On that note: Airports that suck
Posted by Michael.
Granted, there are always going to be different experiences/mitigating circumstances, but I’m curious to see other people’s thoughts. Anyway, my list of Airports that suck:
(1) San Francisco. Haven’t been there in a couple years, admittedly, but in my experience it is always underconstruction, with poor traffic patterns, unattractive concrete everywhere, and generally giving off a lack-of-structural-integrity-that-doesn’t-inspire-confidence.
(2) Mexico City/ Benito Juarez Airport. I haven’t had to deal with it, but I’ve heard enough crap about it I’ll put it at #2… dark, confusing maze blocked with security checkpoints , confusing terminals, inefficient luggage-delivery systems, the ever-present smoke (What’s the stat about Mexico city? An hour/day/night in Mexico city is the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes in terms of pollution?)
(3) Any of the NYC airports (esp La Guardia)… 20% of all flights arriving at LaGuardia and Newark are late. At JFK, it’s (are you ready Tim) a quarter.
I think I’m done for now. and I must throw out a disclaimer that from the plans I saw, if SFO ever finished the construction, it looked like it would be a nice place indeed. so when I’m flying out there in 2020, I’ll keep that in mind.
August 4th, 2005 at 11:47 pm Using
Every time I have been to O’Hare it has been under construction, or resembled a zoo more than an organized transport of people from one place to another. LAX just plain blows … well, because it’s LAX, and getting in/out/around is just stupid. Vegas I must say is tolerable simply due to the fact that there are slot machines on the concourse.
August 4th, 2005 at 11:58 pm Using
i hate dallas/ft worth with a passion. i’ve flown through there so many times to and from arizona, and every time, i get to make the “terminal a to terminal c” dash. SUCKS! and the bathrooms are small, cramped, and dark.
tucson isn’t bad. fairly easily accessible, small, desolate in the evenings. very much like manchester, perhaps smaller.
phoenix is a bit dark and depressing, but they’ve a lovely relief of the grand canyon around the escalators down to baggage claim.
philadelphia sucks, because it has “traffic issues” as well. it’s at least not dark and dingy.
BWI is pretty nice. open, airy, bright, and i usually haven’t had trouble with delays.
harrisburg (PA) is pretty nice, as well. they just opened a new terminal in the last couple years. and they have rocking chairs outside security to sit and wait for people! also small, reminiscent of manchester, but perhaps smaller. bonus: depending on your flight path, you get a nice view down the inactive reactor’s cooling tower at TMI on take-off or landing. TMI is the only nuclear facility that was designed to withstand the impact from a small- to medium-sized plane, since it’s right on the approach to the airport. never had a problem with delays there.
August 7th, 2005 at 9:23 pm Using
There is nothing worse than LAX. Frankly, every time I go through LAX I feel like anywhere else can’t be as bad. Last time I was there (getting from the international terminal to a domestic flight) I had to wait in line for an hour to check in and then almost an additional two hours to get through security. On the positive side, my sighting of Jerry Springer was at LAX. Freakshow.
O’Hare is another just horrible one. I’ve never had a flight through there that was on time.
Kirsten says that BWI sucks ass and might only be acceptable if you’re flying Southwest. She also refutes the idea that the Philadelphia airport is anything other than dark and dingy.
However, she places her flying-twice-a-week vote Dulles (actually she thinks it might be Philadelphia, but couldn’t make up her mind). Her exact words were someting like “fucking shitbox load of crap”. (Actually, those aren’t her words at all but it sounds good.)
August 7th, 2005 at 10:23 pm Using
I’m surprised she hates BWI. Of course, all I had to compare it to at the time were DFW and Phoenix. And I never had to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes to get a ride out of there.
Believe me, once you’ve been through Phoenix, Philly is not nearly as dark and dingy. Phoenix makes me feel like I’m in a cave. Dark paint schemes, low ceilings. Terrible.