Airport experiences

[Blue Sky Mine]

bluemage, I can't agree on your comment regarding rome... IMO it's total anarchy.

What has Anarchy to do with this? Anyway if you dont agree with me, you have all the right you want. Like u said it's just opinions. But i still dont get the thing about  anarchy.

Ok... I'll explain why I think it's anarchy
a) they have a habit of not connecting luggage
b) the ground crews are "strikealots"
c) the radar guys are "strikealots"
d) if there's no strike there's a good chance that something's wrong with the radar/the airport/ the weather and they'll divert you

[blumage]

Wow you've been to Boracay, I wish i can go there someday, probably next year, cant w8 to see the 7th best beach in the world. Btw there is this joke regarding Asian Spirit, U made me remind of it. Fly as Asian and land as Spirit.
BTW I back up ur comments for MNL both T1 and T2.
LHR is congested when u connect through it. If you check in it's pretty smooth coz ppol then head for the numerous terminal that LHR has.
I also agree Scandinavian countries are the most expensive, i think Norway being one of those.
btw it's Dubai UAE not USE.
And I totally agree on HKIA (Chep lap kok) unlike u i like taking the airport train :wink: . and the thing about taking the airport express, true 100HKD is a lot for Hong kong Standard but not for Intl. standard. Well in my case it depends on where ur going, if ur going to central then the best way is by Airport Express, plus taking Airport Express allows me to earn miles.Food at HKIA is one of the best. I usually hang around the area where there is poppey and cafe the coral. Every time I fly I eat in a different place. Although i must say the one beside cafe de coral(i cant remember the name) is quite expensive compared to the others.

[BigDerriAir[FT]]

Cool thread...

Bests:

DFW : My most often used connection airport. I put it first 'cos it's improved so dramatically. With the TrAAin I hated the place. The skylink changes all that in a huge way. JFK could've taken lessons on how to do a peoplemover properly from DFW. I can more often than not get gate to gate in 12 minutes... and Terminal D is *very* nice with lots of options. I do miss the Terminal A Flagship Lounge tho... but that's an AA thing.

TPA : Once they got security sorted out and did away with the 45 minute lines to get into the terminals it made the airport much more bearable. Landside it's awesome, the two-sided design is a bit odd until you get used to it (blue/red) but it's very clean and spacious and lots of amenities compared to other places.

MIA: MIA polarizes people. You either love it or hate it. I love it for two very dumb reasons, La Carreta (the Cuban restaurant just outside term D (?) and the eye candy. MIA CONSTANTLY has some of the most beautiful women in the world transiting... the older parts of the airport suck but the new terminals will make up for that.

FRA : I like the airport so much I stay at the Sheraton when I go. Parking costs a fortune tho but it's sooo convenient. Great spotting, great access to the autobahn, the airport and the rail network. Walk out the hotel to the trainstation... then when it's time to fly home; get a late checkout, go check in early for the flight then go back to the room to hang out until it's time to go.

HKG: Best for last-the best airport in the world and the best airline lounge I've ever experienced (haven't flown EK nor done DXB though). The F side of the Wing is just amazing. I always starve myself just before i go and leave about 3 hours to have time to pillage the buffet (catered by the Peninsula I believe).

Worsts:

IAH: WTF is up with needing to go landside to get from one side of terminal A to the other? I don't care if one side is Skyteam and the other ain't... some of us would like to connect from the CO side of the world to fly elsewhere (UA, etc). DFW is MUCH better in this respect. Not to mention every time I fly I end up having to walk from the very far end of Terminal B to the ass end of Terminal E (E.G. about as far as you can go).

JFK/LAX: I'm not sure which is worse. The Airtrain makes JFK more habitable but is still woefully unreliable and last time I was there the intra-airport train was running BACKWARDS (E.G. a 2 minute trip turned into 12). LAX is just... LAX.

GUM: Humid as all get out, nothing to do and everything shuts down promptly at nine before many flights go out.

PHL : Don't even get me started... nuke the entire effing facility and take the airline with it.

SJC : Not the entire airport, but Terminal C. Beyond a dump. NOTHING to do, one food place and just plain dirty and run-down.

PHX : Terminal 2 - wow. Much as with SJC there just ain't much there.

LAS : Only due to the landside mess. There's just GOTTA be a better way to do security.

DEN : See above. The place is beyond a clusterF.

JNB domestic side : There's worse in Africa but one expects better from the 'gateway to Africa'. Int'l side is actually one of my favorites because the shopping, spotting and people are all so unique.

NRT : Lines to get in, lines to get out... but the new OneWorld facilities are quite nice. CX lounge MUCH MUCH improved and the beer machine ROCKS.

[NIKO]

Glasgow Airport

Not spectacular but it is nice and cosy, great big windows that has a nice few of the aipron. a few shops like WHSmith etc.

Faro Airport

Nice airport but i don't like the flooring, nearly tripped 5 times that day a part from that its nice.

Las Palmas

was in 1998 when i was verry young therefore don't remember anything

[Vamerica]

Best~

Well I love Sydney Int. They were so cool there when I went. You go fast when going throw security.

Worst~

That would be Honolulu. I was in the security line for 1:30 hours. I almost missed my flight.

[DarthRobby]

Best- London  Heathrow
It has a freaking mall, and really nice resting area!
we actually plan long layovers there lol

[Vamerica]

I want to go to the Dubai Airport.

[NIKO]

yes iv saw pics of the Dubai airport. it even has Palm Trees in the airport building!

[Triple_7]

Best...

