chemist661

I like the following airports:

PIT: Lots of shops & eating places to occupy time.
BUR: When I lived close to BUR, rental cars were walking distance from
terminal and short distance to gates. I don't use much anymore since
I only live 6 miles from LAX.
MBS: When I get a decent price or use award travel, easy airport to fly
in/out of. I have left 1 hr before flight time from parents house (20
miles from airport), turned in rental car, checked in, cleared security
and at the gate 20 min before flight time. Get on plane w/ no problem.
Haven't flown there unless using an award. With LAX-DTW fares in
sub $100 range last year, I flew into DTW alot last year.
FLL: Beats MIA by a long shot!! Nice looking airport.
LAX: Live close to there and not bad if flying UA/AA due to being top tier.
Would not want to take intl flight to/from TBIT.
DCA: Close to D.C. Inexpensive short Metro ride into the city. ^
Kaispell, MT. Nice airport. Got a $150 DL zone fare some years ago. ^

Dislikes:

MIA: Will avoid there unless necessary. Rather fly into FLL.
IAD: Hate those "moon buggies"! Rather change in ORD.
SFO: Too many flight delays due to fog. Do like the BART from airport.
DTW: Usually fly UA into old LC Smith terminal. NW terminal looks nice. Willing
to put up with DTW with sub $100 fares LAX-DTW UA fares. ^
CLE: Crappy, overpriced airport food!
DIA: Old Stapleton was more convenient. Too far out! Not bad for changing
planes if no irregular operations, etc.

Airports I don't like due to high car rental taxes:

AUS/DFW/IAH
PHX
ONT/OAK/SFO: I hate the fixed $10 contract fees at those airports!

For a trip to AUS, I took the bus downtown and rented from Enterprise. Cost $100 at the airport, paid only $35 on 3 day weekend Enterprise rental. I lived in Austin for 6 years (in the 1980's) so I didn't mind taking the bus to/from downtown.

pdx42

Like:
PDX - Home airport with good shopping [book store, Nike store, Pendleton store], serviceable full-service restaurant [Rose Cafe] with good sushi bar and a new wine bar [NW wines]. Also, nice UA RCC and NW World Clubs. Touchdown to terminal is fast and they have fast lines for upper tier frequent flyers.

MHT: If you don't need to endure Logan, then why do it?
BDL: New terminal and renovation makes this small airport very convenient.
DCA: Actually a couple of good restaurants and good people watching. The concourses are not too long - and the clubs are all very comfortable and well placed.
PHL: I like the US Air Express terminal - why? It's just a well done, well designed facility with easy transfer to mainline service.
FLL/PBI: Small and convenient - and much easier to deal with then MIA. Park and fly - in 20 minutes.

Dislike:
LGA: This is New York City?
EWR: Just a big mess - who wants to get on the people mover?
JFK: This is New York City?
BWI: Feels very 80's - needs an upgrade
IAD: United's terminals are narrow and dark. The International terminal is nice, though.
MIA: Still in the United States?
CLE: Pretty much what you would expect Cleveland'a airport to look like.
ATL: Ugh!
DFW: Ugh [squared]
ORD: I guess the airport shopping/restaurant revolution has yet to show up.
BOS: Unfriendly airport, staff and passengers.
LAX: It's renovated and it's still a hole.
SFO: Ask me when the renovations are done.
PHX: Depressing.
DIA: How can a relatively new airport already look so tired?

Gatwick Alan

Its all about being lucky, i guess. Ive queued for over an hour at ATL
People moan about PHL, but ive been through in 2 minutes off US99 from LGW.

uastarflyer

Agree - miserable airport, an anachronism.

Having done this for the first time ever last week - I concur. I usually transit UA-UA at LAX which is a breeze (same general terminal). Going on a bus (or hiking) to/from that Int'l terminal (especially coming back home) is miserable.

and it's burning hot in the middle of winter with all the sunlight, while you're wearing heavy clothes.

the most walking for connections IMHO

Given I've never used DEN as anything but a transit point, I like it!

