Best & Worst Airports

[cdnvic]

Vancouver (YVR) Love/Hate

I personally love Vancouver International because it's relativley new, has a policy of only charging regular city prices in all its shops, not the overinflated airport prices.

There's no moving sidewalks though, and its long. For some reason it costs less to fly Seattle/Vancover/Anywhere in Asia, than skipping the SEA-YVR link and flying directly out of Vancouver. Poor access to ferries/downtown as the transit system intentionally serves these routes poorly in order to cater to taxis and private busses.

Los Angeles (LAX) Hate

Rather than being one big airport this place is like 20 Chaing Mai airports sharing the same general area. Once you get to the International terminal it is expensive, crowded, and no smoking lounges after you check in. (Fortunately I quit)

Seattle - Tacoma (SEA) Love/Hate

Hate for the same reason as LAX without the size thing. Cheaper to fly out of, and easier to get to for me than YVR. Decent plane-spotting. Like LAX, if you want to go out for a smoke you need to go through security again.

Bangkok (BKK) Hate

That throng of desperate beggars (disguised as limo salesmen) that pounce on you as you arrive isn't what you need after a 20hr+ flight.

Seoul - Inchon (ICN) Love

Cleaner than most hospitals. Good food, reasonable prices and the best plane spotting airport I've been to yet. The back of the departure area (huge) has glass from ceiling to floor with amazing views of all kinds of far eastern chinese/russian aircraft that you don't see much elsewhere. Connections to Seoul cost about $6cdn and are easy to find. Lots of bars and smoking areas.

Theres more but I'm tired...I'll let someone else take over.

Happy landings....

cv

[udon]

Changi I like, as it is so alive and great for shopping.

I also like the beautiful airport at Koh Samui...... stunning.

Hate all airports in the UK except London City.

Bombay is a dump. So is the 'modern' Charles de Gaul in Paris.

nuff said.

[ProfessorFart]

I love Heathrow when I'm leaving, hate it I'm coming back.

I love Don Meuang when I'm arriving, hate it when I'm leaving.

I like Dubai airport. Have some very happy memories there!

[Diggerbasher]

Love Samui airport.Beautiful plants and no huge ugly concretet buildings.

Hated Bangladesh International airport.More a large hut really.

[taxexile]

samui airport is a delight , its more like an upcountry songthaew stand ,but its getting busier and busier and i fear its days are numbered.

don meuang has become a typical dilapidated third world asian airport , its an awful place now , a miserable gateway to thailand. the facilities inside and the taxi and limo chaos and other transportation links to and from the airport are unforgiveable considering the boasts and claims made by the tourism authority and the government here. thankfully its death is imminent.

singapore and especially hong kong continue to show how things should be done.

london heathrow , although a huge and disorganised place does make you feel some excitement for the journey about to be undertaken , just the sheer size , the relentless noise of big jets coming and going and the number of people there.

arriving back there though is to be brought down to earth with a jolt. not at all pleasant.

venice airport , you get off the plane and straight onto a boat for a magical journey through the lagoons of venice with all its beauty. unbeatable.

[ghostface]

I can't believe no one mentioned Moscow yet

Had to spend a night in this dark gloomy place a few years ago on my way to Bangkok.

The complete opposite of thailand - nobody smiling

The only plus would have to be cheap vodka

[chico]

Vancouver (YVR)    Love/Hate

I personally love Vancouver International because it's relativley new, has a policy of only charging regular city prices in all its shops, not the overinflated airport prices.

There's no moving sidewalks though, and its long. For some reason it costs less to fly Seattle/Vancover/Anywhere in Asia, than skipping the SEA-YVR link and flying directly out of Vancouver. Poor access to ferries/downtown as the transit system intentionally serves these routes poorly in order to cater to taxis and private busses.

