Best and worst airports
This is a question inspired by the columns of Patrick Smith (see my other post - "Aviation Writer"). Out in the real world, what are your favourite and least favourite airports (from a passenger POV, not a pilot's) and why? The reason could be convenience, architecture, ground transportation, anything. Here are mine:
Favourites:
Vancouver, BC - spacious, well-designed architecture. Elevated walkways allowing arriving passengers to see what's going on. Even the ethnic "Native American" displays aren't as cheesy as they might have been.
Heathrow, London - not too pretty, but feels cosmopolitan, and the duty-free is excellent (if not all that cheap).
CDG, Paris - space age, man!
Least Favourites:
Gatwick, London - smallish, cramped, and full of beer-swilling yobs heading for Ibiza
Dulles, VA/DC - shame, because the large terminal is an incredible architectural achievement, but those monsterbus things? I hate them. They feel like they should be loading you into the cargo bay, and not the cabin.
Salzburg, Austria - see Gatwick, except the yobs are heading for the ski-slopes and not the beach. It has one redeeming quality: the area in the men's bathroom that contains the urinals is signposted "Pissoir".
15 Answers
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My fav is Chicago Midway, well because I have FlyTampa's scenery. 
I can't think of any airport I like. They are all inefficient.
Those that I don't like: Bob Hope in Burbank and Chicago Midway. Both of them have runways that are too short. Princess Julianna in St. Maarten is an accident waiting to happen.
CrashGordon wrote:
Princess Julianna in St. Maarten is an accident waiting to happen.
Is that the one where the approach is right over a beach or something? I'm sure I saw a pic of that, but maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else.
My fav is probably Bristol, UK. The reason being, its rarely that busy or congested and you can get good views of the apron without going airside.
My worst would have to be Gatwick, although they do have quite a nice viewing gallery once airside that allows views of the apron and part of the runway. It's in desperate need of a major revamp though
Stansted is quite a nice airport. Its a bit like a massive tent looking at it from the outside, but its simple and clean.
Sharm-el-sheikh would have to be my worst airport that I've been to. Its small, smelly, run-down and shabby.
IsaacN
Guest
Favorates:
Tyler Pounds Regional (<VERY nice airport!)
Dallas-FT. Worth International (<lot's of busses!)
Worst Airports:
Don't have one...AIRPORTS ROCK! 😛 😀
IsaacN
Guest
antone wrote:
CrashGordon wrote:
Princess Julianna in St. Maarten is an accident waiting to happen.
Is that the one where the approach is right over a beach or something? I'm sure I saw a pic of that, but maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else.
Yeah, that's it. I disagree with the "accident waiting to happen" though. Accidents have happened there as they do everywhere but there is no reason it isn't safer then any other airport. Why should an airport land short of the fence there rather then any other place?
CrashGordon wrote:
I can't think of any airport I like. They are all inefficient.
Those that I don't like: Bob Hope in Burbank and Chicago Midway. Both of them have runways that are too short. Princess Julianna in St. Maarten is an accident waiting to happen.
Well hell, you better start talking to the airports to tell them the right way to run there business!
Bah, short runways are what make landings and takeoff's fun! Big ups for STOL!
I like my local airport Cardiff,never had a delay there 👍 and less than 1/2 hour away.
Bristol is good as it only 40 mins away
Dislike Gatwick for the same reasons as above 
and I hate Corfu airport(love the landing and takeoff on its short runway)
The airport is far too small for the amount of flights that it handles
IsaacN wrote:
antone wrote:
CrashGordon wrote:
Princess Julianna in St. Maarten is an accident waiting to happen.
Is that the one where the approach is right over a beach or something? I'm sure I saw a pic of that, but maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else.
Yeah, that's it. I disagree with the "accident waiting to happen" though. Accidents have happened there as they do everywhere but there is no reason it isn't safer then any other airport. Why should an airport land short of the fence there rather then any other place?
Windshear can cause an aircraft to descend quickly and possibly land a 100 feet or so early, if an aircraft loses an engine on approach, then they may end up landing early - all ruining someone's tan.
😉
my favourites are:
The Hartsfield Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.
Chicago-O'Hare, Chicago, Ill.
Honolulu INTL, Honoulu, Hawaii
Miami INTL, Miami, Florida
Chicago meigs, Chicago Ill
Salt Lake City Intl, Salt Lake City, Utah
and my local airport Glynn Co. JetPort, Brunswick, GA (10 minutes away)
Worst are:
JFK, New York, New York
Denver INTL, Denver, Colorado
AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN!!!!
My favorite would be Ixtapa\Zihua MX. Its small, cool, clean, open, and practically EMPTY!!!
Worst:
LAX its to old and the terminals smell like FEET....BADLY!!! 
And the TSA screening lines are really long. 
All though i do like sitting at the gate taking pictures of planes.
LAX is ok i dont fly there much but hovecontrol has some cool scenery for it
When I went to limogue (france) the airport terminal was under consttruction so the temporary terminal was a tent! Yes, a giant tent!!! One baggage carousel and 3 check-in desks!!! The new one has been built now so it is ok.
My favourite would have to be London Gatwick as i know my way around (been on hols loads of times from there) and it is only 10 minutes from where i live.
i hate the woodland washington airport (in flight sim) theres no parking (but in real life there is but its on the grass) even thought i live in woodland i dont like the airport much (whene its in flight sim) but flight sim cant do everything! 😀
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