OT: Favorite and Least Favorite Airports
With summer near its end, I thought it would be interesting to discuss airports. Personally - although biased - I find DTW to be one of the best airports in the world. Quick security and immigration, lots of food options, easy layout, high ceilings, lots of natural light, free WiFi. It really is a fantastic airport.
So with that being said, what are some of your favorite and least favorite airports both in the US and around the world?
August 21st, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
There's always the George Bush statue, with coat tossed casually over his shoulder and the quote "Winds of Change" to add inspiration to any trip thorough Houston IAH.
/s
August 21st, 2023 at 11:30 AM ^
I used to think LaGuardia was the worst airport, so much so I would rather fly into Newark Liberty and just take the train into Manhattan. Now, with its improvements, LaGuardia is one of my favorites. Still need to figure out a better way to get to Manhattan though.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
Long story short, the port authorities run the NYC airports, and there's some politics where any transportation that connects to the airports, the port authority would get most/all the revenue from it. So the airports won't let the city connect the airports to the public transit grid unless they get paid, and the city has no incentive to connect the subways directly to the airport because of this BS policy.
This is why JFK has this garbage airtrain connection, rather than just making it a subway route.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:39 PM ^
Politics always get in the way.
O'Hare is one of the worst if you don't have TSA-pre or status with an airline, but getting to it is very easy via public transportation. The good news is that they are starting a mega re-build of the airport (which will take like 10 years to complete), so we'll see.
August 21st, 2023 at 4:10 PM ^
There were also heavy NIMBY politics in Queens neighborhoods that prevented the extension of the N train to LaGuardia.
That said, the Q70 bus to the subway (non-stop once it leaves LGA) works pretty well so long as you don’t have big luggage.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:30 AM ^
Best - Pellston by miles >>>>DTW, FLL, Toronto City (so much more convenient than Pearson), DFW,
Blerst - LAX, ORD, LGA, MIA,
August 21st, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
For a tiny, regional airport, Pellston is awesome.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
I drove by the Pellston airport on my way to Mackinaw Island in July. I was taken aback by the size and sheer uniqueness it had for being in such a rural area.
What is the story there with why it is so built up and invested into?
August 21st, 2023 at 4:41 PM ^
When I had to go on a day trip for work, I used to walk to Billy Bishop (AKA Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport).
August 21st, 2023 at 11:30 AM ^
Favorite based on a single visit long ago: Palm Springs
What amounts to my home airport and one of my least favorite: O'Hare. In some areas I'd swear you can sense Chicagoland corruption. (I don't mind Midway.)
I agree with the DTW praise.
Traverse City's is nice. In the *really* small class I like Manistee and Rhinelander, WI.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
Palm Springs does have some charm with the mostly outdoor nature.
The priority pass lounge in Punta Cana has a pool, and that's definitely been the most surprising thing I've seen at an airport.
Also for a work travel one, but I haven't seen it mentioned- Istanbul's airport is super new and modern and a sight to see.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Won't happen now that Delta is phasing out the CRJ2s ........ but I wish Manistee had service to DTW.
Manistee used to have a Frontier regional jet connection to Milwaukee. It was a great option for getting to that under-rated part of West Michigan.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
The issue with O'hare is that as it grew into the busiest/largest airport in the world (no longer is), they took no consideration into making it easier for the travelers. They had to grow quickly to able to handle all the new passengers. And its like every new terminal they built over the years was done by some new hotshot design firm that tried the capture the aesthetic of that era, so what you have is an airport with no cohesion and no charm.
The one thing O'hare has going for it, is that it takes care of passengers with status better than any airport in the US, especially if you have high status with United or American.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
The best airports are the tiny ones, like RIC or BDL or BUR.
Among large airports, probably my least favorites are Logan and Dulles. Logan because it's a constant clusterf**k and Dulles because it's an ugly depressing bunker.
Internationally, the best one I have been to is probably Madrid. I can't think of any especially bad ones but getting through immigration in Cancun always sucks.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:50 AM ^
I flew from Atlanta into Grand Rapids and then rented a car for an "up north" vacation while visiting my parents in Cadillac. I do find the little airports are nice from the stand point that you can get around quickly.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
As a person who has spent the entirety of his 55.75 years living in the Detroit area, it's still astounding to me how DTW went from being among the worst to among the best in the country.
Kudos to those who were involved with the planning and construction process!
August 21st, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
100% co-signed. When I was growing up Metro with it's flagship carrier Northworst, was an absolute shitshow. I hadnt been back for many years and hadnt visited the new one until about 10 years ago and was blown away by the difference. It's very, very nice.
