What U.S. airports are your favorite/least favorite?
Dec 19, 2014, 4:24 pm
#61
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Why not resurrect this old thread?!
Favorites:
DCA - Home airport, nothing else like it in the country terms of convenience. Have been from my house to the gate in 20 minutes flat. Gates close together, good lounges, good fast-food selection. River visual approach at night with left-side window seat. Spotting from Gravelly point...
CLT - Favorite of the big hubs. I like the radial-type design which keeps distances reasonable, with the exception of the E concourse. The big US Club there is nice, and most of the food options are packed right together. Lots of runways and I never seem to run into aircraft traffic issues and long waits to take off or pull into the gate, like in PHL for example. Favorable climate for flying - no issues with constant summer thunderstorms or winter snowstorms. Even tight connections usually hold with time to spare.
GRR - Dunno why, I just like it.
Least Favorite:
BWI - Convenient to nothing. Choices to get there are: big hassle by public transit, sit in traffic for hours, or take a $100 taxi. Stupid daily parking lot with the stupid shuttle bus...even at IAD you can walk to the daily lot but here they built it out in the sticks. Terminals wayyyy too big for the amount of traffic they currently handle. Food has gotten sort of better with the redo of the B/C confluence area, but it's largely sit-down places, not useful unless you're connecting. No airline-operated lounges. Infested by WN and with it come lots of clueless pax with obnoxious habits (Dragging 15 "personal items", everyone sitting in the middle of the walkways, running/screaming, power outlet hogging, etc. etc.).
Favorites:
DCA - Home airport, nothing else like it in the country terms of convenience. Have been from my house to the gate in 20 minutes flat. Gates close together, good lounges, good fast-food selection. River visual approach at night with left-side window seat. Spotting from Gravelly point...
CLT - Favorite of the big hubs. I like the radial-type design which keeps distances reasonable, with the exception of the E concourse. The big US Club there is nice, and most of the food options are packed right together. Lots of runways and I never seem to run into aircraft traffic issues and long waits to take off or pull into the gate, like in PHL for example. Favorable climate for flying - no issues with constant summer thunderstorms or winter snowstorms. Even tight connections usually hold with time to spare.
GRR - Dunno why, I just like it.
Least Favorite:
BWI - Convenient to nothing. Choices to get there are: big hassle by public transit, sit in traffic for hours, or take a $100 taxi. Stupid daily parking lot with the stupid shuttle bus...even at IAD you can walk to the daily lot but here they built it out in the sticks. Terminals wayyyy too big for the amount of traffic they currently handle. Food has gotten sort of better with the redo of the B/C confluence area, but it's largely sit-down places, not useful unless you're connecting. No airline-operated lounges. Infested by WN and with it come lots of clueless pax with obnoxious habits (Dragging 15 "personal items", everyone sitting in the middle of the walkways, running/screaming, power outlet hogging, etc. etc.).
Dec 20, 2014, 9:45 am
#62
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
More tolerable US airports include Terminal D at DFW (high ceilings get my vote), DTW and DCA. However, the first two are lacking in good public transit and the latter is only on my list because of public transit.
Jan 2, 2015, 7:35 pm
#63
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MKE/MSN
Posts: 239
Favorites:
MKE - Home airport, security lines aren't horribly long and goes fairly fast and a fair amount of food options
RDU - Very modern designed terminal, security lines are fast
Least Favorites:
LGA - Way too busy for a single runway used airport and my flights there and back was delayed by over two hours
MCI - Not much to do if you have a long layover, looks like a prison inside, and there's barely any bathrooms
Hard to say:
FLL - For all concourses being only ten gates each the security line still goes to the parking garage but once your through your gate is right there
ATL - Fun to walk around or hang out in with a long layover and there's a good amount of food options but the security lines there are way too slow
MKE - Home airport, security lines aren't horribly long and goes fairly fast and a fair amount of food options
RDU - Very modern designed terminal, security lines are fast
Least Favorites:
LGA - Way too busy for a single runway used airport and my flights there and back was delayed by over two hours
MCI - Not much to do if you have a long layover, looks like a prison inside, and there's barely any bathrooms
Hard to say:
FLL - For all concourses being only ten gates each the security line still goes to the parking garage but once your through your gate is right there
ATL - Fun to walk around or hang out in with a long layover and there's a good amount of food options but the security lines there are way too slow
Jan 8, 2015, 11:31 am
#64
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CMH, West Coast
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald
Posts: 2,741
BWI is certainly convenient to something: Baltimore. Your complaints are really only valid if you're flying into BWI to get to DC, which is, as you note, fairly ill-advised.
Feb 26, 2015, 4:15 am
#66
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Dublin
Programs: Aer Lingus
Posts: 355
Likes:
AUS - small and easily navigable, staff are always very courteous
MCO - hassle free and associated with holidays
PBI - always friendly staff and very quick from tarmac to rental car
JFK - again has always been hassle free and lots of options if you're delayed
IAH - when transitting through IAH, I've never had any wait at immigration which is great
IAD - Again relatively hassle free
Dislikes:
MIA - hell, horrible lounges, immigration queues are a nightmare
DFW - so big it takes forever to get anywhere, sometimes connections can be confusing
EWR - old, dated, horrible
AUS - small and easily navigable, staff are always very courteous
MCO - hassle free and associated with holidays
PBI - always friendly staff and very quick from tarmac to rental car
JFK - again has always been hassle free and lots of options if you're delayed
IAH - when transitting through IAH, I've never had any wait at immigration which is great
IAD - Again relatively hassle free
Dislikes:
MIA - hell, horrible lounges, immigration queues are a nightmare
DFW - so big it takes forever to get anywhere, sometimes connections can be confusing
EWR - old, dated, horrible
Aug 15, 2015, 11:11 pm
#67
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 44
Like: AUS, JFK, STL, DCA (They are pretty easy to navigate and clean in general)
Dislike:
ORD: The amount of wait time I had at this airport due to delays is longer than any other airport (or maybe even all others combined)... Also, the amount of running between terminals.. Argh..
