Best & Worst Airports

[dman]

Best: Columbus (CMH), Reagan National (DCA), Orlando (MCO), and Knoxville (TYS)

Worst: Canton/Akron (CAK), Atlanta (ATL), and O'Hare (ORD)

Isn't there an old saying about Atlanta? If you die and go to hell, you'll have to switch planes in Atlanta on the way.

[RFS62]

I guess my answer is for best ingress/egress, not best place for a layover.

Newark and LaGuardia suck big time. Just a nightmare if you have to get there anywhere around rush hour. Houston and Miami too.

Agree about Denver as well. So what it's nice inside, getting to it is the problem.

If you really want a thrill landing, check out Charleston or Huntington West Virginia. Looks like you're crashing into the mountaintop until the runway appears.

Charlotte and Ft. Lauderdale would be my pick for ease of access.

[15fan]

Hartsfield rules.

If you live in Atlanta, it makes life great. I can pretty much fly anywhere I want non-stop. And that's foreign as well as domestic. If I'm staying in the US, a flight anywhere within the eastern or central time zone is about 2 hours max. Need to go some place like Boston, NYC or DC? Flights leave about every 30 minutes, all day long. Same deal with Florida.

My wife travels fairly regularly for work. One of the other really nice things is that MARTA has a rail terminal in the airport. I'll drop my wife off at a train station on my way into work, and she'll zip down to the airport in no time. Same deal when she returns. It's great.

And it's also pretty darn accessible, assuming you aren't one of the soul-less herd that lives in the hell of far-flung northern suburbia. We live just east of downtown, near Decatur. Takes 15-20 minutes max to zip down to the airport.

I also think the food options at Hartsfield are better than just about any other airport I've been to.

LaGuardia is a dump. Period.

I think my favorite airport, though, is Honolulu. Tough to beat an open air airport in the middle of paradise.

[westofyou]

We live just east of downtown, near Decatur.

You mean Dick Hater don't cha?

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by dman

Best: Columbus (CMH), Reagan National (DCA), Orlando (MCO), and Knoxville (TYS)

Worst: Canton/Akron (CAK), Atlanta (ATL), and O'Hare (ORD)

Isn't there an old saying about Atlanta? If you die and go to hell, you'll have to switch planes in Atlanta on the way.

I haven't flown out of there, but I've always heard rave reviews from those who fly in and out of Akron/Canton. I think it's mainly because its a smaller airport and easy to get in and out of.

Most of my experience with non-home airports is from layovers, but here are my insights on getting in and out of airports I know of.

Cleveland isn't too bad at all, but the airport loop can get jammed up with people waiting to pick people up. So if I'm picking someone up, I just bite the bullet and park. The short term parking doesn't cost nearly as much as other cities.

Columbus is also extremely easy to get in and out of.

If we're talking about getting in and out instead of layover, the two Chicago airports differ greatly. Even though I lived on the far north side of town, Midway was always easier to get to than O'Hare. Right on the Orange Line, you could get there taking the Red Line south to the loop and catching the Orange Line to Midway. Likewise, taking the LSD down to the Stevenson Expressway was always a fairly easy drive for Chicago. Getting in and out of O'Hare can be a real hassle. First, taking the El is really only advantageous if your on the Blue Line. Otherwise you have to take the El into the Loop and then back out, which can take forever because the Blue Line is so long. Your other option is to take a cab to a Blue Line station or have someone drop you off on the Blue Line. Driving to O'Hare, unless you're coming or going really late, is always rough. I've rarely driven to O'Hare where the Kennedy Expressway wasn't a parking lot getting into O'Hare. Of course O'Hare has tons more to do on a layover.

I remember it being a real hassle geting into and out of LaGuardia. I think I've only left the premises of Newark once when I've flown there and my experience wasn't good, mainly because the limo that was supposed to pick me up never showed and the one that was supposed to take me back came an hour late.

Vegas, SFO and LAX seemed pretty straight forward. You just have to watch for traffic. Going back to SEA-TAC, I found it difficult to find a place to fill up the tank of the rental car and ended up taking a wrong turn at some point. I had the same problem in Tampa. Of course both instances were related to a lack of familiarity with the area.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by Yachtzee

I used to fly all the time, but I haven't had much opportunity since 9/11 (just coincidental change in careers). I would have to say that Kansas City was the best to fly into, but the worst to fly out of. Each gate had its own separate security, so once you went to your gate, you were separated from food, drink, restrooms, etc. If you had a few carry-ons, you would just suffer rather than have to go through the security each time you wanted to do something. Some gates would get extremely cramped because everyone was corralled into the gate by the security stations. On the other hand, when you flew into KC, you were practically off your plane and onto the curb to wait for the rental shuttle.

