Best & Worst Airports In Asia Poll

[Maigo6]

The best, bangkok, because ive arrived here !, the worst, london heathrow, its like coming down off the worst drugs possible and you are back in a gloomy country with equally gloomy people,.

[Flow]

Best airport: Singapore

[fennielyn]

just passed through singapore's changi last weekend on a 2 hour layover en route to oz, and was pleasantly reminded why it's just leagues ahead of the rest. the 2 plus hours whizzed by, they had an art exhibition on the 3rd floor, a little drawing and play area for kids, a cozy lounge screening live sports from all over the world, a busy gym on the second floor (made me wonder where on earth all those threadmill joggers came from, did they pack their hand carry bags expecting a gym workout at changi?), 24 hour dining, the famous Harry's jazz bar was kicking, free wireless broadband, quiet reading areas, great shopping and lots of sitting areas for just people watching. and everywhere you look its just information, direction signs, suggestions. its not the hardware, its the software that makes changi such a buzz.

I'll go along with that, Singapore Airport is exceptional, Hong Kong is OK, but it's huge = lots of walking, for some that could be a problem.

I can only see one clear winner, Changi.

I like BKK's airport upon arrival (could be that onset of happiness just to be here though, who knows) but absolutely hate it when departing, obvious reason aside, my airline gate is always the one at the very end and God knows I'm not the most punctual person in the world so most times I can be seen making a mad run that goes onnnnnnnnn and onnnnnnn and ooooooonnnnn just to reach my gate. Bah. Other than that one teeny complain, it's got my vote. =)

Changi airport just brings back nightmarish memories of harried cramming for my O'levels after school with my mates. Yup, we're a weird bunch of folks alright. Instead of libraries, we go to the airport to do our cramming. During exam time you'll see hordes of uniformed students at the viewing gallery where it's the quietest, sitting on the floor mugging away. I wonder if it's only unique to us and if folks do that in other airports too...hmm...granted..Changi is kinda big though, so free space is never an issue. So yea, I can never view this place in the same light ever again.

[exgov]

Mumbai, India very bad. Hiroshima good. Naha domestic good. Guam very bad attitude. Kuala Lumpur good. Bahrain good with probably the best duty free in the world. Dubai impressive. All of the Japanese airports very efficient. Old Hong Kong was a thrill ride to get on the ground. Sydney and Darwin O.K.Just the Aussie way of doing things. All U.S. airports bad, especially west coast and I am from America. Taipei very bad. I have been to Taipei many times in transit. As the other poster stated "try getting a beer." I have not been there in 3 years and at that time they had 3 places to get a beer besides business-class lounges and 2 brands to choose from. Taipei beer and Heineken. Singapore good.

[jeffer]

I voted Singapore as best like many others did but KL is also excellent. I often think KL is the airport that Thailand should have copied for Bangkok. It's well laid out, hassle free and the air-con works.

I voted Bangkok as worst only because they had the chance to build a really great airport and with all the money available didn't. It's not that bad an airport compared to many but every time l go there l'm never sure if l will be hassled by taxi touts, have to wait an hour for immigration or who knows how long at the baggage carousel. A train service like you have at Singapore or KL would make a big difference too.

Singapore and KL win everytime because they are well run and you rarely have to wait very long for anything.

Having been through Jakarta a bit recently l found it much better than l expected. Maybe l was lucky but everything ran smoothly and quickly.

[Shrubbery]

Brunei airport is pretty lousy. Especially as a transit passenger.

Very limited facilities. Very expensive shops, lousy toilets, slow immigration officials on arrival, slow baggage reclaim, almost non existant public transport. Taxis are a maasive rip off. NO BAR or alcohol available.

Sukhothai airport is "cute". Not sure whether this can be included as it's a "Private Airport".

I have never had a problem at "Swampy", so I have to give it the thumbs up.

Even arrived on the day it opened, though I only had hand baggage.

[lamlukka]

Singapore is great

Hong Kong is good.

Bangkok is like a cement building not yet finished. Do not like it.

Worst in my experience Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

llk

[jingjoe]

It's close between Singapore, KLIA, and Honkers IMO.

Singapore by a nose, with Hong Kong a credible 2nd.

The worst airport in the region, (stretching the Asian boundaries a tad) was Port Morsbey, in PNG, where 4 hours in transit felt more like 8 hours of detention.

[chicowoodduck]

I'm wondering who voted for Singapore, Hong Kong, and Incheon as worst airports? Those are three very nice airports IMHO, and wonder what it is about them that makes them so bad for some.

I think one problem with this poll is that some people only visit an airport once and have some bad experience, maybe not even airport related, but airline related, and then hate the airport because of one experience.

Maybe true. But so far more than 50 % voted for Singapore as best airport - and so did I.

I'd have to side with Singapore being the best as well.....always sooooooooooo clean and easy to navigate! On the downside of things, Taipei at any time of the day or night is an armpit!

[soihok]

I lived in Taiwan for a year and found the airport at Taipei was ok.

Have visited Manilla several times and the airport is a good indication of how the city is .

A Dump

[hanno]

Siem Reap is my favorite: Easy to get through immigration and customs and 10 minutes later I am home KL is nice but too far out of town.