IAH: Can they put some chairs/seats on the hallway so it doesn't look like homeless people on the street??
LGA and EWR: I nominate these two as the Dirtiest airports in the world..
Dislike:
ORD: The amount of wait time I had at this airport due to delays is longer than any other airport (or maybe even all others combined)... Also, the amount of running between terminals.. Argh..
IAH: Can they put some chairs/seats on the hallway so it doesn't look like homeless people on the street??
LGA and EWR: I nominate these two as the Dirtiest airports in the world..
Aug 16, 2015, 7:53 pm
#68
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
Like: BWI, DTW, CLT, DEN, PDX. Because of reasonable confidence I'll arrive / depart or connect smoothly and predictably.
Hate: IAD, EWR, ORD, LGA, LAX. Because of reasonable confidence that bad things will happen to me there.
Hate: IAD, EWR, ORD, LGA, LAX. Because of reasonable confidence that bad things will happen to me there.
Aug 17, 2015, 5:48 pm
#70
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,013
Like:
COS -- SO much nicer than DEN for originating; especially now that there is a a lounge.
DEN -- Only for changing planes on United. NOT for originating. Having everything in one concourse is so much better than the hamster-trail that is IAH or EWR or the long haul at ORD.
ITO -- Laid-back, rental cars 50 feet away, often live music.
BFL - Like the old terminal better, but the new one is good too.
ACV - Funky, fun, '60s throwback.
SLC - Easy to navigate. Decent eateries.
PDX - (But only since Global Entry) Very good shopping. Best United Club in the system, ime.
PHX - But only the United concourse. Easy to navigate. Dislike the AA/US terminals.
Dislike:
SFO -- Always nervous about whether wx or "flow" will kill a connection.
ORD -- Dislike it for changing planes and despise it for originating.
ABQ -- I love the airport itself, but it gets on this list for the worst TSA ever.
COS -- SO much nicer than DEN for originating; especially now that there is a a lounge.
DEN -- Only for changing planes on United. NOT for originating. Having everything in one concourse is so much better than the hamster-trail that is IAH or EWR or the long haul at ORD.
ITO -- Laid-back, rental cars 50 feet away, often live music.
BFL - Like the old terminal better, but the new one is good too.
ACV - Funky, fun, '60s throwback.
SLC - Easy to navigate. Decent eateries.
PDX - (But only since Global Entry) Very good shopping. Best United Club in the system, ime.
PHX - But only the United concourse. Easy to navigate. Dislike the AA/US terminals.
Dislike:
SFO -- Always nervous about whether wx or "flow" will kill a connection.
ORD -- Dislike it for changing planes and despise it for originating.
ABQ -- I love the airport itself, but it gets on this list for the worst TSA ever.
Aug 20, 2015, 9:02 am
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,619
Like: RNO, PDX, SEA, LAX, RDU, GSO, MSP, ATL, OGG, KOA
Used to like:
STL (TSA takes too long, precheck is unreliable, rental car situation leaves something to be desired)
SMF (they have nerfed the parking situation this summer, rental car situation is a disaster, no off airport parking options and no on-airport hotel, has gotten significantly busier in the past 18 months)
Don't hate, don't love: CLT, IAH, DEN, DSM, OMA, DTW, JFK, ANC
Dislike: EWR, PHL, ORD, SFO, DFW, LGA, HNL
Used to like:
STL (TSA takes too long, precheck is unreliable, rental car situation leaves something to be desired)
SMF (they have nerfed the parking situation this summer, rental car situation is a disaster, no off airport parking options and no on-airport hotel, has gotten significantly busier in the past 18 months)
Don't hate, don't love: CLT, IAH, DEN, DSM, OMA, DTW, JFK, ANC
Dislike: EWR, PHL, ORD, SFO, DFW, LGA, HNL
Aug 27, 2015, 9:57 am
#73
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: CLT
Posts: 7,249
You and I have flown through a different Newark then.
The first time I had to connect from C to A I didn't see any signs and I ended up leaving the secured area and reclearing security. I have since found the shuttle.
I agree that C is a very nice terminal and has great shopping, but A is old, dated, narrow, and crowded.
The first time I had to connect from C to A I didn't see any signs and I ended up leaving the secured area and reclearing security. I have since found the shuttle.
I agree that C is a very nice terminal and has great shopping, but A is old, dated, narrow, and crowded.
Aug 28, 2015, 9:20 am
#74
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 215
This might have been mentioned already but AZA (Phoenix Mesa Gateway) has been one of my favorites. It's a small airport but I love that you can go outside after going through security. I wish more airports would follow suite.
Last edited by DrewGzy; Sep 3, 2015 at 8:28 am Reason: Oops - fixed airport code
Aug 28, 2015, 2:15 pm
#75
Moderator Hilton Honors, Travel News, West, The Suggestion Box, Smoking Lounge & DiningBuzz
Join Date: Jun 2000
Programs: Honors Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle, National Exec Elite
Posts: 36,013