They've remedied this somewhat. The gates are divided into sections according to airlines. The sections each include several gates, and they're pretty large, so there is enough room to sit comfortably. Each section has it's own security station, so if you leave, you do have to go back through security, but the lines are extremely short. And they've added restrooms and concession stands in each section so that you don't have to leave.

Arriving in KC is easier than pretty much anywhere else I've been. The baggage claim areas are divided up, so you don't have a massive luggage corral like, say, Chicago Midway or Phoenix. And once you get your bags, it's a short walk to the curb.

[RedsFan75]

Originally Posted by cincinnati chili

To me, a "good" airport means easy in, and easy out, and flights are not bloody likely to get cancelled.

Philly still ranks as the worst for me. I've been there enough that I'm very familar with the 'brotherly love' attitude... Rental car processing is fairly straight forward but the access to and from the rental area has you circling the airport a couple times. TSA has always been quick and relatively painless but the concourses are seperated. So there are 3 different secure areas. Heaven forbid if you have to change to another concouse. Delays happen so often it's common place and people have come to be surprised when you leave on time. Part of this is due to it's location in the flight patterns. If a storm hist Detroit planes stack up and delay Philly. If a storm hits Chicago, planes stack up and delay Philly. If a storm hits.... Well you get the picture...

As far as Layover Airports, I happen to like Detroit. Not if my time between flights is short, but if I've got a few hours to kill it's pretty nice. MoTown music, the Chevy and Ford stores, a FoxSports bar, Several nice resturants...

[vaticanplum]

Wow, I am really surprised by all the LaGuardia comments. I've always thought it was very convenient -- easily accessible by car or public transport and very close to Manhattan. JFK and Newark are eons away by comparison, and though both have those new train routes, they're expensive to get to.

[Heath]

Originally Posted by vaticanplum

Wow, I am really surprised by all the LaGuardia comments. I've always thought it was very convenient -- easily accessible by car or public transport and very close to Manhattan. JFK and Newark are eons away by comparison, and though both have those new train routes, they're expensive to get to.

VP - That M60 bus drives you from Harlem and Upper West Side pretty quickly - but it's a Taxi Driver's Heaven. The Subway at least takes you to the airtrain and then into JFK.

[vaticanplum]

Originally Posted by Heath

VP - That M60 bus drives you from Harlem and Upper West Side pretty quickly - but it's a Taxi Driver's Heaven. The Subway at least takes you to the airtrain and then into JFK.

Yeah, but for like 13 bucks. The M60 can also take you to the subway, that's two dollars total, and quicker too.

I guess a lot of this depends on your destination.

[15fan]

Originally Posted by westofyou

You mean Dick Hater don't cha?

Somethin' like that.

Though it's been fascinating to watch the way the 'hood has transformed in the 3 years that we've lived here. The hold-over hippies are still going strong, as are the folks who choose to date within their own gender.

But the families with young kids are growing in number pretty quickly.

Makes for a very interesting neighborhood.

Which I think is absolutely great.

[RBA]

Originally Posted by vaticanplum

Wow, I am really surprised by all the LaGuardia comments. I've always thought it was very convenient -- easily accessible by car or public transport and very close to Manhattan. JFK and Newark are eons away by comparison, and though both have those new train routes, they're expensive to get to.

Maybe if you are going to and from LaGuardia that is probably true. But if you are just switching planes there, it can be a nightmare. You have to go outside the terminal to get to the other terminal and back through security. The airport is not post 9/11 friendly.

Las Vegas is nice, but in most cases, you walk for ever to get to and from your gate.

LAX, switching planes there can be a hassle.

DFW, it's getting better, they have upgraged the AA Train.

ELP, easy in and out, nice airport. Downside: paying for wi-fi.

Colorado Springs, pretty solide, easy in/out and free wi-fi

San Diego, small but functional.

Orange County Airport (SNA) Good
Ontario (Calif) Nice and easy.

Oakland: Pretty good.
Eugene: Nice little airport.
Portland, Oregon: Easy airport to navigate and helpful employees.

SeaTac: Gates are too far from check-in
ATL: A lot of train traveling

DENVER: Rental Car locations to far away.

