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Best + Worst Airports

snowinberlin
snowinberlin Posts: 807
in Not Sports Related
I'm not massively well travelled but I go for:

Best - Dubai.  Nice open plan feel, nice Irish Pub, perfect place to kill a 2/3 hour stopover
Worst - Corfu.  Tiny, check-in queue went outside the building, almost on the runway, nothing else there.
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Comments

  • DoctorCharlton
    DoctorCharlton Posts: 2,463

    Best - Schipol, as somebody mentioned here earlier. great shops, transport links etc and really easy to navigate

    Worst - JFK. Felt like there was nothing there at all, I also got stuck there in the Gatwick Drone incident last year when I had several flights cancelled, and received little to no help from any of the airport staff.

  • Baldybonce
    Baldybonce Posts: 9,648
    Best
    The new Gibraltar airport

    Worst
    George Best Belfast city airport
  • Curb_It
    Curb_It Posts: 21,223
    Whats wrong with Belfast City?   Apart from the obnoxious Flybe staff fighting you over the size of your baggage? 
  • The_President
    The_President Posts: 14,280
    edited November 2019
    Best : ok, not a Airport per se, but i find Terminal 5 at Heathrow just so relaxing and airy and easy and spacious - all things you dont associate with British airports.
    As an Airport, maybe Luxembourg, because it also has all of the things mentioned above.

    Worst: For me, the worst has been Patras in Greece - just soulless and intidating with all the military aircraft surrounding the runway that they cant afford to fly,you could literally walk off the plane, down the end of the runway and off you go into the country.
    However, i am due to go flying internally in Zambia later this month, so, no doubt that might well change by then.
    JFK is also the pits, full of scummy officious people who make you feel like you are just a lump of meat.
    JFK is one of the reasons (as well as the spurious taxes you get charged at NY hotels) that i will not return to New York again.
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,436
    Worst - UK - hands down, Manchester. Not even close. The worst airport I've ever been to outside of... 
    Brunei. Absolute, total shithole 
  • Baldybonce
    Baldybonce Posts: 9,648
    Curb_It said:
    Whats wrong with Belfast City?   Apart from the obnoxious Flybe staff fighting you over the size of your baggage? 
    Toilets out of order and pissed stag and hen parties heading for Liverpool  :/
  • blackpool72
    blackpool72 Posts: 23,679
    Concidering how busy it is I think Gatwick holds its own. 

    Goa is a nightmare as soon as you get through one queue you get sent to another. 
    Worth it though as Goa is brilliant. 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Worlds Best - Zurich flughaften 

    UK best - LCY

    Worlds worst - Cairo
  • Stu_of_Kunming
    Stu_of_Kunming Posts: 17,118
    Best: Qatar

    Worst: Kunming, literally every flight is delayed due to either poor weather or some lazy yunnaner being late!
  • ChiAddick
    ChiAddick Posts: 1,781
    The_President said:
    Best : ok, not a Airport per se, but i find Terminal 5 at Heathrow just so relaxing and airy and easy and spacious - all things you dont associate with British airports.
    As an Airport, maybe Luxembourg, because it also has all of the things mentioned above.

    Worst: For me, the worst has been Patras in Greece - just soulless and intidating with all the military aircraft surrounding the runway that they cant afford to fly,you could literally walk off the plane, down the end of the runway and off you go into the country.
    However, i am due to go flying internally in Zambia later this month, so, no doubt that might well change by then.
    JFK is also the pits, full of scummy officious people who make you feel like you are just a lump of meat.
    JFK is one of the reasons (as well as the spurious taxes you get charged at NY hotels) that i will not return to New York again.
    Know what you mean RE NYC. Great city, but the hotel charged a 50$ per night facility fee that I genuinely had no idea about. I research a lot too.

    Best - Heathrow T5
    Worst - JFK 
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  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,849
    Best - Singapore. Lots to see and do inside the terminal. Very efficient immigration and customs too.

    Worst - Not sure. US immigration sucks though, especially if you're connecting and not actually entering the country
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,336
    Best: Singapore
    Worst: Manila (3 of the 4 terminals)
  • JohnBoyUK
    JohnBoyUK Posts: 9,018
    Best - Heathrow.  Dubai was good.  Apparently Singapore is good too and will get to check that out next year.  Honourable mentions for Schipol and Zurich too.
    Worst - LAX.  Last time we went it took us 2 bloody hours to get out of the airport with the visa checks and stuff.  Just what you want after a 11-12 hr flight.

    The_President said:
    However, i am due to go flying internally in Zambia later this month, so, no doubt that might well change by then.
    Ha.  That reminded me of our trip to Victoria Falls in Zim.  When we went back to the airport, the flight back to Jo'Burg had a stop over in Livingstone.  They are so close, you can see both airports on the same Google map screen lol.  Never forget hurtling down that runway, expecting a proper take off.  Took off then levelled out about 500ft just to do the quick hop over the border.  Jesus, I flew higher when I done the microlite over the falls.  Good old South African Airlines.

    Having said that, same day, we flew back to Jo'Burg then down to Port Elizabeth.  There was next to nothing at PE if I can remember.  Walked off the plane, straight into the baggage reclaim where there was only 3 or 4 belts and we could see our friends waving at us through the windows from the car park lol.
  • Curb_It
    Curb_It Posts: 21,223
    Baldybonce said:
    Curb_It said:
    Whats wrong with Belfast City?   Apart from the obnoxious Flybe staff fighting you over the size of your baggage? 
    Toilets out of order and pissed stag and hen parties heading for Liverpool  :/
    The hen and stag parties arent the airport faults, the loos are. 