I add MKE to the "likes" list - neat bookstore, easy to navigate.

Also PDX - as a UA customer at PDX it is just the easiest. Nice new C terminal too for NW/WN

SNA is pretty nice too.

PIT has pretty good sized shopping mall - it's as close to SIN as I've seen in the US from that perspective.

SFO for connecting UA domestic --> Int'l is a breeze (take the bus and bypass security!)

EWR is kinda nasty. The old section of MDW too.

jetsetter

Favorites:
BOS: My home airport. When I was little and we had nothing to do, my father would say "you want to go to the airport?" and we would go watch the planes, drive near the runways, walk through the terminals, etc. I credit this to me now having the travel bug, and still seing flying as an adventure whenever I can. BOS is nice as it is close to the city (I have left my office at 4:35PM and made a 5:00 P.M. shuttle even after 9/11), the water, and has good ameneties. Once you know it you can get to different terminals quickly by walking or taking the bus, and there is a Hilton connected by skybridge to some terminals. My biggest complaint is that they just rebuilt the subway station, and you must still take a bus to access the subway. It would have been far better, and would have relieved traffic, if they had installed a train to go between terminals, hotels, and the subway, or connected the subway to the terminal complex.

DCA: Has an ideal setup where the metro is directly connected to the terminals and is on the same level as gates (second floor). I can leave downtown DC on an 8:15 P.M. train and comfortably catch a 9:00 P.M. shuttle. Modern facilities and restaurants also a plus, and it is quick also to drive downtown. Two areas of concern are that there is not a way to transfer air side between concourses (you must exit and then reclear security), and there is no hotel directly connected to the airport which would make DCA just awesome!

JFK: Namely like it for nostalgic sreasons and for its vastness and chaos. But it is not an airport I regularly use. it is a modern day Ellis island for America, and where many people first touched down on American soil from all over the world. Many planes, people, and things to see here. The diversified traffic reminds me a bit of LAX, but I like JFK better. A great book about JFK is:
The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International
by: James Kaplan
quote from the Amazon review
"Before going on a cross-country flight, I decided to find a good book about airports, and was pleasantly surprised to discover this book, an in-depth description
of JFK, it's tens of thousands of employees, and the general principles of the airline industry this airport illustrates.

James Kaplan idolizes the brilliant essayist
John McPhee, and at times, this book approaches the work of the master--especially the second chapter about "the Birdman of Kennedy" (whose job is to protect human life and metal wing against the astonishingly potent threat of seagulls)."

"From Publishers Weekly
Kaplan, a novelist ( Pearl's Progress ) and journalist, writes engaging vignettes depicting New York's famed (and often maddening) JFK airport. He introduces
Sammy Chevalier, who oversees Kennedy's crucial bird patrol, keeping engines safe, and 80-year-old Dr. Louis Abelson, founder of the airport medical facility,
who can park anywhere at Kennedy with impunity. Kaplan observes a full-scale disaster drill, listens in on airport security precautions and accompanies
a Department of Agriculture inspector checking for contraband. Kaplan writes with style and wit, but his book seems even more a mosaic than JFK itself.
Photos not seen by PW. Reader's Digest Condensed Books selection.
"
My only regret is that there are not more documentaries about airports as good as this one, or at all. Logan documentary? Highly recommend! Book out of print, but you can still buy through Amazon resellers.

ATL: Well organized, easy to get around. And you can walk between the concourses instead of take the train. I too arrived ATL one night when trains were broken, and walked from D to the main terminal rather than waiting around with 200 people for a bus. Good connection with Marta subway.

MCO: Good design overall, Hyatt directly attached to terminal, seems well run and that people like it. Also since MCO is such a tourist trap, they treat very frequent flyers well. Downside, I'm not sure if you can transfer between all concourses without leaving the security area?