Spokane: Nice little airport
Buffalo: Not too bad

Fresno: Okay
Santa Maria, CA Nice and small, but expensive to fly from

Santa Barbara: Too small for the the size of the city.

Honolulu: Another airport where you have to walk forever.

CVG: nice, but seems too sterile

LEX: Nice small airport, perfect size for the area.

PHX: Too much walking, America West never parks your next plane next to the plane you're transferring too.

Venice, Italy: Nothing note worthy.

BWI: Not too bad.

Heathrow: Can be hetic.

Iraklion, Crete: Nice small airport.

Athens, Greece: Nightmare in 1990

Schipol, nice airport.

JFK: mediorce

STL: Coming in was okay, new MetroLink takes you on a tour of the scariest parts of the city. I'm thinking of not taking the MetroLink back out on Friday.

Burlington, VT: a little too small, cramp.

Key West: Too small

[Yachtzee]

Originally Posted by RBA

Iraklion, Crete: Nice small airport.

Hey! I've actually flown into that airport 2x. The first was for an Easter break vacation and the second was on my honeymoon. Funny story about the Easter trip. We flew to Crete on a small Greek carrier called Venus Airlines. The planes had apparently been leased/purchased from a Slovenian carrier, as all the signs were in Greek and Slovenian. As it was, the plane was a very rickety MD-80 (I think) that seemed to make a lot more noise on take-off than we were used to. We're on the plane with a bunch of drunk Austrians going on holiday to Crete, and there was much drinking and smoking on the way down (no smoking ban in effect in Europe at this time). Anyway, the plane makes an initial stop at one end of Crete to drop off passengers at Chania and add enough fuel to get us to Iraklion. While they're gassing up the plane this crazy Austrian lady who looks like she was hit in the face with a frying pan lights up a cigarette. I've never seen flight attendants move so quick to tackle a passenger. The chief flight attendant then yelled at her, telling her that they were fueling the plane with highly flammable jet fuel. I thought for sure they were going to kick her off the plane, but the let her stay on. Then we flew to Iraklion.

After landing at Iraklion, of course, you disembark down the old-timey staircase to walk to the shuttle bus that takes you to the terminal. No sooner do we get to the bottom of the stairs than the crazy lady lights up a smoke...UNDERNEATH THE WING NEAR AN ENGINE! My friends and I looked at her, looked at each other, and yelled "RUN!" We got to that shuttle so fast. As soon as crazy lady got to the terminal, the authorities took her into a room to have a talk with her.

I miss Greece.

[pedro]

Originally Posted by 15fan

Hartsfield rules.

If you live in Atlanta, it makes life great. I can pretty much fly anywhere I want non-stop. And that's foreign as well as domestic. If I'm staying in the US, a flight anywhere within the eastern or central time zone is about 2 hours max. Need to go some place like Boston, NYC or DC? Flights leave about every 30 minutes, all day long. Same deal with Florida.

My wife travels fairly regularly for work. One of the other really nice things is that MARTA has a rail terminal in the airport. I'll drop my wife off at a train station on my way into work, and she'll zip down to the airport in no time. Same deal when she returns. It's great.

And it's also pretty darn accessible, assuming you aren't one of the soul-less herd that lives in the hell of far-flung northern suburbia. We live just east of downtown, near Decatur. Takes 15-20 minutes max to zip down to the airport.

I also think the food options at Hartsfield are better than just about any other airport I've been to.

LaGuardia is a dump. Period.

I think my favorite airport, though, is Honolulu. Tough to beat an open air airport in the middle of paradise.

I'm with you on that 15Fan. I lived in L5P/Candler Park for 10 years and traveled a lot on business. Being able to fly direct was huge.

[15fan]

Originally Posted by pedro

I'm with you on that 15Fan. I lived in L5P/Candler Park for 10 years and traveled a lot on business. Being able to fly direct was huge.

I thought I remembered you being familiar with this part of town.

Back before the holidays, they ripped down the Fellini's on McLendon. It's being rebuilt with a projected opening of May. In the meantime, we've been grubbing at Mojo Pizza over in Oakhurst. Not sure we'll go back to Fellini's when it reopens.

Oh, and all of those nasty abandoned buildings along Dekalb Ave (between say, the East Lake Marta station and Moreland) are being ripped down and replaced with townhomes in the $300k - $400k range. And someone is building a private pool over near the Horizons School, too. Lots o' progress in these parts these days...