit of doom, right there. Little or no AirCon, reallllllllly dirty, slightly funky smell, incredibly slow service/personel.... All around I was really happy to get the hell out of there. Also, you have to show up 3 hours before check in, and queue at a checkpoint to get in the damn door. Then comes the bag-ransacking, then the really slow check-in behind the lady who relly doesn't understand the term minimum weight...then, the passport check-point...then the security checkpoint at the gate - then the waiting as the personel stands around, apparently not doing anything. Then, finally you get the hell out.

Harare: See Nairobi airport and add a missing bag on arrival...

Heathrow: So God damn huge it makes me almost give up every time I go through. That, and my luggage never makes it out on the same flight as me...Not once!

Good Airports:
CPH - the New Terminal is super nice. Very big, very Airy, Wifi(at a price, but still). Only complaint is very long concourses with no moving sidewalks. But hey, a little pre-boarding exercise never killed anyone.

Amsterdam Schiphol: I really like the recently renovated areas( I was there just a month ago, but don't recall whether it was terminal B, C or D.) Good shops, nice staff, plenty of furniture that does not require physical therapy.

Hamburg: I was just there this past xmas, and was really impressed. Frankfurt had scarred me at a young age with regard to German Airports, but this really gave me hope. Nice, well lit, easy to move around(well, there was some confusion at one point, but that was due to unnecessary exploration), decent restaurants and shops.

Gatwick: Is a little cramped, but for some reason it appeals to me. Maybe to do with the luxury cars they have parked all around. A Bentley Conti is good for 15 minutes of drooling....

Another vote for Amersterdam Schipol. I had a 3 hour layover there on the way to Dubai and it's a great setup. Some awesome art all over the terminals to look at. I actually got the heads up on the place from the in-flight magazine on the way over, so I made sure to check the place out when I got there.

-Mikey

About ten years ago I attended a conference in South Padre Island, Texas, and flew to the tiny new Harlingen airport. We actually departed the plane right onto the runway and had to walk to the terminal. At that time they had one gate, and they were very proud of it. My co-worker and I cracked up when we heard the announcement…”Flight 272 arriving at Gate One”. I mean, come on – just say “The flight’s here”. Funniest experience I’ve ever had at an airport. :-D

I live in LA.

Therefore, I hate LAX. I mean really dislike it. It's so bad that it's horrible enough to make a Platypus Irate.

Also, I think Boston Logan International is not so great. It's been over 5 years but it's a poor design and just kind of old and run-down.

I do like:

HKG - Chek Lap Kok - In addition to the funny sounding name, it's a really nice airport. Beautiful, clean, good shopping, good food, good facilities.

Changi - Singapore - I think they have a putting course there - enough said. Oh, and the food is good, it's clean etc.

CKS - Taipei International - Man, this airport used to suck Chinese sausage but after the renovation: Really nice. Big, big improvement.

Denver - I really like this one for some reason. First, it is beautiful with breathtaking views of the Rockies. And it has all the modern amenities and facilities.

Overrated:

Tokyo-Narita
The 13 times I have been through this airport I have been sorely disappointed. Bad shopping, terrible food facilities, borrrrrrri-iiiiiiing. Not as clean as people say Japanese are.

Honorable mentions:

Alaska - quaint little aiport.

Orlando - (at least 15 years ago) I like all the neon and the PeopleMover.

Macao Intl. - Clean, neat and modern. Cool views.

I knew they were renovating but I haven't been through there in a while. Your right though... it used to suck big.

I've had a few layovers here and have to say I agree. Just plain awful.


I hit the Sault Ste. Marie airport a few weeks ago. My God! I didn't think they made airports that small. It's been a while since I've been to a regional airport so it was novel to be able to walk off the plane, across the tarmac, into the Terminal and then, not 20 feet and I was out the front door. The parking lot was close and tiny.

Novel indeed.

And another.

What I particularly enjoyed about this airport is the second level. Its like entering a different building. On the lower Main level, its hustle & bustle, typical airport overcrowding mayhem.

