Good to see my home airport (Calgary) in the top ranks of airports world wide (based on overall business productivity, efficiency and performance, not a customer satisfaction survey). While it is relatively small, it ranked 3rd out of 32 airports in a study by London-based Symonds Travers Morgan. Only Hong Kong and Singapore did better. Not much info in the news report about the measurements used however. If find the airport generally well run, spacious, uncrowded and with a good array of services. The biggest negative is some crowding in the transborder (i.e. United States) flight area once you pass through US immigration clearance.

I've got to nominate Tampa for a champion airport status--mainly because they so well separate arriving passengers from departing passengers---there are different levels and directions of walking that make it really a pleasure.

And going the opposite way... among the WORST airports: Kennedy and LaGuardia. A travelers nightmare... utter chaos from the parking lots to the check in counters.

At least LAG is trying to improve with a new terminal. I have not been to JFK since they started renovations.

Personally, One of my favorite AIRPORTS is EWR. IT's big, has room, is not crowded most times (except maybe at the CO international gates) and I can get from one terminal to another with the tram.

NOW the three airports need a direct transit
link from the airports to major transportation EWR has that with Airlink to
Penn Station and the many shuttle services (NYC finally has SuperShuttle!)

EWR's not perfect but it's pretty good. Could also use more direct flights!

I'm curious to know what was the highest ranking USA airport (OK, I can check out the article.) CATMAN

My favorites:

US: Tampa (efficient design), Kona, HI, San Jose, CA (both small and simple) and Portland, OR (lots of visual diversions)
Canada: Vancouver (brand new as of 1998)
Europe: Amsterdam (oh, the shopping!)

Least Favorites:

US: Detroit (belongs in a third world country)

Mexico: Tijuana and Mexico City (dirty, dirty, dirty)

Thanks for the warning about Tijuana. I think I will take that tram there from San Diego instead of flying. WHEN I get to S-D.

And I'll go in daytime and spend only a few hours. Just want to say "Been there, Saw and ran!" CATMAN

Sorry - have to be patriotic here. I still think the Amsterdam Schiphol is one of the world's best designed airports. Great shopping, and its location on top of the train station makes it so easy to get there and away!

The new Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport is also well-designed (although the trek through the airport can be a bit long if you are in a rush). Loved the train access here, especially on your way back to the airport. Check your luggage in at the train station and then saunter onboard of the next train. Barely 25 minutes later you will be in the departure hall!

Schiphol is amazing--can you imagine, spiders on the urinals to keep the floors clean? That is clever design!

Tampa? I've never much cared for Tampa because you *have* to ride the tram from the airside to landside, and one of the occassions I've been there one of the trams was broken and I had to wait quite a while and would have preferred walking. I also don't like the way Delta has "customer service centers" or whatever they're called that serve multiple gates for check in and such.

Catman ~ I was there and did it just last Sunday in Tijuana ... it's not all it's cracked up to be unless you're looking for some knock off Oakley sunglasses or Tag Haeur (sp?) watches ... They do have cheap alcohol though ... but you can only bring back 1 liter.

As I said Beckles, I only wanted to visit Tijuana to see what the fuss is about. From your posting (and from several friends) not much.

San Diego is much nicer and I intend to spend some serious time there this year.

I like the Frankfurt airport: Open, clean, does not seem as congested (then again I was not out at the check-in areas.) You have to walk awhile to get to your connecting flight on Lufthansa but I felt like I was in some futuristic airport movie.

As for the Berlin airports: Please renovate.
Crowded and full of people smoking and me getting wacked with luggage carts. Of course I may not have been to the main airport, feel free to correct me Rudi and others.

Another airport on the negative end: Beijing airport. It looks like somethingout of 1950's Moscow. I hope that they are rebuilding it or starting from scratch. The luggage came out slow and on a conveyer belt that looked like the one Patsy and Edina got caught on in Ab Fab (For those who don't know this show e-mail me. Or Merry. It's a Brit-com.)

San Diego's airport could use MORE room in the luggage area! What a mob scene between the Co, U-A and all those Southworst travelers.

If I think of more observations, I'll let you know. CATMAN

One good aspect about some European airports is that they have a good rail connection to the city. Here in Denver, there is a rail, but it only goes a few hundred meters, adding an unnecessary delay, especially during off peak hours.

Another good thing about Schiphol is the blackjack tables (which even Las Vegas airport does not have).

Any survey which can pinpoint airport to #1, #2, etc. is flawed in my opinion. Its better to give grades A, B, ...