Most Efficient Airport
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 13,143
Originally Posted by ellen4441
I love being able to walk only a few hundred feet to my rental car !
espescially good for Southwest travel (short jaunts to Vegas or Oakland, CA)
espescially good for Southwest travel (short jaunts to Vegas or Oakland, CA)
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,871
Originally Posted by MegatopLover
Incheon itself is beautiful, but I got gummed up in immigration there once inbound and the lower floors aren't all that to look at, plus it has inconvenient connections to Seoul (at least while the train remains under construction).
#49
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Naples, Florida
Posts: 7,419
Originally Posted by GUWonder
CPH is the 18th busiest airport in the world for international travel and has about the same number or a slightly higher number of international passengers than JFK airport in NYC. That said, CPH is far more efficient and passenger-friendly airport to fly to/from/via than most all international airports in the US, including the headache that is generally JFK. (CPH is the only Nordic airport in the top 30 by international passenger numbers and handles more such pax than LAX, Toronto or Zurich.)
For the opposite of "efficient", Miami often takes the cake as one of the most disliked major airports for international passengers in the US.
For the opposite of "efficient", Miami often takes the cake as one of the most disliked major airports for international passengers in the US.
#50
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Monterey, CA
Programs: AA Lifetime GLD, SPG Gold, UCLA Alum ('96)
Posts: 540
Agree 100% with BUR. Way closer and more convenient to most of L.A. (with the exception of the Westside) than LAX. I don't mind LAX, but I have discovered that I much prefer flying ORD/MDW-DFW-BUR instead of ORD-LAX nonstop, because of the time savings on the back end. I add an hour with the DFW connection, but save at least that much in shorter travel times, check-in/exit waits, and stress levels from landing at BUR.
Besides, how can you beat the super-old-school air-stairs? BUR has no jetbridges - instead, you walk out of the terminal onto the tarmac, and up stairs into your airplane. Talk about flashbacks to the Golden Age of Jet Travel! The P-38 model in the lobby is pretty awesome too (BUR is right next to the old Lockheed plant that built all the P-38s during WWII).
Truly a pleasurable travel experience. Highly recommended for your next L.A. trip.
Besides, how can you beat the super-old-school air-stairs? BUR has no jetbridges - instead, you walk out of the terminal onto the tarmac, and up stairs into your airplane. Talk about flashbacks to the Golden Age of Jet Travel! The P-38 model in the lobby is pretty awesome too (BUR is right next to the old Lockheed plant that built all the P-38s during WWII).
Truly a pleasurable travel experience. Highly recommended for your next L.A. trip.
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Programs: UA Platinum, 1MM
Posts: 13,472
Originally Posted by ellen4441
I love being able to walk only a few hundred feet to my rental car !
espescially good for Southwest travel (short jaunts to Vegas or Oakland, CA)
I still like LAX though ,cause of all the airline $$$ choices..
ellen
espescially good for Southwest travel (short jaunts to Vegas or Oakland, CA)
I still like LAX though ,cause of all the airline $$$ choices..
ellen
#52
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks




Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,424
Originally Posted by limo
The transportation network connecting HKG is excellent. However, the airport is just sometimes too big and a lot of US-bound flights are assigned gates far far away.
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK Gold, AY Gold
Posts: 13,675
LCY is a favourite airport - it is deliberately small (and always will be), and I love being able to fly out of London with a 10-minute check-in. Not only that but it is always friendly, particularly the very efficient security!
#54
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: JUB
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 166
FRA is my number one for major airports. Big, but well spaced, efficient security, lots of food/drink options, clean, helpful people, quick baggage services, substantial parking and public transit options, and very few times have I gotten stuck waiting in the aircraft at the gate or for a gate. It is somewhat easy to get lost in when you're inbound, though.
I love IAD, but it could never be described as efficient. It's always been "home" though.
LHR is the least efficient major airport I've flown into/out of/through: lousy design, extremely long distances between terminals, frequent mazes, they don't announce gates until relatively close to flight time, security can be a zoo, airport personnel can be very unhelpful and uniformed (not all, but 3 out of five on my last trip). Baggage seems to work well, though, and they do treat you right if you are flying BA.
I love IAD, but it could never be described as efficient. It's always been "home" though.
LHR is the least efficient major airport I've flown into/out of/through: lousy design, extremely long distances between terminals, frequent mazes, they don't announce gates until relatively close to flight time, security can be a zoo, airport personnel can be very unhelpful and uniformed (not all, but 3 out of five on my last trip). Baggage seems to work well, though, and they do treat you right if you are flying BA.
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,337
At SKP you can arrive at the airport 5 minutes before an international flight. I've done this twice now for Alitalia flights to MXP. There ain't no other capitol city airport that efficient!
You grab the boarding pass, go through security and passport control in about 90 seconds.
You grab the boarding pass, go through security and passport control in about 90 seconds.
#56
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: PDX, MSP and MCI
Programs: WN AList; Delta Nada; Hilton DIamond; Marriot Gold
Posts: 400
Originally Posted by Rejuvenated
Also love the inter-terminal monorail connection at EWR. Very convenient! ^
On multiple occasions, in the middle of the day, I've had it take more than 30 minutes to go from Terminal A to the train station. The last time I went through EWR, my flight was delayed and we finally arrived around 12am. Due to the number of people waiting for the train and complete, total lack of trains, it took almost an hour to catch the train and get to P4's hotel shuttle bus pickup zone
#58

Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Silicon Valley
Programs: AA:PLT&3MM, HGP:DIA, SPG:GOLD
Posts: 1,896
Another vote for SIN because as already mentioned it takes but 15-20 minutes from gate to taxi. Moreover, it's super-efficient for connections/transfers because arrivals, departures, lounges, Internet cafes, duty-free shops etc. are all on the same level. HKG is a beautiful airport but not efficent because departures and arrivals are on different levels so even if you're arriving at and departing from the same gate you still have to go through the rigmarole. Having said that, SIN's aesthetics leave a lot be desired but we're talking "efficient" here, right?
#59




Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 775
Originally Posted by Grasshopper
Agree 100% with BUR. Way closer and more convenient to most of L.A. (with the exception of the Westside) than LAX. I don't mind LAX, but I have discovered that I much prefer flying ORD/MDW-DFW-BUR instead of ORD-LAX nonstop, because of the time savings on the back end. I add an hour with the DFW connection, but save at least that much in shorter travel times, check-in/exit waits, and stress levels from landing at BUR.
Besides, how can you beat the super-old-school air-stairs? BUR has no jetbridges - instead, you walk out of the terminal onto the tarmac, and up stairs into your airplane. Talk about flashbacks to the Golden Age of Jet Travel! The P-38 model in the lobby is pretty awesome too (BUR is right next to the old Lockheed plant that built all the P-38s during WWII).
Truly a pleasurable travel experience. Highly recommended for your next L.A. trip.
Besides, how can you beat the super-old-school air-stairs? BUR has no jetbridges - instead, you walk out of the terminal onto the tarmac, and up stairs into your airplane. Talk about flashbacks to the Golden Age of Jet Travel! The P-38 model in the lobby is pretty awesome too (BUR is right next to the old Lockheed plant that built all the P-38s during WWII).
Truly a pleasurable travel experience. Highly recommended for your next L.A. trip.
Ed
#60
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS, FLL
Programs: AA, B6, CO, DL, FL, UA, US Gold (only took 10k miles), WN, Amtrak
Posts: 1,299
Originally Posted by lombardo
Surprised there hasn't been more mention of CLT. (a search said there was zero).
Granted, it has only a few international flights, but I do like the hokey rocking chairs.
Granted, it has only a few international flights, but I do like the hokey rocking chairs.