Walk up the stairs to the second level, and it seems like the noise level drops 50 decibels, the traffic clears, there are clean, quiet places to sit, read, eat or generally just get away from the crowds. Video screen flight schedules allow you to remain in touch, as well. I didn't leave the upper level until I was boarding.

The Best!

Oh, and my vote for worst airport is Tampa, FL hands down. What a hellish experience. Wide open spaces, cathedral ceilings, huge gathering places (crying babies, sneezing, coughing, hollering anyone?). Plus it takes a week to get to your gate, as you have to take a freaking monorail to the gate terminal.

Cancun, Mexico is another torture chamber. Ungodly amounts of people, bright garish distractions everywhere, waiting forever in 90 degree heat with 500 other angry, sweaty people to have your passport checked by a half asleep attendant in a room the size of a small convention center.

Auckland NZ is good - I particularly like that the baggage carousel is before customs and immigration - so you are not lining up for immigration, then getting bags, then getting bags searched. I reckon it makes the whole thing shorter as the bag waiting strings people out...

I've only traveled in North America, and don't have a favorite per se, as long as its clean and has open areas I'm fine. The worst airport I've been in has to be Memphis, its to small of an airport to be a Northwest hub, that's the only airport that gave me claustrophobia.

The top of my hatred list is Philadelphia. I have never come through that airport on time, and add to that the sheer nastiness of the place... It feels like it hasn't been cleaned since the 80s.

Charlotte is a pretty nice airport. As far as airports go, you can't complain. Clean and easily navigable.

I don't think Frankfurt is as bad as some of yall do. Definitely not great, but not crappy either. Also, they have a train station in the bottom where I can catch fast ICE trains all over Germany. Makes it very easy to get to/from the place, seeing as I live 2 hours away, and the Stuttgart airport, my only other option, doesn't have any of the flights I need.

Atlanta was OK. Just OK.

Just came through the Madrid airport... can't say much that is nice about it... will report more on the way out.

Airports I dislike:
Cairo - yup, just like DJ Happy said. We had to stand in line for 4 hours for the ONE SINGLE piece of paper we needed to make our claim official. Not a fun way to conclude 16+ hours of flying and the start of our vacation.
Of course our luggage was lost because we had flown Air France through the next on the list:

Charles de Gaule in Paris - I was flabbergasted when I saw the 15' x 20' waiting room with about 35 chairs that was intended to host my entire flight. Lucky thing most of us didn't get to sit down, as we had no seat assignment!!! When we inquired about getting help at the "Help" desk, we were told that since our flight didn't leave for an hour, it was too early for them to assign help for the 200+ people waiting in line....

Madrid - like the food, completely bland. More than a little dirty. Fortunately I was catching a connecting flight to the charming town (and airport) of Granada.

Frankfurt - I have a hard time differentiating the airport from the horrible night I had to spend there. And of course it's no one's fault that I'm not a smoker and can't take ciggie smoke, but I think when they say "Limited Smoking Area", they mean, "Limited to One Cigarette at a Time".

I don't mind LAX, I prefer Burbank (Bob Hope Airport, heh). I once had a layover in a beautiful airport whose name/location I can't remember!! It had some cute stores, art and sculpture, airy, bright, and clean. Maybe it was just a dream....

How did Miami International not get on the Notoriously Annoying and Horribly Thought Out Airport list? I hate that place. Not only do you look like you're going to crash into the Everglades and be eaten by an alligator (or alligator-eating python), but why, oh why, would I want to get on an unairconditioned bus as I disembark from my flight into the heat, humidity, mosquitos and melting tar? I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies. Or maybe I would. Hmmm....

Detroit: Horrid. I ran from my arrival gate to the international departures and made it with 3 minutes to spare... only to wait 75 minutes in the check in line.

Logan: My cab forgot me. Under horrible construction. Nearly suffocated on plastic that fell off a scaffolding on me. Enough said.

Tampa: hell. And who thought up the enclosed, indoor smoking area? San Francisco: not too bad. Cincinnati: eh. Columbus: eh.

Love, love, LOVE Swedish airports. I was in the ones in Stockholm, Malmo, and Lulea. Not only could I pick up a free paper while waiting in clean, sunlit chairs, but if I was hungry, I could always grab a piece of fruit from the bins. Malmo was my favorite, I think.

Fun times in the Orlando airport. Just don't forget which side you parked on. Jacksonville is fun, too. Little green and red lights show you which space is empty, too, so you don't have to pull down the already full rows. Nice. Sarasota is too swanky.

Sounds like PDX...Portland's airport sounds remarkably like what you described. Sometimes the security lines get a little long in the mornings, but it's nothing unbearable. I love my home airport.

Here's some Canadian airports:

Good:
1. Calgary International - The airport has gone under major major upgrade and is still continuing to do so. I can remember that before the whole construction begun, the airport was rather shitty compared to Toronto and now, it's very modern and its alot easier to find your way around now.
2. Hamilton Regional - Small and simple, ain't that hard to find your way around.

Bad
1. Pearson International - The airport is frickin huge! It's been awhile since I've been there and I'm sure it's been upgraded
2. Comox Regional - It's suppose to be a small airport but when I had to leave from my BC vacation earlier and head back to Calgary via Comox, jeez the whole place was confusing.

Uptil last month, Newark used to be my home airport... and as much as I despise Continenthell, Terminal C is awesome.. it's well lit, it's clean, there's an abundance of foodstuffs (in each wing of the terminal there's different stuff) there's shopping, there are kiosks for internet access at reasonable rates, comfy chairs, and 2 presidents clubs.. plus the observation deck is still kinda neat.

Terminal A and B however.. are in need of a facelift.

I wondered if Charlotte would be mentioned. They got the rocking chair idea from our small airport on the NC coast. Charlotte is my favorite large airport. I especially like the statue of Queen Charlotte where it looks like she's taking a bowling ball to the gut.

Believe it or not, I like O'Hare, just for that ligh-sound tunnel where the lights follow you and different sounds chime as you walk by them.

Kansas City is pretty nice. Every airline has its own little terminal and the parking bus takes you right to it.

Dislike:

San Diego, I don't care to look outside my window see somebody across from me in a building window. They must have miossed the memo about removing your airport to outside of the city.

DFW, like the KCI system in reverse. 4 big ass terminals and your connecting flight is always at the furthest gate. Plus, the cart nazis who honk at you to get out of the way and then block you off when you're running to get to your connecting flight.

St. Louis - the tram has ALWAYS just left for the other side as I'm walking up to it.

<s>Reagan</s>Washington National. It was already named after a president. The one time I flew out of here, it was jam packed and folks were setting off the metal detector constantly and TSA did nothing about it.

Raleigh - Hey, we haven't changed anything in the last hour. Let's knock down a garage, cordone off large areas of pavement, and remove an escalator.

And one no longer in major use - Denver's former Stapleton airport. You know the Fisher Price toy popcorn push mower? That's what it feels like to land at Stapleton, after making a kamikazi descent.

Worst. Airport. Ever.

St. Louis - Got stuck there twice on a 2 hour delay and then a 6 hour delay. It looks likes its made out of spare parts and its not well tended.

Denver International - Love it. its artsy and open and big

Seattle/Tacoma - Not bad. its small and simple and easy to navigate. No lines.

My best ever ever ever - Copenhagen, Denmark. It was awesome! It could almost be a destination! Open, airy, cafes and shops. Quiet places to sleep. And you can smoke anywhere.

Worst... That crappy-ass terminal in Atlanta - the new one that's like a bus station (Terminal F?). It feels like temporary housing - just a steel building like a wharehouse. Seems like I always end up waiting in that one.

For long layovers, I've learned to go to the international terminal and people-watch. You don't see a lot of obese European women - in fact, they're often quite slinky and nice. And your odds of getting to smoke are greater in the international area.

My favorite airport is Denver. I love the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain area.

