Been to the airport, but not the city?
Apr 20, 2020, 10:16 am
#151
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: In the sticks
Programs: VS FC Gold, BA EC Gold, Amex Centurion, EK Gold, ex-G-ATVK driver
Posts: 1,831
Longest back to backs, and RTWs to nowhere.
I’ve done many trips from LON to DOH, BKK, HKG and KUL where I never went landside at the destination. I just went to the lounges for a shower, rest, and a bit of bar propping. Longest time spent airside in a B2B was at DOH for 26 hours, but being in BA F I did have Al Safwa access as well as a room I’d paid for in the airside hotel.
Furthermore I’ve done three RTWs starting at LON via JFK and HKG, once with a side trip to ICN. I never left the airport. The only time I went landside was at JFK where there was no airside transit, but I just walked out of arrivals straight back into departures,
Almost all of these were last minute Avios bookings in F except for a handful that were paid for in QR J via ARN/HEl/OSL/DOH as TP runs.
Furthermore I’ve done three RTWs starting at LON via JFK and HKG, once with a side trip to ICN. I never left the airport. The only time I went landside was at JFK where there was no airside transit, but I just walked out of arrivals straight back into departures,
Almost all of these were last minute Avios bookings in F except for a handful that were paid for in QR J via ARN/HEl/OSL/DOH as TP runs.
Apr 20, 2020, 12:18 pm
#152
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,228
For me, I think it's only four:
BAH - flying BA to / from Doha
DFW - lots of connecting flights through the airport but that's it. I have visited a little bit of Dallas, but that was via train!
NRT - flew through there en-route to HKG and back from SIN
OSL - arrived on the train from Bodø via Trondheim and then flew to LHR and on to NCL
BAH - flying BA to / from Doha
DFW - lots of connecting flights through the airport but that's it. I have visited a little bit of Dallas, but that was via train!
NRT - flew through there en-route to HKG and back from SIN
OSL - arrived on the train from Bodø via Trondheim and then flew to LHR and on to NCL
Apr 20, 2020, 12:22 pm
#153
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Living the Essex dream
Programs: BA bronze
Posts: 1,471
When I was working for BA, back in 1999, I was part of the Self Service Kiosk team. Used to go to various Airports to train the staff on kiosks
Most trips were done in a day, so never left the airport. Off the top of my head...
MAN
GLA
EDI
INV
AMS
ORY
TXL
HAM
MUC
DUS
Most trips were done in a day, so never left the airport. Off the top of my head...
MAN
GLA
EDI
INV
AMS
ORY
TXL
HAM
MUC
DUS
Apr 20, 2020, 12:42 pm
#154
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Orange County, CA (SNA)
Programs: Delta - PM , MM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Peon
Posts: 911
I thought I had only two, Caracas and Anchorage (both refueling stops), but then someone upthread reminded me of Salt Lake (probably at least a couple of dozen times through that airport!).
Like rfarlz I must have been to >100 airports but a very small list of stopover places I never visited.
Like rfarlz I must have been to >100 airports but a very small list of stopover places I never visited.
Apr 20, 2020, 1:26 pm
#158
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Bonvoy Platinum, HH Diamond; others
Posts: 741
From just over 130 airports visited in total, as far I as can recall, I've never left the airport boundaries of these:
AUH (multiple times)
BGR (fuel diversion on BD)
BNE
BUD (b2b)
CLT (many times)
FLL
GRR (weather diversion from ORD)
HNL (multiple times)
HEL
NAN
PIK (refueling stop LCY-KEF)
PHL (many times)
PPT
I'd add that I did visit ORD many times over many years for connections before I eventually had reason to leave the airport itself.
AUH (multiple times)
BGR (fuel diversion on BD)
BNE
BUD (b2b)
CLT (many times)
FLL
GRR (weather diversion from ORD)
HNL (multiple times)
HEL
NAN
PIK (refueling stop LCY-KEF)
PHL (many times)
PPT
I'd add that I did visit ORD many times over many years for connections before I eventually had reason to leave the airport itself.
Apr 20, 2020, 1:29 pm
#160
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club, UA Mileage Plus, bmi Diamond Club
Posts: 480
Great idea!
I've excluded anywhere I've left the airport (even if I immediately went somewhere else by car or train) or visited at all. So, I think that gives me:
SJC
MUC
I've only ever stayed in airport hotels at OSL, Got and CPH (well, actually that one was outside the airport fence) so don't really count those but I did leave the terminal in all cases.
I've visited a some of the ones that come up a lot like Frankfurt, Dallas, Doha, and Helsinki.
I've excluded anywhere I've left the airport (even if I immediately went somewhere else by car or train) or visited at all. So, I think that gives me:
SJC
MUC
I've only ever stayed in airport hotels at OSL, Got and CPH (well, actually that one was outside the airport fence) so don't really count those but I did leave the terminal in all cases.
I've visited a some of the ones that come up a lot like Frankfurt, Dallas, Doha, and Helsinki.
Apr 20, 2020, 1:48 pm
#161
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,345
Not counting those flights where you touched down in various places to allow passengers on/off and topped up the fuel, I give you
BEY - too dangerous to leave the airport
Damascus
UVF - 4 hours in transit in the terminal as a UM. Stamped in and out but never left the airport. Last ever flight on a BA 707.
CAI
DOH and DXB several times each
CMB
MUC, DUS and FRA several times each
OSL - although stayed at the airport hotel. Does that count?
ZRH - about 5 very happy hours in the Swiss First Class lounge. Could have gone in to town but couldn't be @rsed.
Houston
FCO
BEY - too dangerous to leave the airport
Damascus
UVF - 4 hours in transit in the terminal as a UM. Stamped in and out but never left the airport. Last ever flight on a BA 707.
CAI
DOH and DXB several times each
CMB
MUC, DUS and FRA several times each
OSL - although stayed at the airport hotel. Does that count?
ZRH - about 5 very happy hours in the Swiss First Class lounge. Could have gone in to town but couldn't be @rsed.
Houston
FCO
Apr 20, 2020, 2:18 pm
#162
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London
Programs: AAdvantage, and BAEC in name only
Posts: 802
Apr 20, 2020, 4:14 pm
#165
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 9
It's an interesting thread, but for me an uninteresting answer.
Living close to LHR, I seldom find myself taking connecting flights so generally visit the city (or surroundings) of the aiport I fly to.
As far as I can recall, my only two were in the US:
SFO on way to LAS from LHR
DFW on way to BDL from SNA
I have connected through or transitted LAX, ORD, JFK, SIN, HGK BKK and SYD but have been to the ciities and hope to return one day!
Living close to LHR, I seldom find myself taking connecting flights so generally visit the city (or surroundings) of the aiport I fly to.
As far as I can recall, my only two were in the US:
SFO on way to LAS from LHR
DFW on way to BDL from SNA
I have connected through or transitted LAX, ORD, JFK, SIN, HGK BKK and SYD but have been to the ciities and hope to return one day!