Suvarnabhumi Airport named fifth best airport by Skytrax

[samtam]

Which Skytrax survey?

Not this one, surely?

This shows BKK at number 37 out of 100...

[lvr181]

They think it is better tan Singapore airport? Are they joking, no way is it better

Selective survey remember, 40-50 million passengers? Singapore probably does not fit in that category.

[1BADDAT]

Which Skytrax survey?

Not this one, surely?

This shows BKK at number 37 out of 100...

BANGKOK, 25 March 2016 (NNT) - Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport was ranked the fifth best airport in the category of airports with 40-50 million passengers per year by Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015

[lvr181]

They think it is better tan Singapore airport? Are they joking, no way is it better

Selective survey, 40 - 50 million passengers? Singapore probably does not fit in that category.

[webfact]

Suvarnabhumi is the world’s 36th best airport



BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Suvarnabhumi airport's ranking edged up 11 places to become the world's 36th best airport this year from 47th place in 2015.

However it was ranked the 5th best airport in the category of airports with 40-50 million passengers per year.

Coming on top of the ranking is Singapore’s Changi airport, according to Attractiveness World Airport Awards, the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry, and a global benchmark of airport excellence widely known also as the Passengers Choice Awards.

The world’s Top 100 Airports for 2016 was voted for by airline customers around the world during the 2015/2016 survey period.

Commenting on the ranking, the airport’s general manager Mr Sirote Duangratana said Suvarnabhumi airport was ranked after Seoul’s Incheon airport, Germany’s Munich airport, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur airport and Spain’s Madrid airport respectively.

Besides, Suvarnabhumi airport was also named the 10th Best Airport Staff in Asia and given the 36th place among the World’s Top 100 Airports.

The rankings were based on more than 13.25 million responses compiled online from passengers worldwide through www.worldairportsurvey.com and from telephone questionnaires between June 2015 and January 2016.

The Awards are based on 13.25 million airport survey questionnaires completed by 106 different nationalities of airline customers during the survey period.

The survey operated from June 2015 to February 2016, covering 550 airports worldwide and evaluating traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/156832


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-25

[Calach]

Among all airports it's 36th... sounds about right. Suvarnabhumi isn't as perfect as some of much richer countries' airports, and those last years it seems to have more and more difficulties handling the increase in passengers, particularly with passport control and immigration when flying economy, but it's still pretty decent. There's far worse elsewhere.

The new taxi dispatching system on arrival is pure robbery though, at least before you could walk on the top floor and catch a taxi that'd just dropped departing customers.

[1BADDAT]

Suvarnabhumi is my favorite airport anywhere. If you look on overall ranking (see link in above post), It is actually ranked just above San Francisco. San Francisco is my least favorite airport in the world. I use both of these airports a lot and they are no way close to equal.

What makes Suvarnabhumi great:

• Parking lot right next to the terminal. 250 baht a day is pretty reasonable.
• The location is ideal for people coming from Bangkok and Pattaya...etc. The road from the motorway to the airport is designed well. Hardly ever encounter traffic in the airport.
• Airport link
• Nice lounges
• No stupid trains to take to get from one terminal to the other
• I don't know the stats but I rarely experience flight delays
• Its modern and has nice architecture
• Premium lanes for immigration

[SoiBiker]

Among all airports it's 36th... sounds about right. Suvarnabhumi isn't as perfect as some of much richer countries' airports, and those last years it seems to have more and more difficulties handling the increase in passengers, particularly with passport control and immigration when flying economy, but it's still pretty decent. There's far worse elsewhere.

The new taxi dispatching system on arrival is pure robbery though, at least before you could walk on the top floor and catch a taxi that'd just dropped departing customers.

What's wrong with the taxi system? Take your number, find your cab, bob's your uncle. I don't see where robbery comes into it?

[Nicolas32]

For the fourth year in a row, Singapore Changi Airport been named the best airport in the world for raising the bar on passenger experiences.

In the 2016 edition of the World Airport Awards, Singapore Changi managed to keep a firm grasp on its crown thanks to features like tropical rooftop gardens, movie theaters, free foot massages, video gaming areas, and free sightseeing tours into the city for flyers.

Like previous years, the top 10 airports hail mostly from Asia and Europe, with Japan alone landing three airports on the ranking.

The list is also conspicuously absent of any North American hubs which could learn a lesson or two from airports like Changi which turn what can be a stressful place of transit into a destination in and of itself.

For instance, specs for the newest addition to the hub, Jewel Changi Airport, will boast everything from an indoor forest, walking trails and gardens to a 40-meter tall Rain Vortex which will be the world’s tallest indoor waterfall when complete.