Fort Wayne, Indiana (FWA)...By far the best airport experience you can probably get in terms of treatment.  I'm about 30 miles from it and all my air travel adventures have began and ended there.  Small airport, only regionals till Allegiant Air began services with there MD-80s to several destinations.  I haven't been there since they began service so not sure how the larger passenger loads have effected things now.  But, from check-in to boarding theres always smiles.  Security is a breeze...typically no lines except when a flight is about to board.  My last trip I was the only one going through and carried on a conversation with the security staff for almost 20 minutes before they had anyone else come through  Only 8 gates to choose from so not like you can get confused.  Never once have seen it crowded...but as I mentioned I don't know how Allegiant effected this.  

Best is always the return...your always greeted by a gate agent...they tend to remember people sometimes...especially if you were heading somewhere like Asia or Europe.  Last trip the guy greeting us as we came off the aircraft happened to be the same one who had checked me in 3 weeks before when I had departed for Taiwan.  He remembered me and even asked how the trip went  Most flights departing FWA are full...but if you catch one of the first morning flights into FWA you will likely only find a few other passengers joining you.  When I returned my final leg of that trip was ORD-FWA...American ERJ-145.  50 seater...including the 2 pilots, 1 flight attendant, and myself there was only 9 people on the flight...the attendant told us to sit wherever we pleased and even served drinks before pushback...which I've never had on such a small craft...or even larger ones.

Once you leave the secure area you are greeted again by a staff member...typically an older women...who passes out sugar cookies.  They arnt much...just little individually wrapped cookies with the FWA logo on them.  But it really puts the final touch on things...after a long trip you feel like your home

Good

Taoyuan, Taiwan (TPE)...Upon arrival was decently impressed.  Only got to enjoy Terminal 1 though.  Breezed though customs and was legally in Taiwan in under 10 minutes.  Nice open...ok...hugely spacious immigration area.  But hitting it at like 6:30 AM mine was the only flight clearing customs at that time.  Departure...gate area is nice, comfy seats.  Great views, my gate overlooked the departure runway, watched many heavies thundering by.  Unfortunately it was late night so couldn't take pictures.

Worst

Los Angeles (LAX)...First time...coming in late from DFW and after running from the AA terminal to Tom Bradley I was greeted with total chaos.  Then came the fun of clearing Security...thats a whole new meaning to joke...took over an hour in the line...luckily my flight ended up delayed.  Coming back...hit LAX and wished I was somewhere else.  Took over 2.5 hours to clear customs dealing with long lines and rude customs staff...as well as lugging my overweight bag to a drop off point.  Mind you it only took 5-10 minutes to legally enter Taiwan as a FOREIGNER...2.5 hours to legally reenter my own country as a CITIZEN and treated like crap through the whole ordeal...they make you feel so glad to be back in the US :x  I work on 2 farms...we literally treat our livestock with more respect. :x

NEVER AGAIN will I go though the joke known as LAX.  Maybe the AA terminal which wasn't to bad other then crowds...but never Tom Bradly...ever.  I don't care if it costs a couple hundred bucks more I will route myself around LAX if at all possible :?

[Vamerica]

I say LAX needs some inner remodel.

[dktc]

Best: HKG
I have not seen a match to HKG yet (but I have not been to SIN or SEL or DXB). They have trees inside HKG as well :wink: Due to the high penalty for delays, most flights depart on time (which is a big plus ). For Hong Kong permanent residents, we breeze through immigration quicker than you get a token for trains in North America. The lugguages are relatively slow though. When you get to the baggage claim area within 5 minutes of you plane arriving at the gate (my best record is 3 minutes, starting from the moment the fasten seat belt sign went off, and I was in economy), it is nearly a 10 minutes wait for your baggages... making it incredibly slow by HK standards (we are impatient... shoot us )

Worst: LAX, DOH, MSP, JFK

LAX - See others' posts. It is bad... real bad.

DOH - Rude ground staff. Poor food. Only 1 duty free. All gates are outlying ones which you need to take a bus to board the plane

MSP - Very rude, and incredibly stupid / ignorant immigration & customs & TSA (yes... all 3 groups unfortunately). Never going through there again.

JFK - Too big, with all the terminals seperated, resulting in few shops and nothing to do while waiting for your flights. Terminal 7 (British Airways / One World & United / Star Alliance) was under renovation in Dec. Most shops were closed. Only 1 McD's in the whole "food court", selling very expensive junk food. Not enough seatings in waiting areas, esp. when you take into consideration all flights are of B747's.

[blumage]

For Hong Kong permanent residents, we breeze through immigration quicker than you get a token for trains in North America.

I saw that one. No officers it's just as simple as inserting ur ID and scan ur fingerprints and then the doors open and then ur in HKG!!! Lines for foreigners are long for HKG standards but for foreign standard they are fast!!!!
My LAX experience was passing through immigration was fast enough, but taking my luggage took a freaking 1 hour, plus another one hour to pass another baggage check.

[EXTspotter]

Best:

Punta Cana (PUJ/MDPC), Dominican Republic, big enough, but still small and cosy, lots of atmosphere, no windows so great apron photography.

Worst:

Manchester (MAN/EGCC), UK, T3 and T1 are fine but T2 (Most of the shorthaul charters go from here, along with international (AF, AA, EY, DL...) and longhaul charters) is full of Chavs, who are loud, abrasive and have really really annoying voices. Worst place in the world for a foreign person to arrive in the UK, through the chav's ass...

[zkvac]

Rome Fiumicino Was great when we arrived at 6am local time.. No pissing around in security lines. We literally didn't stop walking through immigration- eg no lines. I went to put my bag on the X-ray and the friendly Italian guy told me not to worry. Kuala Lumpur airport was good too, although I didn't actuallt exit the airport.