Favorite Airport(s)?

12/02/2007 MiRIAM "Please don't pull-the-plug Pandora!" w. says:

Chang! I love KLIA - spent a night there! The train into KL from KLIA is excellent, many fond memories.

For sheer ease of use, I gotta say DCA!
I also like the International Terminal of SFO.
I hear good things about the new airport KIX in Osaka, anyone been?

12/02/2007 Michele "The Traveler" D. says:

Stateside:  there are so many I could choose from, but SFO is one of my favorites.  From a security aspect, post 9/11 of course, BOS is really up there, and the selfish thing about it for me is Dunkin Donuts coffee everywhere.  

Foreign:  From a security standpoint, NRT is very good.  Although I don't care for LHR, I do love all of the food options there, and the shopping isn't too bad.  

I have a scary story about going in and out of Mumbai.  While traveling with our weapons, we need to secure them with officials at the host airport.  While turning over our gun boxes to them, they tied string (STRING) around the box like a present and through the handle.  They then "secured" the string by clamping a metal disc on it with a number.  The foreign official looked at me like he'd been a pioneer in weapons security and says to my team, "It is is secure".  I look at him with my jaw open and replied, "You're darn right it is."  Yikes.

12/03/2007 Mahogany G. says:

I like the toilets at Tokyo Narita airport - they have tons of buttons including one that makes a simulated flushing noise when you press it to cover up *other* noises.

12/03/2007 amy "tweentastic" p. says:

I like Zurich mainly because I feel like I'm in a Neiman Marcus turned airport with delicious chocolate and cheese products - YUM. The new T4 in Barajas is reeeeally nice as well, and they have a great pizza place nestled in there. I know, weird, but I think it was the best pizza I had in Spain.

12/03/2007 Kori "Fabulous Reputation" K. says:

PSP, (Palm Springs, California). As soon as you walk out of the terminal your outside surrounded by Palm trees. Since it rarely rains there, your chances of getting wet are probably slim to none. Doesn't get much better than that. Plus, they have a rent-a-motorcycle right next to the rent-a-sedan, which I thought was kind of unique.

12/03/2007 Barrie C. says:

Stateside:  This is going to seem weird, but Huntsville, Alabama (HSV).  I lived there for 3.5 years, and it was like how things were before 9/11.  There's only one terminal, with 10 gates.  You can show up to the airport about 40 minutes before your flight, as in you pull up to the parking lot 40 minutes before takeoff, and still make your flight, no problem.  The security line is never more than 5-10 people long.  Getting your luggage took on average about 10 minutes, compared to 30-45 at bigger airports.  When you're picking somebody up there, right in front of the curb they have about 20 spaces where you can just pull up and wait for 10 minutes, but if you go over 10 minutes nobody cares.  It was seriously the easiest airport I've ever flown in or out of.  Small town airports are the way to go.

Abroad:

Any airport in the South Pacific.  In Papeete, Tahiti and Rarotonga, Cook Islands, the significant portions of the airport are open to the outside b/c the weather is so nice.  The architectural transition from inside to outside is totally blurred, which was really cool.

Worst Airports:

Newark, New Jersey
Paris - Charles de Gaulle

MarshalMissy - What do you do that requires that you go to Mumbai with weapons?

12/03/2007 Betty "Snow Queen" M. says:

My all-time favorite has been and always will be Vail-Eagle (EGE). The decor is quaint and the terminal is small and intimate and my skis and luggage come out fast. The people working there are always so nice and laid-back. Denver is the worst for skis. Even though they have a special carousel for skis, they take forever to come out!! You could easily stand there for 30 minutes!

IAD is the worst in my opinion! Just see my review here on yelp. My favorite international airport is OSL or Oslo, Norway. LHR is too big and confusing yet the shops are fantastic.

12/03/2007 Kori "Fabulous Reputation" K. says:

I match Barrie's thoughts on Newark Airport, ugh. And I double it with Boston, mostly because my luggage was lost and I couldn't find someone to help me and the fact that you have  wait in a crazy long line for cab. That place stresses me out with the amount of chaos going on.

12/03/2007 Gregg C. says:

I don't think anyone ever has a good experience at Newark. It's crowded, there's very little food/shopping after security, and you will NEVER leave on time.

I'd put DXB/AUH (Dubai/Abu Dhabi) high on my list. Unbelievable duty-free shopping, good restaurants (especially if you like Indian food), free coaches into the city, and they're reasonably efficient with security and immigration.

12/03/2007 Mary Kay "(Well) Seasoned Yelper" S. says:

I've not been to the remodelled version, but I hear the airport in Austin, Texas has great BBQ and live music.  People sometimes go there WITHOUT HAVING A FLIGHT SCHEDULED.  Sounds pretty good to me.