I love taking off at LAX! It is breath taking to fly over the Pacific Ocean.

China's definitely an "emerging market" will a million and one "up and coming cities" but I was incredible impressed with Xiamen International in the Fujian Province. Flew through there for a conference in Bangkok and while the airport actually feels a little small, the customer service can't be beat.

My broken Chinese was met with a strange friendliness and subsequent introduction to a woman who spoke English. I was hooked up with a very well-priced hotel and then was escorted, via a free shuttle and valet worker, to the actual hotel. Incredible.

I agree with you on both of these... Copenhagen is quite pleasant.

It's best at night when you can see the Santa Monica pier and then marvel at the size and spread of Los Angeles County below... it's friken huge!


Did anyone here ever take off or land at the old Hong Kong Airport? Apparently the planes would have to make an almost 90degree turn in mid-air and they would come very close to buildings... you could see the people inside. I never had the chance but drove by it on the way to see a client. Anyone have any first hand experiences?

I had to re-read my above post just to m ake sure that I didn't hate all airports... I don't... so now i will...

BWI - Baltimore/Washington International... Plane got in late, due to weather, I swear at the furthest possible gate from the front door of the airport... No automated walkways... the bathrooms STINK to high heaven... signage in baggage claim doesn't clearly indicate a taxi stand - oh wait - it does indicate one taxi stand that after waiting 20 minutes, with a dozen other people, I find out it's really not a taxi stand despite the big green sign that says taxi stand... we were clearly supposed to guess.

Philadelphia Internationa... Not a great place for connections... arrived in terminal F - again at the last possible gate... had 25 minutes to get to terminal B.. it's a 10 minute walk (if you are ben johnson on steroids) to the area where you get the shuttle to terminal B - then it's three automated walkways and another 10 minute walk (with no coffee around) to get to the right gate...

BWI and Philly are the two airports that I fly out of. I can second that BWI sucks. I hate it there, but is cheaper than philly. Philly I dont have any real bad to say, nothing has ever gone wrong there.

PDX (Portland Oregon) where I fly to when going "back home" I have nothing but wonderful things to say about. Great Airport.

I practically live at O'Hare this time of year. When we were looking at houses last year, proximity to the airport was actually high on our list. That said, I love Terminal 1 (United), but really don't have much good to say about the rest of it. I love the fact that old brontosaurus statue from the Field Museum (Sue the T. Rex took its place) is right there in the middle of it.

I'll confine the airports that I hate to ones that other people might have been through (ask me about my Charleston, WV adventures!).

Cincinnati - if you ever have the misfortune to fly Delta in Cincinnati, make sure that you're going to a large enough city that you don't have to take ComAir, their small destination carrier. You have to take a bus to what amounts to a glorified bus terminal.

San Fransisco - can we make getting a rental car any more inconvenient?

San Jose - for an airport that hosts some of the brightest minds in the world, this has got to be one of the most poorly designed airports I've ever seen. Getting and returning a rental car is nearly impossible without 45 minutes to burn, the traffic bottleneck starts 1/2 mile from the terminal, and the security checkpoints are slow to the point that they might as well be doing a full cavity search on every traveler.

LaGuardia - why does it always smell like urine, even in the winter?

Boston - a study in how to make a passenger unfriendly airport. Hope you aren't hungry or need anything to read once you're through security...

St. Louis - they recently changed this, but I went to the Starbucks stand about a year or more ago. I ended up walking down an abandoned concourse where most of the lights were off, the pay phones had been ripped out, and all the moving sidewalks were off. It was creepy, but it was a lot better the last time I was there.

Detroit - only take Northwest in and out of here. Otherwise you're in the DMZ.

Minneapolis has a nice airport, especially if you're stuck since you can ususally find a good place to eat or kill time. Atlanta's not bad, especially if you're willing to go to Terminal B to get your Chick-Fil-A fix. Charlotte's airport is nice too.