Los Angeles (LAX) Hate

Rather than being one big airport this place is like 20 Chaing Mai airports sharing the same general area. Once you get to the International terminal it is expensive, crowded, and no smoking lounges after you check in. (Fortunately I quit)

Seattle - Tacoma (SEA)  Love/Hate

Hate for the same reason as LAX without the size thing. Cheaper to fly out of, and easier to get to for me than YVR. Decent plane-spotting. Like LAX, if you want to go out for a smoke you need to go through security again.

Bangkok (BKK)  Hate

That throng of desperate beggars (disguised as limo salesmen) that pounce on you as you arrive isn't what you need after a 20hr+ flight.

Seoul - Inchon (ICN)  Love

Cleaner than most hospitals. Good food, reasonable prices and the best plane spotting airport I've been to yet. The back of the departure area (huge) has glass from ceiling to floor with amazing views of all kinds of far eastern chinese/russian aircraft that you don't see much elsewhere. Connections to Seoul cost about $6cdn and are easy to find. Lots of bars and smoking areas.

Theres more but I'm tired...I'll let someone else take over. 

Happy landings....

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hongkong was a lot of fun (when you almost could pick flowers from the balconies while landing) before they moved to the new one.

Teneriffa was fun also (when you see the landing strip ending, and then it would go down some 200m, and the plane just made it to brake) - moved too!

From the busier ones (nowadays) the new Frankfurt airport has been rebuilt to accomodate pax in a much nicer way than before.

Hate airports with different terminals, bus transfers between them, or having to change airports like Paris (De Gaulles, Orly), London (Gatwick, Heathrow), NY (JFK, La Guardia)

[Sporting Dog]

Tenerife - the one in the north Los rodeos? - top of the hill, one second its a long way to the sea and then suddenly you're on the ground. Taking off is the same - I dont think they even need to go up, they just go straight and the land falls away. And effin' windy too!!

don't like Rome airport - always seems to take so long to get thru.

Changi is a bit sterile I think.....Heathrow is OK because it is so busy.

Edited January 17, 2005 by Sporting Dog

[Pablo H]

I love Heathrow when I'm leaving, hate it I'm coming back.

I love Don Meuang when I'm arriving, hate it when I'm leaving.

My sentiments exactly.

[davethailand]

I love Heathrow when I'm leaving, hate it I'm coming back.

I love Don Meuang when I'm arriving, hate it when I'm leaving.

My sentiments exactly.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Me too

The airport in Brunai (spelling ) bander whateverthe**** is a nightmare, 6 hrs, crap shops and obviously no alcohol.

Edited January 17, 2005 by davethailand

[Axel]

In London I did not go via Heathrow for years and years. Stansted is much easier and my contacts are closer.

Frankfurt, a total mess if arr/dep. in Terminal 1 (the old one)

Terminal 2 is ok, especially around area E, not many PAX makes it easier for carriers like CX. But avoid transfer using the pax-tunnel from terminals A-B (I believe) International to inland. Only one elevator and a narrow staiway.

Hong Kong: In my feeling a marble vault with endless ways. They got an underground train, a well, you have to get up and down. For sure, 'your' plane is leaving from the 'wrong' gate. Make it 15-20 min. from whereever you are to the gate. Big advantage, city-check in both in Kowloon and in HKG-side, the latter can reach easily, in Koloon need transportation to get there. Usually, I use the airport express train.

Or better, my favorite, go via Macao and take the ferry into HKG. Due to limited flights Macao is fast.

Bangkok? Parking is a desaster, at least in Terminal 1. Immigration at peak hours horrible, although they try and often open more booths. To reach the gates around 84-86 is a day-trip . When arriving, though, hurry, you might catch an electric car, seems they have only one?

They whole building, albeit expanded, is made for short time, awaiting the new airport.

Taipei, just ok, but for sure not enough immigration places for rush hour.

Saigon, just ok, make sure to be the first at immigration and no other plane

before yours.

The worst that comes to my mind. Moscow in peaktime, which is anytime except 3:00 a.m.

So, if you don't have to fly, don't fly.

[Rinrada]

Worse overall..Lagos Nigeria....

Last time I escaped from there I had to dash the Chief of Police /Immigration £100 christmas present (1982)....