The glass biodome complex is expected to be completed in 2018.

The World Airport Awards are based on the results of 13 million surveys completed by flyers from 112 nationalities who rate their satisfaction levels across 39 indicators, from check-in to departure.

The ranking included 550 airports for consideration.

Here are the world’s top 10 airports of 2016:

1. Singapore Changi Airport

2. Incheon International Airport

3. Munich Airport

4. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)

5. Hong Kong International Airport

6. Chubu Centrair Nagoya

7. Zurich Airport

8. London Heathrow Airport

9. Kansai International Airport

10. Hamad International Airport

http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2016/03/18/hong-kong-airport-named-worlds-4th-best-after-changi-incheon-and-munich

Someone lying again ? Full results for the 2016 World Airport Awards Skytrax, featuring the top 10 airport ratings for each award category

http://www.worldairportawards.com/Awards/airport_award_winners_2016.html

Edited March 25, 2016 by Nicolas32

[nanoth]

I like this Airport.....

[up-country_sinclair]

It's a fine airport, but it's certainly not the 5th best in the world.

[thaihome]

It's a fine airport, but it's certainly not the 5th best in the world.

Read the article. It's the 5th best for airports with 40 to 50 million passengers a year. I believe there are only 10 in the category.

Again, typical TV headline written to promote controversy and the subsequent posts. They are really good at this. ?

TH

[tartempion]

I'm there to catch a flight, not to have a gourmet experience or buy their overpriced .

Unfortunately A decent meal can not be found on the airport premises.

Facing a 12h flight with some economy airline junk food, no thanks.

The third floor eateries are a rip off and the Magic food court at the lower level is just what it is: a food court.

[SoiBiker]

It's a fine airport, but it's certainly not the 5th best in the world.

Read the article. It's the 5th best for airports with 40 to 50 million passengers a year. I believe there are only 10 in the category.

Again, typical TV headline written to promote controversy and the subsequent posts. They are really good at this. ?

TH

It's not exactly difficult to get a reaction out of the people here. Just post anything vaguely complimentary about Thailand.

[hands22]

Strange no one has mentioned this...but Suvarnabhumi has to be one of the noisiest airport!

At departure lounge...the incessant and irritating 'This is an important announcement ..Flight..blah blah blah' will make sure you will be bombarded with this reminder non stop. Compared with Changi where there is hardly any announcement yet I am sure most passengers make it to their gates on time. Don't get me started on arrival '.....end of the walkway. blah blah blah.'

A peaceful and quiet airport is a good airport.

[Nicolas32]

It's a fine airport, but it's certainly not the 5th best in the world.

Read the article. It's the 5th best for airports with 40 to 50 million passengers a year. I believe there are only 10 in the category.

Again, typical TV headline written to promote controversy and the subsequent posts. They are really good at this. ?

TH

I think that down to Thai media news outlets it's very misleading of course they do it all the time .. when it comes down to face .. Maybe why it taken a week to report this news story to mislead the general pubic..

[steveyinasia]

Hate the place, so outdated and they can't even figure out how to get the planes to dock at the airport. Catching a bus and then climbing up a ladder to get into a plane. A lack of toilets and insufficient immigration officers at passport control to process the volume of arrivals.

So outdated? It has only been open for ten years. What exactly is outdated about it?

The only time I had to catch a bus is when I fly domestically or to like Cambodia or Vietnam. All large planes going International that I have been on use the jet ways.

Not always true if you fly Thai, they frequently use the outstation and bus back, the late night Hong Kong flight is almost always back to the terminal by bus. The Thai mentality that confuses me is that they sometimes park at the gate and you have to climb down the stairs to a bus....we are already at the gate, why use the bus?

Edited March 25, 2016 by steveyinasia

[Bobotie]

Maybe they only visited five airports?

Its a terrible airport.

Aint the worst and aint the best...terrible...no

[Jonmarleesco]

Fifth to thirty-sixth, as the earlier article would suggest. But perhaps Skytrax executives - there are some, I suppose - should get off their a___s and test the goods in person. Then rate them.

[Emster23]

I like swampy well enough, but my one gripe has to do with going from departures down to basement for rail link. All those escalators only for airport workers, missed boat on planning that. Seems have to take elevator to get down there.

[ChidlomDweller]

The fifth best out of airports with between 40 and 50 million passengers per year. How many airports are there with 40 to 50 million passengers per year? 5?

This is an old marketing trick. You can always be number 1 at something if you define the category narrowly enough. Example, MBA programs that claim to be in the top 3 in the world... In the category agricultural finance.

