Airports in US
 

As a reader of the magazine of "Airways" I was very intriqued about how great the Airport in Singapore is. Now I want to take a poll on everyone here about what is the best U.S. Airport and the worst. I would suggest LAX as one of the worst, and I also heard that it is generally a good idea to avoid O'Hare in Chicago. What do you think?

Thank you

See: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/000502.html

afang:

Interesting you ask. This year, I added categories for Best Airport and Worst Airport
to the talkies.

The Talkies are an award voted on solely by the members of FlyerTalk.

For information on how to obtain a ballot and vote:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/000482.html

Airports usually highly ranked:

Cincinatti
Pittsburgh
Tampa
Orlando

(The two Florida ones are very similar IMHO, and I don't really see why people like them.. Never been through Cincy but heard good things about it. I like PIT http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif)

You'll see a whole conversation I don't even remember starting (doc must have a great shortlist) in doc's link http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Isn't Cinci airport actually in Kentucky?

JFK , I don't think any airport beats the mess of JFK.

Roadrunner - yes

Orlando is like no airport I have ever been to - but I sort of like it http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Can I nominate Miami for the worst?

> Can I nominate Miami for the worst?

yes; but mia will finish next-to-last. the
detroit airport is the pits. combine that
with the fact that it is operating at 5x the
design capacity and is a NW hub ... and it
is a shoe-in for 'worst'.

local politicos also consider it to be
their own private piggy bank.

-doug

In my opinion, DTW is hands down, the worst. It is a pit.

It made my former nominations for the top 5 worse - easily! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

DET
JFK
BOS
DFW
SFO

CLT. Great airport.

MIA and/or JFK. Both horrid.

I prefer BWI, but it does not have the international connections it used to when Piedmont was there. Wonder why US does not fly those routes, the flights were full?

... much better feed through their hubs at PHL, CLT, and PIT.

Worst in North America:

DTW Detroit
TIJ Tijuana

Best in North America:

PDX Portland, OR
TPA Tampa

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop

I haven't been to as many US airports as I'm sure most of you poster have but I really like HNL. It might be on an island but it's still a U.S. airport and a nice one too! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Best airport is a little tough for me. I really haven't been terribly impressed. I like PVD. Quick access to the gates.

DTW is worst hands-down. Nothing else comes close.

EWR isn't so hot, but the CO Express gates are truly awful as well.


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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Worst (from my experience):
1. MSP (Under construction for the next 10 years)
2. ATL (Too spread out - like MSP)
Best:
1. JAX (Easy in/out, awesome car rental pickup and return)
2. TPA (Same reasons as JAX, clean.)
3. MCO (A little too hectic, though.)

To me, LAX is the best. The primary feature is the most flights to the most international locations (lots of domestic locations too). Second to that is the nearly perfect weather. No other airport in the U.S. is as good as LAX in those terms.

The drawbacks at LAX are obvious to anyone who has been there. But once you learn the ropes, you can avoid most all the problems.

One can feel the coastal influence here. As an old Western dude and a DL groupie, I still love Salt Lake City. Even when the snow is coming down sideways, the delays are rather minimal. They know how to keep 'em moving there. And it's a lot better than the days when you couldn't buy ANY alcohol!

As with the rest of South Florida, MIA is the pits. Why do the Florida airports love those "satellite" things and the long tram rides to the main terminal?

I also have to add my vote to worst for DTW. Will that airport EVER improve?

Funny, I don't find Detroit a probem airport. It is clean and modern.
Are you referring to the distances? It is GOOD to exercise between flights with a brisk walk. Or is that taboo.

My problem is with MIAmi. Crowded, poor traffic flow. Confusing when looking for the airline ticket counters. Not only heavy traffic, but well worn. Hot and Hunid in the summer!
The crowds at Phoenix and LasVegas airports don't make me feel excited about being there. In fact, I was surprised at the long snaking checkin lines and distances to the gates at both. LV probably more so.

Detroit clean and modern ??!! Try narrow, crammed, and nasty! And I prefer to choose exercise - not have it imposed on me when I'm trying to make a tight connection in concourses you can hardly maintain a snail's pace because of crowds.. I must be flying into a different airport.. it ranks far away the worst one I fly into!! (followed by dfw and sfo!!)

