Southwest Rapid Rewards - Best/Worst/Underrated WN airports

The best: MDW. It's clean, it's huge, it has great food, parking isn't bad, and WN practically owns the place. Rental cars are easy to get to. Location isn't the greatest, though.

The worst: MCI. God almighty, is that place depressing. Looks like an old, dirty bus station.

Underrated: ELP. When I tell people I enjoy going to El Paso they look at me like I'm missing a brain or something. But the airport looks like it got a massive facelift very recently, almost everything in it looks new. And it's small enough to navigate really quickly and easily.

Best PVD
Worst LAX, its a ZOO particularly the WN concourse.

Odd...I like MCI. Security is usually quick, the distance from car to gate is never far, and I've never run into any problems there. I know it sucks for connections, but as an O/D airport I think it's very efficient.

Best PVD
Worst LAX, its a ZOO particularly the WN concourse.

I generally arrive Monday AM and depart Thursday afternoon. At neither time is it a zoo. Sunday night maybe it is. And of course any incidents filmed by Airline.

Best: MAF-Brand new, a total of 5 gates, and very clean
HRL-Onsite Car Rental, Fast Security, Free WiFi and cubicles
AUS-New, Onsite rentals, Easy Security, Quick in and out
Worst: LAS-Even with "secret security" its a slow process
MSY-1st and only time we encountered rude SW agents

Regardless of amenities offered at a facility, I always have enjoyed passing through smaller airports. The new terminial is ABE (Allentown, PA) is a very pleasant point for arrival-departure as well.

IMHO

Best BWI (My home airport)
Worst RDU or maybe ISP although I only saw ISP during the middle of the night so maybe bad imnpression.

Best (ex-aequo):
ELP (4 gates!), clean airport.
BUR (touchdown to car in 5 minutes flat)

Worst:
LAX (mostly due to the line outside- that is just plain ridiculous)

RNO is excellent. Most convenient car rental.

IMHO

Best BWI (My home airport)
Worst RDU or maybe ISP although I only saw ISP during the middle of the night so maybe bad imnpression.

As of last month, the Southwest terminal at ISP is brand new and quite nice. As far as BWI....not the most convenient parking for sure.

Best for convenience: STL (dropoff to gate < 50 yards) and TPA (parking to gate < 5 minutes)

Worst all-around: MCI - it's like a Greyhound station with worse food. Sure, it's convenient unless you need to go to the bathroom (and leave the secure zone), get something to eat (and leave the entire airport to find something decent), or have more than a couple of square feet to yourself while you are boxed up in the glass cage waiting for your flight.

Regardless of facilities or age, I always have enjoyed passing through smaller airports. The new terminial is ABE (Allentown, PA) is a very pleasant point for arrival-departure as well.

Am I missing something here?

Worst all-around: MCI - it's like a Greyhound station with worse food. Sure, it's convenient unless you need to go to the bathroom (and leave the secure zone), get something to eat (and leave the entire airport to find something decent), or have more than a couple of square feet to yourself while you are boxed up in the glass cage waiting for your flight.

Tell me about it!! I recently flew in/out of MCI (haven't been there for over 10 years) and I think it's the worst-designed airport. I wasn't even flying Southwest. Why on earth would you have bathrooms/restaurants/everything else outside of security? My M.O. is to go through security and get close to the gate before I go to the bathroom/restaurant/etc. That way I don't worry about missing my flight - I like to cut things close, and doing that has saved my butt a couple of times when the departure time was earlier than I thought.

Also, I'm one of the idiots who left the secure area and left their boarding pass INSIDE. (I really thought I had it!)

I've got to go back there in a couple of months - argh!

I have to agree, MCi is the most outdated boring airport in the system. The food selection is terrible, and good luck getting to bathrooms once you clear security, also have you seen where they do not use TSA, they are a test market for private security firm, same type of people pre 9/11. Trying to hop the BART bus to station at OAK can be a nightmare too.

Even though they have little space within the secure zone, I don't see why they couldn't have lockers set up within the secure area where you could dump your luggage while you walk around the terminal. Getting a full search of your luggage 2 or 3 times is ridiculous.

Even though they have little space within the secure zone, I don't see why they couldn't have lockers set up within the secure area where you could dump your luggage while you walk around the terminal. Getting a full search of your luggage 2 or 3 times is ridiculous.

That's a GREAT idea! Of course, I don't use MCI enough to care that much. It will probably be another 5 years before I fly there again after my next trip...

Best: Been very happy with SDF. It's big enough to feel like an airport but small enough to be easy to negotiate, has a solid Southwest base, and has a car rental set up that can't be beat. Good station staff, too.

Underrated: Just got back from PDX - nice bright spacious terminal with good shops, easy car rental, in-terminal light rail - real nice place to wait for a flight. Also - some of the new northeast terminals that have been expanded in the last few years - like PVD, ALB, MHT, and BUF - deserve consideration, but none really stand out as 'best' in my book (notwithstanding the dual jetways at ALB). RNO reminds me of SDF in terms of size and convenience, but the concourses (with or without toxic mold) leave a bit to be desired.

Worst: I'll go with the consensus here - MCI by far.

I agree, SDF is very rarely swamped with people and the WN facilities are easy to navigate. Parking is reasonable.

I'm gonna throw a "bad" vote out for MHT for one reason only.......the walkway between the rental car deck and the terminal has 4 concrete steps and no ramp!!!!!!! Who is the frickin' genius who designed that? Call it a ticky-tack complaint, but I really dislike having to stop and pick up two rolling pieces of luggage when I'm trying to get checked in quickly.

Southwest also is in the new terminal at FLL which seems to be very nice last time I went through there. Of course you don't normally hit FLL very often on business unless you live there :(

Free wireless access in FLL too! Nice fishtanks to look at.

I should clarify that the situation I described at MHT is not WN's fault! But it ruins that airport for me!

And can I say one last time what a dump MCI is?

I have to agree that MCI is the worst. The food selection is horrible, and no bathrooms in the "secure" area is terrible. Also when you make a connection there you HAVE to exit security and you get to get screened again. I've looked at that airport for years, and I've yet to figure out a way to fix it, other than just starting over, and maybe put it a little closer to town.

Even when you are going to Kansas City the airport is bad, you have an almost hour drive to get anywhere, and if you are going to Overland Park you really have a drive.

On the other hand on the other side of the state, STL is great, connections are easy, and if you are going to STL you can easily board the Metro to go into town and don't have to mess with getting a car. I've been hoping that with the demise of TWA that Southwest would add more service there, or at least more flights from OKC there so I could use it more.

MDW is another great one, even though it is very busy. I couldn't get over how quickly I was able to be in my rental car after getting off the plane - rental cars are on site just a short elevator ride up versus the long shuttle ride at ORD. Plenty of places to eat in the food court, too.

DAL is also good, for both connections and if you are going to Dallas, as you are in Dallas, no long shuttle ride for the rental car, and it is not home to "miles and miles of gates" as is DFW.

HOU, not so good for making connections, as they do fly into two terminals, or did the last time I was there. When going to HOU, it's great if you are going into the city.

Underrated: ELP. When I tell people I enjoy going to El Paso they look at me like I'm missing a brain or something. But the airport looks like it got a massive facelift very recently, almost everything in it looks new. And it's small enough to navigate really quickly and easily.

Totally agree ^

Not only because I live there, but also it is so easy to get in and out. And they just renovated their security area, makes it a whole lot easier still

Best: I’ll also vote for ELP, especially since they relocated and sped up the TSA area.
Worst: a toss-up between LAS and LAX due to gut-wrenching lines at peak times.
I’ve switched to driving to LAS since 9/11. I can get from my driveway to my LAS hotel in four hours. That’s about the best I can hope for flying this route and I can also come and go as I please.

Well, I didn't list LAS as my "worst" because it's only truly miserable at peak times.

On sundays, it is the single worst airport experience most of us will ever encounter. But on a Tuesday or Wednesday it's very efficient.