12/03/2007 John "Buddhalicious" R. says:

Mahogany - so funny!  I remember those toilets and couldn't figure out what that pseudo flush button was for!

12/03/2007 Laura "Buck Hunter" V. says:

I really do like DCA.  It's easy to navigate, has some cool shops and restaurants, and it doesn't involve people movers (Dulles), going through security more than once to change flights (Newark), or general chaos and disorder (ORD).

I also really liked the airport in Birmingham, England.  MUCH easier to navigate than Heathrow.  A breeze through customs and some really neat shops and restaurants.  If I travel to England in the future, I believe that all of my trips will begin and end in Birmingham.  In the same two hours it takes to get through customs in Heathrow, you could be on a lovely train ride to London from Birmingham.  Plus, you're only 45 minutes from the Cotswolds, Stratford, and about a million other cool English countryside things.

12/03/2007 nat "auschick" h. says:

My faves are DCA - I love that the restaurants in there aren't overpriced like Dulles (ok, so maybe just Potbelly's!), and the decor is nice.  
I also love duty free shopping and free internet at Singapore airport.  
Sydney International terminal is probably the nicest though - there are lots of huge windows, there's a really cosmo oyster and wine bar, and you can get some *amazing* toasted focaccia sandwiches.  Downside is that when you connect to a domestic from Sydney, you have to take a shuttle bus.  Really sucks if you're wearing winter clothes and it's in the 80's - 90's outside.

12/03/2007 MiRIAM "Please don't pull-the-plug Pandora!" w. says:

Agreed, Nat! They even have Five Guys for a nice price at DCA!

12/03/2007 david m. says:

bangkok international airport

amazing

12/03/2007 Catherine H. says:

I'm sort of in love with the Oakland (CA) Airport. It's totally no frills, but at the same time the security people are totally nice and easy to deal with (and even have senses of humor-- amazing) and it's the most low-key, easy airport to get through. I've been getting there 35 minutes before take off recently and never even worried about missing a flight.

12/03/2007 Jason "Sheriff John Stone" C. says:

Denver Airport. They have the usual tram/people-mover, but when someone's blocking the doors, you don't get that "step back" nonsense. Oh no. It's something like "YOU are blocking the door and holding up other people. PLEASE CLEAR THE DOOR." I remember one guy who got dinged by this actually said he thought they were gonna shine a spotlight on him. Now if we could only get that setup on the Metro :)

As far as security goes, I was flagged once on a trip out of National to Phoenix, and the TSA people were actually quick, efficient and very polite. Go figure! While I don't plan on getting flagged by security often, the experiences at National have been better than that at other airports.

Smoothest trip between terminals had to have been at the airport in Billings. The whole airport is about the size of a Best Buy, making connections a snap :)

12/03/2007 Steve "I sing loud" G. says:

I'll give props to Dulles for their $9 shuttle to Metro West Falls Church.  15 minutes from airport to Metro!  MUUUUUCH cheaper than a cab ride.

12/03/2007 Betty "Snow Queen" M. says:

Jason,

I think the Denver tram announcement is great. That is funny about the man thinking they were going to shine a spotlight on him. Denver is pretty from an architectural standpoint and the TSA are acutally nice. I lost my ID in Breckenridge. I think I lost it on the mountain while skiing. It was in my pocket and the day before the husband and I flew back, I noticed it was gone. I was mad at myself let me tell ya. Nevertheless, I called my mother-in-law/travel agent and she called United. She called me back and told me that I needed to file a "lost ID/item" report with the local PD and to take that form to the airport. Nevertheless, I thought the TSA would be super uptight about it but they were cool. One agent was even joking with me that they would more than likely not find it on the mountain until the June thaw.

I do not like DCA, BWI, or IAD, especially when I am coming back home. Coming back here makes me sad.

12/03/2007 Becky T. says:

I love Long Beach airport out in SoCal.  JetBlue flies direct from Dulles to there.  Its a small airport so little hassle.  Never have to wait for luggage.  Best part is that you can get out of the plane from both the front and the rear!

12/03/2007 Kathleen M. says:

I really like the Charlotte, NC airport. It's new-ish, clean, and they have huge comfy rocking chairs.

I also like Munich for it's ease of getting in and out while still providing direct flights to the ATL.

And I know that I am going to be the only person on Earth to say this, but I actually like ATL. Just because it's home, I guess, but I get this great rush walking through there with all of the hustle and bustle.

12/03/2007 nat "auschick" h. says:

@Miriam, OMG, how could I forget five guys at DCA?  Oh yes, my *ultimate fave* at that airport!