Least Favorite Airports:

LGA: Terrible connections to public transportation. You must take a bus, and its even further than Logan. Slow interterminal transfers, eexpensive cab fares in and out of Manhattan. Long waits even for the bus that goes directly to Grand Central. If anyone who lives in BOS thinks we have it bad, try LGA, or any NYC airport. We have it great in terms of being able to quickly get to BOS, did I say how I can leave at 4:30 and catch the 5:00 shuttle ? Try that in NYC. Redeeming quality might be the nostalgic Marine Air Terminal. And this was the first airport I flew in to on my first commercial flight when I was a teenager going to visit family in the big apple.

IAD: Too far from the city, but slightly better public transport than LGA. Difficult to run in and catch a plane due to having to wait for mobile lounge (it is a contraption with a driver that takes you to air side buildings after you clear security). Very limited food choices in the UA C-D complex. Costs $60 to take a cab to downtown DC. Redeeming quality, Independence Air has brought DC air fares down significantly. Cannot think of a redeeming quality about the airport facility itself, although I have never had a terrible customer service experience there (knocking on wood). Isn't there something famous about the main building and its design?

CApreppie

It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, a leading mid-20th century architect. Two of his most well-known buildings are the TWA Terminal at JFK and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Too bad the rest of IAD isn't as inspired as Saarinen's main building. From soaring to sobbing especially when sentenced to Terminal G.

bwiflyer01

I'll add my two cents.

Favorites:

BWI - I don't love it, but it's by far the most convenient of the three D.C. area airports for me. I can leave my house exactly one hour before my flight departs, which is definitely nice. I agree with the previous poster who said it looked very 1980s. I remember flying from ISP to FLL in the late 80s as a kid and connecting at BWI (on Piedmont Airlines) and remembering the bright red columns. It always looked very space-agey to me, at least back then. At least the security lines aren't bad like they used to be immediately following 9/11.

DCA - It's not as convenient for me anymore and the security lines are a pain, but you can't beat the view the access via Metro.

MHT - This is probably my favorite small airport. I love having the car rental facility so close to the airport.

MSP, PIT - Great airports for making connections. Love the WiFi service.

ANC (new terminal) - New terminal (C) is very modern and easy access to rental cars plus the feeling of being in Alaska.

SAN, SLC, FLL, SEA and LAS I like because they're convenient to the cities they serve.

Other small airports I like: PVD, PBI, BDL, BTV, ISP (new terminal)

Least Favorites:

IAD - I will do anything to avoid this airport. Everything about it is inconvenient - the access to the airport itself, the terminals, etc.

OAK - The AirBart service has got to go. I prefer BART to SFO anyday.

PHL - Feels like a bus station

LAX - T1 security lines...

SJC - One terminal feels like it's a temporary trailer, the other (Southwest) is just plain cramped.

DEN and DFW I don't like because of how far they are from the cities they claim to serve.

pinworm

My most hated US Airports:

DIA....where to begin? It's hell and gone from town..one gas station for the inbound rental cars which need a bigger refill after driving out there..and worst of all is the consolidated concourse terminal idea. EVERYONE in the airport has to go through it no matter what airline/terminal they are flying from and this makes the only two TSA checkpoints stupidly busy pretty much ALL the time. The trains to the terms are not much better either..the escilators on the platform are all on the ends, causing a pedestrian bottle-neck, especially at the main concourse when you arrive. No consolidated rental car facility or on-airport rental lots, and good luck finding a washroom in the main concourse. I cannot stand that airport at all, and will actually fly to KCOS and drive the 40 minutes up to Denver...probably saving time!!

IAH...not much to like about this one either. Rough around the edges, constantly under renovation and your odds of getting run over by a courtesy cart are huge at E and C gates.

ATL--Just too damn big! Delays are common, getting around requires mile hikes and a few train rides, and connections are tough.

PHX--unlike ATL, this one is too small to handle the volume it gets. You will never see a terminal more croweded than the Southwest A gates on a Monday morning or Sunday night. Like a refugee camp. Term 2 is a throwback to the 60's. The concourses are pretty nice at 4 and 3...like a mall if you like that kind of thing...but a mall where you can only buy Navajo tschatchkies. I once waited longer than the flight was iteself for my backs to appear on the carousel. They pile 4 to 6 flights on single baggage carousels at term 3.