Edited March 25, 2016 by ChidlomDweller

[1BADDAT]

The fifth best out of airports with between 40 and 50 million passengers per year. How many airports are there with 40 to 50 million passengers per year? 5?

This is an old marketing trick. You can always be number 1 at something if you define the category narrowly enough. Example, MBA programs that claim to be in the top 3 in the world... In the category agricultural finance.

This is Thai Visa's spin to start an argument amongst members.

Do you think people choose travel destinations based upon SKYTRAX ratings?

[ChidlomDweller]

The fifth best out of airports with between 40 and 50 million passengers per year. How many airports are there with 40 to 50 million passengers per year? 5?

This is an old marketing trick. You can always be number 1 at something if you define the category narrowly enough. Example, MBA programs that claim to be in the top 3 in the world... In the category agricultural finance.

This is Thai Visa's spin to start an argument amongst members.

Do you think people choose travel destinations based upon SKYTRAX ratings?

Eh!? Who's starting an argument, except you? And by what logic has my post anything to do with your second statement?

The report is from a Thai press agency and quotes the Suvarnabhumi airport manager. My point is they're massaging Skytrax results to have something to brag about.

[1BADDAT]

The fifth best out of airports with between 40 and 50 million passengers per year. How many airports are there with 40 to 50 million passengers per year? 5?

This is an old marketing trick. You can always be number 1 at something if you define the category narrowly enough. Example, MBA programs that claim to be in the top 3 in the world... In the category agricultural finance.

This is Thai Visa's spin to start an argument amongst members.

Do you think people choose travel destinations based upon SKYTRAX ratings?

Eh!? Who's starting an argument, except you? And by what logic has my post anything to do with your second statement?

The report is from a Thai press agency and quotes the Suvarnabhumi airport manager. My point is they're massaging Skytrax results to have something to brag about.

Marketing involves selling something right? So what exactly are the marketing? An airport? Have you ever met someone who bases their travel plans (to a specific country) because of the airport rankings?

[Captor]

What is the new taxi system about? I use to go down from arrival one (or two?) floors and there they are for reasonable price. At least cheaper then the limousine taxi inside the arrival floor.

[ChidlomDweller]

I just see this as a national press agency boasting how great everything is, mostly for local consumption, and likewise the general manager saying "look what a good job I'm doing." Somehow being 36th becomes a headline that they're 5th.

Personally, I think Suvhanabhumi is OK, but a missed opportunity. I remember at the time of launch it was tauted to become better than Changi and Incheon, and it's not anywhere near that.

I very rarely have a long wait at immigration and usually can enter after about 5 minutes, so I don't understand the gripes about that. But I find the shopping very boring (just boring luxury stores), and the dining options are too few, overpriced, and crowded. For such a giant airport, why cram passengers in those overcrowded, dingy dining areas? Changi really is much better in terms of shops to loiter in, and having a diversity of cafes and other areas to relax in. I lived out of a suitcase for many years, travelling around the world, and seeing Suvharnabhumi as 5th immediately smelled wrong when I read that title.

Edited March 25, 2016 by ChidlomDweller

[TheLobster]

I think the airport is 'okay', I seen far worse. Most of it in departures is about taking any 'spare travel money' you have left.

It doesn't really cater for long stay-overs between flights for cattle class but maybe that helps get people to stay-over in Bangkok? A brilliant ploy? maybe not it is probably by accident.

Anyway my major gripe is that I have to pay a premium price to fly direct to Samui from this airport then I get to queue for an hour to check in and then I'm put on a bus to the plane (sometimes) as you do on budget airlines. Clearly Asia's No.1 boutique airline is not an airline that you fly with on a budget. Maybe I'm wrong?

Edited March 25, 2016 by TheLobster

[MadMuhummad]

I think it's the WIFI that got them points.

Every centimeter of the ceiling has a router.

Not sure thats a good thing.

Excellent connexion but you get your brain fried like sausages.

100% total rubbish.

[MadMuhummad]

I've never had a problem at Suvarnibhum. Arrival has always been a less than 30min affair including baggage collection.

Check-in on departure has always been quick and efficient and I regularly travel at peak times (Songkran, xmas and Thai holidays).

I tend to not arrive too early for my flights, about an hour and a half usually does it but in any case o have membership to Louis Tavern airport lounge.

Whoever said that the airport is outdated really doesn't travel too much obviously....

[SussexExpat]

I wouldn't trust a Skytrax survey.

Qatar Airways is their darling 5 star airline. I had a terrible experience with them. When I submitted my review on Skytrax they refused to post it.