I hate Swampy for its endless walks and, as somebody else pointed out, it should be much better than it is considering how new it is. Delhi is the worst airport I have been to.

[BNZ]

Osaka's Kansai, a comfortable uplifting building designed by Renzo Piano.

A first class hotel on site and straight down the escalator to easy train access.

Singapore is looking a bit tired and tawdry these days but it does have a market downstairs and upstairs a swimming pool !

[clinique]

Singapore Changi is the best excellent. After flying around the reion on business for 15 years absolutely no question.

I would also include Chiangmai, which I would vote 2nd best,, easy, friendly, no hassles, and quick - maybe Im colored becaus eit is home base !

For worst Jakarta,,

But if we include Perth (which I do in my regional definition) - definately the worst........ no services, shopping and food is sh.. ,, and incoming customs and immigration,, longest lines and least numbe rof Imm officers i have seen anywhere,, can take 2 hours + to clear passport control..

and rude, arrogant, narrow minded, officials...

[ALFREDO]

I like Kuala Lumpur Int. Airport

and I do not like The Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Airport.

Bangkok is also not a Top Airport but not as bad as its reputation, I think.

[321niti123]

I've voted without yet having expereinced the new Bangkok Airport.

However, from past experience I always found that the old Bangkok Airport looked fantastic on the way in and bl00dy awful on the way out.

The new airport actually looks nice both on the way in and out. But you wouldn't believe the amount of corruption money that place have given to politicians. That is probably why the the runways are starting to crack already. And security sucks-->look at the PAD capturing the airport last year.

[tb86]

denpansar bali,

gotta pay to get in, visa and a fixer not so bad, and out of the country,convientely the atm is outside of the building, just in case you didnt know that you needed to pay cash to the customs in order to leave.... ah yeah they also want to see your ticket before you check in at the counter.... i guess they havent realized now a days many people dont actualy have anything untill after they check in at the counter....

[ballzafire]

I thought I'd chime in here and concur with others about Changi being hands down the nicest, most functional, best thought out airport of the lot.

I don't want to mention the worst, but some that have already been mentioned, well, let's just say they need improvement.

I would also like to give honorable mention to Siem Reap, however. Though very small it has a distinctive design all its own. Kinda in line with the temples. It was a nice send off from an incredible visit to Angkor! Left me smiling as I boarded my plane!

[NanLaew]

Bangkok is undeniably the best because that's where 'home' is. I can get from kerb to gate (and vice versa) in around 45 minutes so it's doing just fine.

Jakarta sucks with all those lounges only for those that hold Indonesian-issued credit cards... <deleted>?!

Narita is a great transit airport; tempura udon and a pint of Guinness for less than 20 bucks... nice (if expensive) stopover snack.

Singapore is... over rated but user friendly, sort of like the Far East answer to Schiphol.

I had to laugh at Samui's recently lauded status as one of the regions best by some podunk local travel publication. Any airport that uses the same kinda 'buses' as they use to ferry people from the carpark at Pattaya's Tukom isn't really up there IMHO. That and the fact that it's almost 100% non-airconditioned compounds that argument. If 'boutique' means sweating your <deleted> off walking 500m between check-in and security and then 500m back to the gates before your short hop to Bangkok to connect with your +8 hour flight home, then I don't need no boutique! Also pain in the arse that the Arrivals and Departures have totally separate road access despite being only about 500m apart as the crow flies. You have a 2km, 5 minute drive between them (unless you know where the hole in the hedge is)! I can see where the one-time tourist may find it charmingly tropical but it's a bugger for a regular commuter.

[petros]

Can smaller airpoorts be counted ?

My most favourite airport is Sukhothai, a lovlier airport I have never seen and the check in procedure is one of the easiest I know.When you depart from there they give you an orchid to pin on your shirt/blouse.Free tea/coffee and so relaxed its great

[SantiSuk]

My vote for the best goes to Hong Kong. The staff are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you and there are duty free shops on both ends of the airport.

Hong Kong gave my Thai GF, now wife, a full (ie including internal) body search on her first ever international flight, which left her in floods of tears. Not my favourite!!

I voted for Singapore because it was the only international business city I knew where I could guarantee to be in my cushy downtown hotel and in the shower within an hour of touchdown. Hugely efficient (but a pretty boring town).

Worst = Mumbai, but have not yet done Manila and probably never shall having read this post

Edited October 17, 2009 by SantiSuk

[SantiSuk]

I voted Singapore as best like many others did but KL is also excellent. I often think KL is the airport that Thailand should have copied for Bangkok. It's well laid out, hassle free and the air-con works.

I voted Bangkok as worst only because they had the chance to build a really great airport and with all the money available didn't. It's not that bad an airport compared to many but every time l go there l'm never sure if l will be hassled by taxi touts, have to wait an hour for immigration ...

Tell us when you typically arrive and leave and we'll know what time to avoid! Average wait at immigration going out I would put at ten minutes and average coming in 5 minutes. Bangkok immigration is way better than most other places I flew through in a long business career.

I agree with your other points (just to make it clear I am not the traditional Saturday night/had too many beers/no nooky in sight/Tv critic)