LAS--I always thought it was too small for the amount of traffic that goes through Vegas. Never take your car to pick up or drop off!! The constant noise from the slot machines doesn't make for a relaxing time. Good location though. You can even walk it to the strip..but watch your back!!

Favorites:

LAX...yes, belive it or not, I like LAX. The horseshoe shape makes inter-terminal walking easy. Centralized parking for ANY terminal. Efficient TSA, and on a quieter day the Intl (Tom Bradley) terminal is quite wonderful. Grass to sit on outside arrivals!

KCOS...(Colorado Springs) smaller, but a way better option than Denver. Rental facilites right outside the door, easy to follow signs, real-leather lounger chairs at main term, never crowded..if you can stand all the windshear, I recommend it.

KSNA...I like this small one too. Neutral colors, easy on the eyes design, business travellers, good location near 3 freeways, onsite rental cars, and a pretty good choice of restraunts.

KOKC...smoking section, nuff said!!

Rejuvenated

Favorite: EWR, DEN, SNA, PDX
Least Favorite: LAX

Heck even I find JFK more civilized than LAX.

Student_Flyer

Favorite:

DCA
SEA
JFK
LAX
DEN

Least favorite:

IAD
MIA

50/50 split:
SFO (only good for spotting carriers/planes not seen at BWI)
DFW (terminal D is awesome, everything else no thanks)
PHL

wsucougarchick05

Favorites:

PDX - good shopping (heck, I've paid the $3 for the parking garage to go shopping there...oh, did I just admit that? LOL...and MAX isn't really a feasible option for me, since I live north of the Columbia), really good beer and...well...it's home. LOL

SEA - just an all-around, well-planned out airport. Except for the QX mess at C2.

EWR - even though it's busy, when I transited through there, it didn't seem insanely busy in the CO terminals (whereas JFK and the DL terminals...I felt claustrophobic).

Least favorite:

GEG - If you're on AS/QX or Frontier, it's a heckuva long walk to the rental car counters. Plus, it's a really, really, REALLY boring airport (like, there-isn't-enough-alcohol-in-the-world-to-get-me-through-the-boredom boring). I don't know about the A and B concourses, but the C Concourse is extremely, extremely boring.

sac86738

Favorite: SMF - I know you might have to look that one up, but it's so beautiful; Terminal B is brand new, modern, and --it's like you're walking into an art museum, both land side and air side. Signs are easy to navigate, the food is high quality. It's open, airy, and inviting. I just love being in there. So much to see.

Hate: ORD - Nowhere to sit. It's loud and obnoxious with all those wheeled beeping vehicles roaming the narrow halls. Lines bulge out into the main walkways, crowding things. Nowhere to charge your devices. Desperately needs a remodel.

MissJ

PDX is my favorite for sure. It's home, good beer, good food, prices are regulated, love it.

Good to see CAE mentioned as well. I'm originally from CAE so I fly out of there sometimes when visiting family. I love how quickly I can get in and out of there and it's never noisy and crowded. The downside is how many times I've been delayed getting out of there but I'll blame that mostly on the other side, ATL.

I hate ATL. Lived there for years and flew out of it literally hundreds of times and I'm surprised I don't have nightmares about that place.

LGA and ORD are not fondly kept in my memory either.

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.

nineworldseries

Like: BWI - Very large airport with multiple food/beverage options. Comfortable places to relax.
MDW - Easy to navigate. OK food options. Lots of power outlets everywhere.
PDX - Reasonable prices, craft beer options, decent food, nice airport.
STL - Lots of good food options (Schlafly!), easy to get around

Detest: LGA - Third-world dump in a terrible location
LAS - Gross, overpriced food, crowds of kettles, no power outlets anywhere, annoying dinging slot machines
BNA - Awful country music playing everywhere, few decent food options
CMH - Just godawful. If it wasn't my home airport, I'd avoid it like the plague.