I have flown in and out of the old Hong Kong airport - Kai Tak
It was quite the experience - You fly in low over the cityscape, then make a hard (I mean hard) right and bank into a fast landing, right in the middle of the city. It was cool. Also, getting to and from the airport was fairly convenient as we're right in the middle of the city. But it was really crowded and the facilitites were old. They still used the old "ticker style" DEP/ARR board (kind of neat).

The new aiport is gorgeous and has great facilities. But takes about an hour to get to. Still, great airport - awesome food and shopping - beautiful inside etc...

I also found the express train from the city really convenient. You check your luggage in at the station, no need to worry about carrying it in and out of the train.

Heathrow is a nightmare. Last time I was there I nearly missed my flight because of the incredibly long trek through the terminal between connections...and they are so rigid about customs. I stood in one line for 10 minutes then was told to get to the back of the other line...sigh.

Best airport...Aberdeen. No customs check when you arrive unless you need to declare something. Then they ask that you use the "red phone" and call them, otherwise you're on your way. And plenty of friendly folk to carry your bags to the taxi.
Maybe its changed since the London bombings, but it was like that in "04. I'd say Heathrow is worse now.
Maybe Gatwick is worth a try next time around.

I will only speak for recent experience:

Denver-DEN (current home airport): Great, easy/quick train between concourses, centralized security moves fast. However, if you check luggage, they tend to be a bit slow returning them post-flight. It's one of the best laid out, however, which means late flights into Denver are rare, even during winter storms. Needs better public transportation though.
Dallas/Fort Worth-DFW (en route to ZRH): Ugh. Could they possibly make the sky train any slower? Customs here is pretty stupid too: they dump you out of security once you go through customs, which could cause you to miss your domestic connection. Security is slow too.
Zurich-ZRH (vacation): Pretty well organized, quick customs/security. Needs to beef up its winter weather preparation. When I flew out there was a mild blizzard that more or less shutdown the airport; inadequate deicing machines and 3 runways reduced to 1 led to this.
Detroit-DTW (family visit): This was my old home airport. It used to be much worse. Recent changes have made it easier to get around the terminals and between as well.
Chicago/O'Hare-ORD (vacation): Getting to the CTA trains is a bit of a long walk. Excellent food marts.
San Francisco-SFO (work/vacation): The airtrain<->BART connection is a little bit slow/annoying. My favorite part is all the international airlines you can see here. Last time I saw planes bearing Lufthansa and Air France livery, no doubt fresh from Frankfurt & Paris.

I have been to many other airports, but not recently. I usually don't bother with amenities like frequent flyer lounges but then again most of my flights are direct or with very short layovers (<1hr).

How about airlines?

Frontier Airlines: Great if you live in Denver and need a domestic flight. Cheap, friendly staff, and no frills.
American Airlines: Worst customer service ever. When I was flying to O'Hare about 2 months ago, they cancelled all the flights the night I was flying there because of snow in Chicago, even though 3 other airlines in Denver (Frontier, United, & Southwest) were flying there that night. They left one of my bags behind and failed to reimburse me for my expenses as a result of their staff's negligence.

From memory, Northwest, Delta, and United were all OK. I'm not sure if I've flown any others.

The smallest airport I've flown out of is Purdue University Airport (KLAF). When it had commercial service, there was only one gate and usually served only 2 turboprop commercial flights a day, inbound and outbound. In fact, the ticket counter/gate area took up less space than the rental car area. Needless to say, security was a breeze. :thumbsup: It was astonishing how much longer it took to travel through KDTW (which was always the other end of my trip) than KLAF. Literally speaking, whenever I traveled through KLAF, I could leave from home an hour from the flight's takeoff time. But with KDTW it was always around 2-3 hours, taking into account checkin, security, and travel time.

By the way, which Sault Sainte Marie airport did you use? For those unfamiliar with the area, there are two cities called Sault Sainte Marie, one in Michigan, USA and one in Ontario, Canada, just across the border. KCIU, the one near the Michigan city, is only served by Northwest Airlines out of Detroit. The Soo is a nice little town, and if you're ever in that area, you should check out Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, one of Michigan's best sights.