Another one very similar to Metro is Pittsburgh. I have taken many flights out of there because for some reason it's way cheaper than Cleveland and only about 90 minutes away.
On the negative side I have two I cant stand. #1 is old LaGuardia - total shithole. Bathrooms always crowded and dirty and very crappy food choices although I havent been to it since it's renovation. #2 negative is Nashville. For whatever reason whenever I fly out of that airport my flight is ALWAYS either significantly delayed or cancelled. And the food there sucks too.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
The old (Pre-McNamara) DTW was pretty snazzy when it was first build in the early '60's. circular gate pods were a popular aspect of airport design in the mid-century. What it replaced was the old WW II era Willow Run Airport, which was useful as a launching pad for 10,000 B-24's but undersized for the kind of commercial jets that emerged post-WW II. The 70's and 80's were bad years of corruption and neglect on the part of Wayne County and their airport authority. Adding the McNamara facility was a surprisingly competent act on their part...
August 21st, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Ah yes, when you could smoke in the terminal and the plane.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Detroit is the best, Minneapolis is good, Atlanta is a zoo, while Seattle and Orlando are terrible
August 21st, 2023 at 11:53 AM ^
Yes! SEA-TAC really blows. Their car rental return and pickup is awful, and you do NOT want to go through regular security there - plan on it taking over an hour.
DTW is lovely. PDX is constantly under construction but otherwise is fine.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
Forgot about PDX, I agree--that's a nice one.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
Oh yeah, I posted just now about SEA-TAC and had forgotten how terrible the car rental facility set up is, other than looking like a Star Wars Imperial base. I had no problems with the security there, though pre-booking my TSA check-in with my phone helped.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
SeaTac car rental: where everyday is like the fall of Saigon to get on a shuttle bus.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Love DTW for the reasons you noted. One of the few things Wayne County government got right. Raleigh (RDU) airport is pretty nice but I'm aftraid it's getting too small for the huge growth in that area.
Least favorite was Laguardia but that is actually pretty nice now. Frankfurt airport in Germany is pretty bad. Food options are bad, endlessly waiting in lines to go through security and to get on the plane. Good access to Deutsch Bahn train but the trains are always late.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:39 AM ^
The renovations to LaGuardia made my jaw drop. Couldn't believe it was the same airport. Miles better.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
Newark is god-awful. Milwaukee has a surprisingly nice airport. Even have a used bookstore in it. Also, I think O'Hare is better than people think, once you get used to it. Yes, it's big, but good restaurants.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
Least favorite: Newark (terrible experiences with flights getting canceled or delayed to the point of missing connections), LAX (brutal to navigate and actually leave), and Miami (outdated and awful in every way imaginable).
Most favorite: Regional airports in general get my vote. Inexpensive parking close to the terminal, short security lines, not overly crowded, no trams to navigate to get from A to B or back to your car, etc. Of course, food options are more limited, but the convenience is well worth the trade.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
Best- Hong Kong. Easily. Well laid-out, great public transit to and from, excellent food, reliable wifi.
Worst- Beijing. Also easily. Don Mueang isn't a modern marvel either, but the byzantine customs idiocy that I've encountered consistently in Beijing combined with the total lack of customer service made me want to never fly through there again. Worse than Reagan/Dulles, Newark, Philly, O'Hare/Midway, LAX, Pittsburgh, SFO, and Pearson by a large, large margin.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:39 AM ^
the shanghai customs experience was no bargain, either, although the building was (as i recall) quite beautiful. osaka was curiously non-descript, if memory serves.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
i've had to travel quite a bit for work over the past few months.
- the new laguardia is beautiful, like night and day over what it used to be. which was a dump.
- newark's reputation is terrible but i've had pretty good experience with it.
- i get delayed every FREAKING time i go through atlanta. it also appears to be busy 24/7, as in elbow-to-elbow assholes at 3 in the morning busy. the worst, by far.
- detroit remains underrated, in my opinion. wayfinding couldn't be clearer.
- hartford and knoxville are fairly nice regional airports, easy to get in and out of.
- the new grand rapids terminal (my 'home' airport) is quite nice, or will be when it's 100%. highly recommended.
- miami is mediocre.