    I wish i could afford to fly to more places from LCY.  Love it.

  • DoctorCharlton
    DoctorCharlton Posts: 2,463
    Never been but I'd love to go to Singapore airport, really looks something else that.
  • addick05
    addick05 Posts: 2,348

    Best - Terminal 5 H'row last month was very good, first time I had used it.

    Worst - Long-haul Chicago O'Hare, chaos; short-haul Heraklion, Crete. Just too small.

  • maidstoneaddick
    maidstoneaddick Posts: 182
    Best - Singapore (stupidly bought the then future wifes platinum engagement ring there for a great price. Only when I bought the wedding ring and later an eternity ring in Platinum did i realise how expensive it is in the Uk

    Worst - Luton - What an absolute shit heap!!
  • Stuart_the_Red
    Stuart_the_Red Posts: 1,851
    Best: Paris Charles de Gaulle. Their long-haul terminal is very large, airy and bright. It also has a large selection of shops and bars, and a vey nice Business Class lounge.

    Worst: Paris Charles de Gaulle. Their short-haul/internal terminal is the exact opposite: small, cramped, dark and dingy. It has no shops orbars, and the Business Class lounge is exactly the same,
  • Southendaddick
    Southendaddick Posts: 5,314

    Depends what you want from an airport

    If you want shops, champagne bars and space T5 takes some beating

    If like me you want to get through quick buy a paper and have a pint and not have to walk 20 minutes to the plane you cant beat Southend.

    Worst airport for the whole experience is Stansted, too many flights/passengers meaning massive queues at Security and Border Control

  • MartinCAFC
    MartinCAFC Posts: 3,219
    edited November 2019
    Best - Cornwall airport. Travelled a couple of months ago for a flight to Heathrow, so small you're through security and into the departure lounge for all gates within 5 - 10 minutes of arriving if you're not doing a bag drop.

    Likewise on arrival you're off the plane and on your way out of the airport within 5 minutes of landing, allow a few extra minutes if collecting luggage which is almost waiting for you on the conveyor belt.

    That's all I want from an airport really.
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  • McBobbin
    McBobbin Posts: 12,051
    Whilst not the worst airport in terms of layout and facilities, Sydney makes the shit list for being the biggest rip off of all time, they charge for absolutely everything including the luggage trolleys.
  • CatAddick
    CatAddick Posts: 2,385
    Depends on how you quantify a bad airport

    For general 'pain-in-the-arseness'  almost any US airport when entering the country due to immigration making sure you miss a connecting flight even if you've allowed 3+ hrs
    Feeling overcrowded - almost any Greek Island

    Best
    Agree T5 is nice but for spaciousness I do like San Francisco (international terminal) when leaving the US..
    Speed - Always found Narita good; shame it's so far from the city
    Lack of stress - Quite like Exeter and Fort Walton Beach is a bit laid back
  • addick05
    addick05 Posts: 2,348
    killerandflash said:
    Best - Singapore. Lots to see and do inside the terminal. Very efficient immigration and customs too.

    Worst - Not sure. US immigration sucks though, especially if you're connecting and not actually entering the country


    You are so right about US immigration. Getting though when entering at most of the big airports is truly an appalling experience - and this goes for incoming/returning US citizens too.

    Landed at Philadelphia last month. Joined the first queue to have Biometric passport checked then fingerprints taken, followed by a black & white photo  which printed out on something akin to toilet paper.

    Then on to the next desk where the Homeland Security chap glanced briefly at my passport and the awful, almost unrecognisable  image spewed out by the machine and waved me through.

    Great, I thought, now I can get going; but no! Another queue!

    Ten minutes later arrive at another desk where some other security guy removed the aforesaid picture from inside my passport - and threw the bloody thing away.

    You couldn't make it up.

  • Big_Bad_World
    Big_Bad_World Posts: 5,859
    maidstoneaddick said:
    Best - Singapore (stupidly bought the then future wifes platinum engagement ring there for a great price. Only when I bought the wedding ring and later an eternity ring in Platinum did i realise how expensive it is in the Uk

    Worst - Luton - What an absolute shit heap!!
    Agreed on Luton. A complete cesspit of an airport.

    Best is any in the Caribbean as it means I'm in the Caribbean and not here, or in Luton.
  • Weegie Addick
    Weegie Addick Posts: 16,521
    edited November 2019
    Best - Barra (Outer Hebrides)- the plane lands on the beach 

    Worst - Luton - the pits. Actually changed my mind - Paris Charles de Gaulle is even worse.
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,319
    International Airports
    Best: Singapore - Without doubt one of the best in the World, ideal services when you've just flown 10+ hours, showers / hotel even a cinema
    Worst: Rio de Janeiro (Galaeo) - Just meh!!... Very little there to occupy yourself

    Minor Airports
    Best: Queenstown - Yup I know I mention this place on every travel thread but there's a reason its got one of the best approaches / departures!!
    Worst: Paris Orly!! - So unhelpful and useless staff
  • ricky_otto
    ricky_otto Posts: 22,600
    Best: Johannesburg. Purely because there was an absolute sort working in one of the bars, probably the best I’ve ever seen....Managed to hide the trouser tent from Mrs Otto.

    Worst; Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam  in Mauritius - nothing to do, nowhere to get an alcoholic drink apart from Duty Free
  • Super_Eddie_Youds
    Super_Eddie_Youds Posts: 1,977
    Worst: Riyadh arrivals because I'm arriving in Riyadh

    Best: Riyadh departures because I'm leaving Riyadh 
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,855
     Koh Samui Airport 

  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,855
    Singapore. Lots to do there if you are on a stop over.
    Another shout out for Southend as well.

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