Best: Tampa for being user-friendly and well organized to move people.

Worst: Detroit, it reminds me of a bus terminal.

[This message has been edited by airbus320 (edited 08-03-2000).]

doc, do you mean DTW, or is Detroit *City* Airport actually on your list (it has the real code DET--the all-Detroit airports code, at least on Travelocity, is DTT).

That place with all the planes with the red tails! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Worst:
1) DTW - Crowded subway, not bus terminal, comes to mind. I've nearly been run over several times there.
2) MDW - Although when they get the remodeling done, it should be nice.
3) IAH - Especially if you're stuck in the CO EX section, which I always seem to be. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Best:
1) CVG - Transfers were a breeze (I actually made a 10-minute connection there once).
2) MSP - Because there's a Snoopy inside the terminal as part of the Peanuts on Parade exhibit. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by speechguy2 (edited 08-04-2000).]

I saw PIT as one of the best airports. I was in PIT not long ago and found it as a very new and clean airport. I thought it was a nice one untill I talked to a local. He said that he flies to Europe alot and he said the way they designed the International terminal was very bad. Especially when he is picking up his wife up from an International flight. He had to take 2 of many luggages that his wife brought and go down to the only way they got,the escalators, he usually made at least 3 trips because of that. He was quiet mad about this.

IAH-I fly out of here all the time, I found no problem with it. It is an old airport, they are doing some remodeling. about the CO Express section, it is actually not that bad, just the checking area is very hectic because of all the construction.

My vote for the best is Continental's non-domestic domestic destination, HNL. How can anyone not like an airport that is totaly open and the sun always shines, the exact opposite of DTW.

I'll give PIT a vote as one of the best. Its layout is great for easy connections and the shopping mall is a great time killer between flights. You can even rent a pair of shorts and a towel for a workout and shower between flights if you have the time.

I have been to a couple of smaller airports I like too. They are HSV (Huntsville) and CID (Cedar Rapids), they don't have much air service but they are modern, clean and you can be off the flight and driving away in your rental car in five minutes.

Jay

Even after serious and lengthy reflection, I cannot in good conscience give DTW the lowest grade. MIA and JFK are just too abysmal, and, frankly, the road access to DTW is just not that bad, which is part of the analysis.

So, my five worst:
1. MIA
2. JFK
3. DTW
4. DFW
5. BUF

Buffalo made the list as a result of some dumb security deal that's unique to that airport, and DFW is the home of afterthoughts, passenger rip-offs, and an absurd layout.

My top five:

1. LAS: They have grown, over the last 25 years, with planning and forethought.
2. ORD: I couldn't be loyal to an airline with a major hub I hated. Considering the volume of traffic, the 'ol orchard works very well.
3. SNA: What's not to like?
4. LGA: After the terminal reconstruction of the 90's, the only objectionable part is all the other passengers.
5. PIT: If the merger goes through, there'll be a lot of PIT-stops in my future.

Honorable mention: EWR, ALB, BDL, DAY, MCI, DCA

[This message has been edited by RichG (edited 08-05-2000).]

There are not many airports that I dread since flying and plane spotting are favorite hobbies. For small airports, MHT, PVD, GSP, and LGB are hard to beat. For mid-size airports, I especially like TPA, PDX and IND. For large Hub airports, Sea-Tac, Ohare, and DFW would be my choices. I included DFW just to defend my hometown airport since everyone else is bashing it. It might be bad to change planes at, but there is no other large airport which is easier and faster to use if you live at. From drop-off to ticket counter to plane is just a few feet! I do agree with DTW being the worst. There is nothing that comes close to it. My honorable mention choice for least favorite airport is the new Denver International. Not that it's that bad, but with all of the money spent and all of that land available, they ended up with an airport that is completely bland and lackluster.

You're right about the international situation at PIT -- the problem is international arrivals are on the airside terminal, not in the regular baggage claim area. Then you gotta lug it down the escalator and across the train.

Of course this only affects Pittsburghers -- so for the rest of you, your luggage will be transferred to your much more logical airport http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif