Lavarock7

I have been through many hubs and airports in the U.S.; each having pluses and minuses.

I don't so much hate any of them but there are at least 3 that I liked.

ATL: Having moved to Atlanta for work around the Olympics time, I found that I could get many great deals on flights from ATL. I also could park halfway from my house and take MARTA to the airport and that was excellent for me. What I didn't like was the long walks if you had to change terminals. Now-a-days I would take advantage of any motorized transportation between gates.

HNL: I have come in and out of HNL on flights to the mainland and never minded it. After a few flights I knew the "secret" walkway between inter-island and the international terminals and sometimes would take the tram instead of walking. There was a time there was a hula in the main terminal for passengers and it was not unusual to see various people strumming Hawaiian songs on ukuleles waiting on flights.

KOA: I am partial and have to admit KOA holding the fondest place in my heart. Open air "huts" as some call them, with nothing but a couple foot tall stone wall keeping you off the runway. Walking on the tarmac to your flight is fun and before the zig-zag ramp, they sometimes would use a forklift-type device to lift a wheel-chaired person to the plane. Also, you used to be able to disembark the plane through the rear stairway if the plane had it, making it easy to beat those in 1st who were waiting for the stairs to be rolled up.

I have never found gruff service at KOA and if you had your ticket, you often could be from the ticket counter to gate in a couple of minutes.

I hate to admit it, but I actually get misty-eyed when at KOA. When departing I am leaving home and the "aloha' we share. However, I also get misty-eyed when arriving because I know I am but 45 minutes from home again.

I guess it is similar to Conroy in "Lost Horizon" wanting to get back to paradise.