My most hated US Airports:
DIA....where to begin? It's hell and gone from town..one gas station for the inbound rental cars which need a bigger refill after driving out there..and worst of all is the consolidated concourse terminal idea. EVERYONE in the airport has to go through it no matter what airline/terminal they are flying from and this makes the only two TSA checkpoints stupidly busy pretty much ALL the time. The trains to the terms are not much better either..the escilators on the platform are all on the ends, causing a pedestrian bottle-neck, especially at the main concourse when you arrive. No consolidated rental car facility or on-airport rental lots, and good luck finding a washroom in the main concourse. I cannot stand that airport at all, and will actually fly to KCOS and drive the 40 minutes up to Denver...probably saving time!!
IAH...not much to like about this one either. Rough around the edges, constantly under renovation and your odds of getting run over by a courtesy cart are huge at E and C gates.
ATL--Just too damn big! Delays are common, getting around requires mile hikes and a few train rides, and connections are tough.
PHX--unlike ATL, this one is too small to handle the volume it gets. You will never see a terminal more croweded than the Southwest A gates on a Monday morning or Sunday night. Like a refugee camp. Term 2 is a throwback to the 60's. The concourses are pretty nice at 4 and 3...like a mall if you like that kind of thing...but a mall where you can only buy Navajo tschatchkies. I once waited longer than the flight was iteself for my backs to appear on the carousel. They pile 4 to 6 flights on single baggage carousels at term 3.
LAS--I always thought it was too small for the amount of traffic that goes through Vegas. Never take your car to pick up or drop off!! The constant noise from the slot machines doesn't make for a relaxing time. Good location though. You can even walk it to the strip..but watch your back!!
Favorites:
LAX...yes, belive it or not, I like LAX. The horseshoe shape makes inter-terminal walking easy. Centralized parking for ANY terminal. Efficient TSA, and on a quieter day the Intl (Tom Bradley) terminal is quite wonderful. Grass to sit on outside arrivals!
KCOS...(Colorado Springs) smaller, but a way better option than Denver. Rental facilites right outside the door, easy to follow signs, real-leather lounger chairs at main term, never crowded..if you can stand all the windshear, I recommend it.
KSNA...I like this small one too. Neutral colors, easy on the eyes design, business travellers, good location near 3 freeways, onsite rental cars, and a pretty good choice of restraunts.
KOKC...smoking section, nuff said!!