I'd have to throw my vote for Nashville as best (or at least one of the better) airports. Security is usually not too bad with only a couple of people in line, and on Southwest there are numerous non-stops and flights. The only bad sides are the lack of good food options and the lack of wireless internet. All in all, not bad for my home airport!

Having not flown through MCI, I can't make that call, but I'd vote for LAX. Going back outside to enter the security line is just plain weird! :confused:

Well, I didn't list LAS as my "worst" because it's only truly miserable at peak times. On sundays, it is the single worst airport experience most of us will ever encounter. But on a Tuesday or Wednesday it's very efficient.

Very true. For those of us that live here, LAS is fabulous as long as you (1) don't fly during the peak tourist days and (2) use carry on luggage only. Garage ($10/day) to security checkpoint in 2-3 minutes. Usually through security in a couple of minutes tops.

Best:
MDW - is easy to get to from the city, and easy to get out of, on bus, train, or car rental. Its also a lot faster than Ohare

STL - spacious concourse. But getting to car rentals can be a real pain.

Underrated:
MSY - Seemed like a ghost town, but great food!

The worst:
PVD - the absolute worst branch of the TSA I have seen. And in the summer security lines go on forever, leaving oversold flights going out with empty seats. And the dunkin donuts didn't even have apple fritters. :(

MCI - Who designed this place?

TPA - The train. Ugh. A big Southwest pod with not a whole lot in it. No way to walk there, and no real chance to go back once there.

Wow, seeing a consensus naming MCI as the worst airport.

IIRC, MCI was designed before the hub and spoke era, and the crescent or semicircle terminal design was to minimize the passenger walking distance from curbside to gate, not unlike DFW. Unfortunately, in the post 9-11 era, the shallow terminal area leaves little room at all for security checkpoints and shuts off access to other terminal public areas.

My favorite WN port: PDX. Spacious, relatively uncluttered concourse. Good food areas near the gates in Concourse C.

Least favorite: SAN. Inadequate restrooms, cramped gate areas, lousy food. Only saving grace is the weather there!

Wow, seeing a consensus naming MCI as the worst airport.

IIRC, MCI was designed before the hub and spoke era, and the crescent or semicircle terminal design was to minimize the passenger walking distance from curbside to gate, not unlike DFW. Unfortunately, in the post 9-11 era, the shallow terminal area leaves little room at all for security checkpoints and shuts off access to other terminal public areas.



In my 1976 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia, in the "Airport" article, MCI is shown as an example of a modern, well-designed airport!

To go back on track, I fly into BUR a lot and it's a great airport.

Ed

Okay, I'll pipe in here.

My home-town bias leads me to vote for MDW as the top Southwest station. It's been an absolute delight to watch the entire airport get torn down and rebuilt over the last six years.

The east terminal at STL is new and pleasant, but as was previously posted, the ride to the rental car lots is way too long. On that subject, rides to rental car lots are also way too long at FLL, BWI, and OAK. I much prefer the garage rental car lots at JAX, MDW, and AUS -- walking directly to one's waiting car without taking a bus is a real treat.

Regarding MCI, it's a beautifully-designed airport -- but for another era. Where else can one be dropped off and go from car to plane (security lines notwithstanding) in less time? I've never done it, but it seems that one could kiss one's spouse at curbside and then literally go through the aircraft door 90 seconds later.

But in this day and age, it doesn't quite work very well, especially with bathrooms outside security. Thankfully, with more non-stops from MDW to the west, changing planes at MCI is thankfully pretty much a thing of the past for us Chicago-based travelers.

TPA is downright neat -- I had a conference at the airport Marriott last year, and I just liked the whole layout of the airport in general. And the big Hyatt inside MCO is very cool; more airports should have hotels right inside the terminal.

One of my least-favorite airports is BNA -- they still let people smoke in the cocktail lounge near gate C19, where I've waited for connecting flights more than once. The Southwest flight monitor in the bar is great, but please, make the smokers go outside.

Dan, the MCI "car-to-gate" factor reminds me of Midway before they rebuilt it from the ground up. Remember when the only terminal was the main building on the west side of Cicero? You could pull around the circle and get dropped off practically inside the airport. It looked like a bus station!