Did they ever repair the Air Con or the Airports Radar systems?

Worse stink...Cairo,Egypt ..................honestly

Bit gru-some...Dacca in Bangladesh (lounge bar upstairs @ $10 a beer)Lots of beggars..

Bit of a pig sty...Bombay and Calcutta

London,Lax,Frankfurt......boring.

Noisey but OK..Manila.....the guards all want to be John Wayne lookalikes

Lungy-Freetown -Sierra Leone/Dawsons Field,Liberia......Mercs everywhere...not cars just like the film.

Dubai / Amsterdam both....nice

Phnom Penh......again much better than in the 80-90s but $20 bucks in and $25 to get out out...peng....departure lounge ..cool.

Favs....Singas,Honkers,Chiangers ...and Bangers

[Crushdepth]

Sydney is great. I know people who go there just to hang out (sort of sick, eh ?)

[britmaveric]

Osaka- kewl airport and coming into a small man made island just for the airport is pretty wild. Great facilities!!!

Narita- love this airport apart from clearing customs!

Frankfurt- hate like a passion- takes bloody forever to reach your gates! (people movers- novel idea huh???)

[gburns57au]

On the good list

KL International

Singapore

Cambodia departure side

Don Muang

Bad list

Saigon...., small and very unfriendly, rip off taxis and money exchangers.

Cambodia Arrival side....what a shemozzle....once past immigration it is fine.

Perth Aus....too small for the numbers they get....more than 2 planes at the same time....long waiting times.

KL and Singapore are both well laid out and spacious, fairly modern, and easy to get around.

Cambodia has a very nice airport, the departure side has the most comfortable smoking area I have encountered, the prices are not too expensive, I think the oficials need to learn to smile.

Don Muang, since they have opened the other terminal I have found that waiting times have been reduced, and it is still a very pleasant airport, the staff when my luggage went astray were very helpful.

[Khutan]

My two (hates) are Calcutta in India and Bogata in Columbia.

Calcutta, all the baggage gets tipped in a big pile and everyon goes through it all to find theirs from the small mountain. Many other things I dislike about it. Domestic there is a shocker, like a great big railway station, with very limited cell-phone access.

Bogata, well, I was walking towards immigration across the tarmac and this kid appeared and brandished a knife at some elderly travellers trying to extort travel documents and money. My (temporary) friend and I were the only ones who cared. When we told security "Oh that happens alot - not sure what to do"

Melbourne international for transit is shocking as well, no facilities no nothing.

Best, Well, I would also say Heathrow and Bangkok are excellent for Departures. The best for arrivals has to be Narita, mind you the Taxi fares are a bit much.

[Thaddeus]

Dubai is quite pleasant.... unless you have missed your connecting flight, have to wait 7 hours for the next one and are only armed with 6,000 Baht and an expired ATM card

[lambous]

Worst:

Port Moresby! The paradise lounge is not a suitable name for a tin shed.

Good Airports:

Brisbane: Simple but effective

Singapore: No Complaints

KL: Love the chairs without arm rests that can be used for sleeping when you have missed your plane and need to wait another 24 hours. Hate the distance to KL city though.

[gburns57au]

Worst:

Port Moresby! The paradise lounge is not a suitable name for a tin shed.

Good Airports:

Brisbane: Simple but effective

Singapore: No Complaints

KL: Love the chairs without arm rests that can be used for sleeping when you have missed your plane and need to wait another 24 hours. Hate the distance to KL city though.

Kuala Lumpha....Take the high speed train to the city....fairly cheap and does the trip in about 35 minutes.....taxi from train station to your hotel and your home and hosed for about $30....I used it a few years ago to go the airport....bloody great way to go...taxi from Jalan Petaling to the station was 4 RM. Also if you are flying Malaysian you can book your bags in and get seat allocation at the train station.

[thaiflyer1]

Schipol (Amsterdam) all under one roof and has a casino.........Teeside (N.E England) in 6 years ive never seen any customs on duty yet .