- oakland is SUPER-underrated. nice, plus it's way easier to get in and out of than SFO, which is way too far out of town. we go there once or twice a year to see our kids, and i wouldn't go through SFO on a bet.
most of my travel has been from grand rapids to logan lately, and it's a weird one. the tunnels across the harbor really suck in terms of a lack of both wayfinding and a sense of where you actually are, and the shuttle to rental cars is too long. also, there aren't enough nonstops in and out, which is weird, and which means every trip is a multi-day experience, once you inevitably get delayed. my project is ending in the next month, and i cannot wait to stop going there.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
i actually preferred the old crappy laguardia terminal! i could get from williamsburg to my gate in like 15-20 minutes. now the security line is stupidly long. and yes while the ceiling height & more seating makes a hangover at laguardia a lot better (and the food options are much improved) i've always been one of those people who prefers to spend as little time at the airport as possible and so would just prefer that the infrastructure was shitty and the security lines short.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
I second Detroit. I like Portland a lot. The Palm Springs airport is absolutely amazing and honestly a pleasure to fly into/out of.
I live in Denver and the airport is "nice" but it's become so crowded over the past 10 years that it feels like going to JFK back in the day. It does have one of the best airport restaurants around, though, in Root Down.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
My complains with Denver after that becoming my main airport:
- It’s SO FAR from everything. Like it’s crazy how far out it is.
- The train to the terminals is fine while it’s working but when that goes down, there is literally no way to get to the main area. How can they possible have that as the only way to get between?
- The lizard people under the airport are kind of rude. I get they run the whole world, but you don’t have to be a dick about it.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
I’m NYC, both JFK and Newark suck. They both transport you by bus out on the tarmac. What a disaster and it takes forever. It’s also not clear, at least at Newark, exactly where that bus is.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
I am not fond of that. I Flew through Heathrow once. They did that. And some gates in Doha and Dubai does it as well.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
The best airport for me is John Wayne in Santa Ana.
The worst is either Phoenix or Atlanta.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
I know they’re renovating, but I’ve liked Denver. The security line is often long, but it moves quickly.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
Denver has the weirdest layout of any airport i've ever been to.
It feels like they were building an outlet mall, and then at the last second, remembered it's supposed to be an airport.
August 21st, 2023 at 5:25 PM ^
first it was a circus tent. then they pivoted to outlet mall. then airport. been quite a journey.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Love Minneapolis airport and I also think Atlanta does well considering the volume going through there.
Dont care for Newark and Denver HS become increasingly busy to the point that it’s a bit unmanageable.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
Favorite = RDU
Least Favorite: De Gaulle
August 21st, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^
I have an absolute hatred for De Gaulle. Went on a student trip back when I was in high school, and for some reason that I cannot fathom, we had to leave for the airport at 4am when our flight wasn't until like 10am. So we're stuck at this horrible airport, with nothing open and nothing to do, for hours on end. Still makes my blood boil.
August 21st, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
but the food is TD4.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:21 PM ^
I have a love/hate relationship with de Gaulle. Stuttgart->Paris they drop you off in what can only be described as a shack. But there's a great Delta Sky Club/Air France lounge that is the best anywhere with the best food also...
August 21st, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
I click on the thread just to put a vote in for De Gaulle. Every complaint about every other airport seems to fit this one single airport. Will go out of my way in time and distance to avoid it.
on the domestic side, LAX is the worst. Check back with me when the 30 year construction project finally ends. DTW is brilliant.
August 21st, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
Atlanta takes the cake for most miserable
Ive traveled to Haiti via Miami Airport and they made me recheck my bags in Miami both to and returning from Haiti which is wildly stressful in a busy airport like that.
Denver Airport is creepy and gives me the weird vibes, but otherwise has the normal amenities
Dulles seems to be pretty easy
Dallas has a great tram and good restaurants
LAX, I don’t actually remember
JFK seemed to have its stuff together
Cincinatti - boring
Louisville - boring
Lexington - easy as pie
Charlottesville - easy as pie
Midway Chicago - dump
Dubai Airport had a McDonalds with the “McArabia Meal” which I greatly appreciated (a Big Mac on Pita Bread)
Tel Aviv seemed to know what they were doing
Moscow Airport was interesting because Russia just feels shady, but also had good food, and also the Sun came up at like 3am so that was wild
Ive been to Santiago Chile airport but I forget it honestly
3rd world airports are a wonderful adventure
August 21st, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
I concur with all the DTW love. Incheon is fantastic. Narita is the epitome of efficient.
I loathe MCI which is Kansas City’s airport. LaGuardia used to be a dump but I think they’ve renovated the place. I found Denver’s poorly organized in terms of signage and directions. Hard to find your way around. O’hare is my usual hub so I don’t mind it as much because I’m familiar with it and I can take the blue line right to it.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
MCI just opened their brand new terminal, and it is very VERY nice. Highly recommended. They still have the old circular one for the moment (which I completely agree was the worst airport I have every been in ant it isn't close), but it appears they were getting ready to tear it down soon when I flew there last month.
August 21st, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
Ohhhhhh, noice! Thanks for the intel.