MartynSinclair - 22/11/2011 13:14 GMT
http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/10-most-loved-airports-981939
to balance the discussion, one thread for the good and one for the bad.
Top 10 LOVED airports in the world
Posts
BeckyBoop - 22/11/2011 22:23 GMT
Not sure why everyone wants to talk about the most hated. Here my most LOVED:
Chep Lap Kok -Hong Kong
LONDON HEATHROW!!!!!
yes you read right if it wasnt such a quirkie place half of this forum wouldnt exist. It one of the more exciting places to because anthing can happen xxx
KeaneJohn - 28/11/2011 20:56 GMT
I have to say my favourite airport is London City because I can leave home approximately 60 minutes before departure and still have 20 mins to spare before the gate closes. Returning, I am usually walking in the door even with hold luggage within about 25 minutes of touchdown.
PatJordan - 28/11/2011 21:22 GMT
I quite like Orlando International: good range of shops, restaurants, and plenty of comfy seats.
Amsterdam Schipol is a pleasant airport too.
RichHI1 - 28/11/2011 22:52 GMT
SNA, small quick, clean efficient. Unfortunately runway length makes direct UK flights impossible. UA (CO) do fly to HNL though. I have connected through DFW and ORD when going to Orange County. No LAX sprawl, walk to rental car indoors and no hours on San Diego freeway in peak hours.
ConstantFlyer1 - 28/11/2011 23:15 GMT
OK. Here are my top ten and why I like them (in no particular order). All in Europe, as that's where I tend to work most:
Odessa - small, quirky, and appealingly post-Soviet
Alderney - basically like flying from someone's back garden shed
Southampton - no pretentions (no style or sophistication either, though)
Leeds/Bradford - neither too busy to care (like many British airports) or too empty to be desperate (like most of the rest)
Isle of Man - just all-round pleasant to travel through
Amsterdam Schiphol - the least unpleasant of the major European hubs
London Gatwick - full of surprises: a lot of the new facilities are actually quite nice
Budapest - I love the old terminal and the restaurant does a great goulash, but the new terminal is cool too
Tallinn - Smooth, easy and comfortable
Vienna - Big but user-friendly
When I die, if I go to heaven, these are the features of the airport I'd expect to find there:
- Arrival by integrated public transport system to front door
- Angels on hand to welcome and assist
- Short walk to check-in/baggage drop
- No need for airport security
- Excellent food
- No shops
- Indoor aviation viewing terrace with chaises longues
- Option to walk outside along pier-top viewing terraces to smell aviation fuel
- Very few other passengers
- Frequent departures to destinations of dreams aboard carriages of delight, such as A318, E190, Viscount, Tu-134A, etc.
- Short walk across tarmac to aircraft steps
- Sun always shines (but not too hot)
- On arrival, personal angel greeting and guide through immigration (St Peter)
- No baggage to collect (you can't take it with you!)
- Out of the airport and home in ten minutes for a nice cup of tea
Henryp1 - 29/11/2011 12:25 GMT
We prefer and like T5 at LHR.
Once through security turn right and into the lounge without having to go through the shops and cafes etc.
CMB if flying UL as lounge access quick with an acceptable offering.
DisgustedofSwieqi - 29/11/2011 14:27 GMT
"Once through security turn right and into the lounge without having to go through the shops and cafes etc."
Assuming you mean the south lounge, unfortunately it is not really fair comment in a general context, as it does not apply to all premium pax (disgracefully, IMHO.)
GSE in Gothenburg is great, literally 20m from the baggage reclaim to the taxi rank (with a coordinated shuttle bus) and three flights a day.
Not too much slot congestion :-)
LeTigre - 29/11/2011 15:57 GMT
I really liked Hamburg (HAM) on both times travelling through it. It is a lovely spacious glass and steel affair and they actually have a pre-security runway viewing terrace! Shame there were no A380s...
Bullfrog - 29/11/2011 16:12 GMT
I have no problem with Heathrow for arrivals & departures, but can understand why connections may be harder unless from the same terminal.
London City - every distance is short; check in, security, gate & taxiing & all with small passenger numbers on board.