[jackr]

Birmingham International is easy to get to, nicely decked-out, good selection of beers and decent departure lounge. Heathrow (Terminal 4)not bad.

Dubai very nice.

Brunei's airport in Bandar Seri Begawan (Dave) is 10 times the size it needs to be for the amount of traffic (typical Sulty!) and rather sterile.

Orly Airport - Paris (French Connection) absolute chunk of &lt;deleted&gt;. New one also a let down.

LAX - crap.

[Stephen777]

Tokyo Narita or Saigon would have to be the airport that I least like. Neither is user friendly, Saigon is way under built and has such a repetitive form of security and immigration that it's difficult to tolerate. Tokyo is just aggrevating.

New York (Lagarbage aka Laguardia) is expensive, aggrevating and unfriendly.

Amsterdam Schippol is friendly and amusing. I like it!

As big airports go I've had a lot of good experiences at Bangkok (Don Muang), L.A. (LAX), New York (Kennedy), Minneapolis/St. Paul Int'l, Hong Kong, London (Heathrow), The new Detroit Airport and Atlanta.

Big airports that have way too many problems when I use them are Chicago O'Hare, Tokyo Narita, Miami International, Dallas/Fort Worth, Taipei and Washington National.

Airports that are reported to so bad that they are off the chart are Moscow, Paris, Manila, Mexico City, Bangalore and Jakarta.

[cobra]

I love any of the Internationals in Japan,

Who doesn't love a 12$ cup of coffee ...

But lots of shops, bars and totally wi-fi'ed to help

pass the time.

But the worst has to be Anchorage International, (North Terminal), Anchorage Alaska, USA,

No shops, beer only in cans, cramped, dingy, oh what the ######, it's just plain horrible,

looking out the window to the freezing gray is no relief.

I can't believe people live there, oh wait a minute, I live here, Doe !

Up north in Thailand, I love the Sukhothai Airport, open and airy, lots of landscaping and

gardens, like Samui just smaller.

Happy flying,

[bodypaul]

Heathrow ... excellent (well terminals 3&4)

Shipol Amsterdam ... excellent

Alicante ... improved ... but a charter/holiday airport

Dubai ... excellent

Cairo ... I never had any probs there .. Know people who had!

Manila ... not too bad!

Singapore ... excellent

Don Muang ... I like it

Phuket ... I like

Koh Samui ... Quaint if you don't have to wait there for 8 hour ... if you do it is sh1t

Cebu ... functional

Lots more but not tonight

[game4shame]

What about Nadi INTERNATIONAL airport in Fiji?!!!!

[dawsey]

Like Doha Airport Qatar small.efficient,great duty free

Abu Dhabi best duty free,parking,not far from city,clean

Changi Singapore has it all,great restaurants,shopping,good airport hotel.

Dubai great, all airports should be like this one

Nairobi absolutely awful

Zanzibar the very worst. pallets for desks?,luggage unloaded on airport curtain and left in rain,non existent duty free,no food,no drink,20$ exit was worth it to get away.

Heathrow grim, outrageous price to park,too busy at any time of day, but pretty efficient.

CDG Paris awful layout, expensive food and bits of the roof fall in!

[jayenram]

Worse overall..Lagos Nigeria....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only because you've obviously never flown into/out of Port Harcourt!

Going back a few years, Athens was the worst European airport I've passed through.

[cdnvic]

What about Nadi INTERNATIONAL airport in Fiji?!!!!

On stopovers there you can bribe the security to let you out into the bagage area to smoke.

That was a few yrs ago though.....

cv

[ProfessorFart]

Charles De Gaulle is a disgusting mess of an Airport. If I were French I wouldbe ashamed to say that CDG was my country's principal Airport.

[Ian_B]

Worse overall..Lagos Nigeria....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only because you've obviously never flown into/out of Port Harcourt!

Going back a few years, Athens was the worst European airport I've passed through.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah Warri is even worse... wonder if they still block the road so that the planes can land!

Spent nearly a night in the airport jail in Benin once - now THAT was not a good day!