I am new to this board, but I am a frequent domestic business traveler, so please let me respectfully disagree with many of the prior posts. To me, the most important factor in assessing an airport is convenience: how quickly can I get from the city center to the airport, and how quickly can I get from the parking garage or my car to the plane, and vice versa. Airport amenities are nice, but of secondary concern to me. That said, here are some of my most and least favorite:
Most Favorite:
1. BOS. Yes it's my home city, but it's spitting distance to downtown, and while it historically has taken far too long to drive those few short miles, now that the Big Dig is nearing completion, that ride already is much improved. (And for many of us locals, we have always been fairly successful in finding alternative routes to beat the traffic. But ever since the Ted Williams Tunnel and the MassPike extension have opened, I have not had to use any of my tricks.)
2. LGA. Like Boston, and as evidenced by this discussion, it takes a lot of heat. But it's relatively close to the city, its relatively small, making it easier and quicker to get from curb side to airplane and back, and if you don't mind public transportation, it is VERY easy to get to from the city. (From my NY office at 53rd and 3rd, I take the E or V train to Jackson Heights, Queens, and grab a cab from there. I do the same in reverse to get from LGA to the city. Total travel time 25-35 minutes. It has taken me longer only once -- in a snow storm. Total cost $2 subway fare plus $10 (plus tip) cab fare.)
3. The old Denver Stapleton. Do you see a theme here? I like the older, close-in airports for their convenience.
Least Favorite:
1. The new Denver airport. Isn't it false advertising to have "Denver" in the name? How much time does one need to alot from when the door of the plane is opened until one gets on the train, gets out of the airport, gets in a cab, and after an interminable drive, gets anywhere close to downtown Denver?
2. ATL. Too big. Everything's too far away. I generally hate airports that require trains or busses to get to the gates. So add in LAS as another airport that I don't like because of the train. For some reason, however, TPA is tolerable, perhaps because although they require a train ride, the airport is on an appropriate scale and the train ride is very short.
3. DFW. I am lifetime Platinum on AA, so I hate to dis them, but could they have put the gates any further away from each other? Pretty much everything about this airport sucks. The new food options in the AA terminals have helped, but only marginally. And I get bummed out any time an airport authority takes over responsibility for transporting customers to the rental car lots. The rental car companies are incented to run their busses so frequently, that one rarely needs to wait more than a few minutes. Contrast that with an government-controlled organization that runs the busses when it feels like it. (For this reason, SFO and SJC slipped considerably in my rankings, although I have not been back to SFO since the train has replaced the bus. But then again, you know how I feel about trains!)
4. MIA. Chaos, chaos, and more chaos.
5. ORD. Gee, a lot of AA hubs are making this list. In good weather, ORD runs fairly smoothly for an airport of its size, and one can get from plane to cab fairly quickly. But it looses considerable points due to the massive traffic one must endure to get downtown on the Kennedy Expressway (now there's a misnomer). Perhaps I need to try the CTA next time?
Honerable mention. SJC. I am sure that there are worse. But remember when SJC used to be so convenient? You'd walk from the plane right accross the street to your rental car and you'd be gone. Now they think they're in the big leagues, so they feel they need to take you on a bus tour of the metropolitan area in order for you to get a rental car. What a disappointment.
A quick caveat: all of my comments relate to my feelings when I originate or terminate at the specified airport. If I'm making a connection, my views are very different. I hate ATL under any circumstances, but ORD is fine (assuming good weather; they have a sizable Admirals Club and a good number of Starbucks). Even MIA can be tolerable as a gateway to (but not from) South America (on the way to S.A., you don't have to exit the security area and join the chaos in the ticketing area; on the way back, however, you've got to clear customs, get dumped back out with the masses, and then fight your way back through security).
Another quick note on MIA: a Virgin Atlantic 747 pilot once told me that he finds MIA to be the scariest airport to fly into. He said many of the pilots flying in and out of MIA don't speak English very well, making communication with the tower difficult and thus the likelihood of an unauthorized movement higher. And he told me that the accents of the controllers at MIA even make it difficult for him to understand instrutions some time.
[This message has been edited by Blumie (edited 08-21-2003).]