Fort Lauderdale - very well laid out and easy to use.
Southampton - simple and efficient. London's 5th airport.
canucklad - 29/11/2011 16:46 GMT
Best for International Arrivals..............Vancouver
Best for transisting.................Amsterdam
Best for Food and Bars...........Probably Amsterdam or Hong Kong
Best for Quirkiness............Galway or Bali (based on the Mongrel Dog chasing my 747 taxing to gate)
Best for Bus Transfers./Plane Spotting .........Paris
Best for City Centre to Airport...AMS/YVR & HKG by a mile
Best named.........Belfast City
Danwolf - 29/11/2011 16:50 GMT
The best airport I've ever gone through still has to be Koh Samui, such a contrast from busy hub airports.
LPPSKrisflyer - 29/11/2011 17:34 GMT
My top ten:
1. SIN
2. HKG
3. SYD
4. MUC
5. BKK
6. KUL
7. AMS
8. BNE
9. TXL
10. YVR
Bottom 10:
10. SGN
9. FCO
8. BRU
7. TLV
6. FCO
5. MAD
4. JFK
3. LAX
2. LHR (I regard it as a whole, not single terminals)
1. CDG
Way off the bottom of the scale and in a different league altogether: LOS.
Scandinavian - 29/11/2011 17:56 GMT
For the overall experience Copenhagen.
Oslo is better designed and more user-friendly but Copenhagen wins on atmosphere.
Munich is the best major long-haul connection hub in Europe. Zurich a close second, but not always good for short connections.
Montevideo in Uruguay is fantastic. Otherwise Lima and Santiago De Chile are a head above their South American counterparts. Aeroparque in BA is chaotic but has a wonderful Argentinian atmosphere.
Henryp1 - 29/11/2011 18:10 GMT
But it does apply to premium passengers who have a 1st class ticket. There does need to be differences of what is on offer in relation to the ticket purchased.
Binman62 - 30/11/2011 09:28 GMT
LPPSKrisflyer......top 10 BKK at no 5......?? But no SEL or KIX. Interesting view.
Agree with the poster re DPS for quirkiness. First time I arrived the power went off and everyone just sat on the floor in immigration and waited, very patiently, for it to come back on.
T5 is pretty good but only if you have access to a lounge, ideally the Concorde Room and the operation is running smoothly.
Disgusted.........BA would agree with you about premium passengers having direct access to the lounge but their landlords have a very different view. I am aware that BA paid a substantial sum for that door and that was a considerable compromise from the direct access they had requested from First Check in to lounge via a private security channel.
canucklad - 30/11/2011 10:37 GMT
Actually remembered another Gem of an Airport for efficiency and quirkiness and representing it's countries "Brand" to the core is Alice Springs in Oz........
Small friendly and very Australian.......
LPPSKrisflyer - 30/11/2011 11:49 GMT
Binman62 I've never been to SEL or KIX!
There are other places that have created excellent impressions but I thought it only fair to rate from the places I go regularly.
I also take Henry's point and of course much depends on the class of your ticket, if I was not in F or occasionally C I might have a very different view of BKK and one or two other places.
At LHR I mostly use T3, I honestly preferred T2!
canucklad - 30/11/2011 13:08 GMT
Taking Krisflyers and Henry's point on is why YVR scores highly with me....
Arriving on a flight in AC's Exec Class you're through the formalities pretty damn quick....Arriving Economy and you're through pretty damn quick...difference being you just have to wait a little longer to depart the aircraft.....And the International arrivals Hall is a " Breath of fresh air" Friendly staff and relaxing surroundings with waterfalls and totem poles
A proper hospitable welcome to Canada
Departing I sometimes don't even bother with the lounge and head to the sports bar for a final pint od Canadian beer
Finally the best ever and least known quirkiest uniquest terminal in probably the "western world " at least can be found at YVR
On the south river the float planes depart to Victoria from a pub called the " Flying Beaver"
InterContinentalFlyer - 30/11/2011 13:34 GMT
No doubt, AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL. One of a kind, simply the best. Also like ICN, HKG, BCN, ZRH, SLL, MNL, CGK.
