Airports - Best and Worst

[Spikedriver]

Some of us travel by air quite often, so I thought I'd start a thread about airports, where we can post our experiences and give other members some idea of what to expect when they fly to airports around the country. I'll start with some of the airports I like best.

Ontario Intl. Airport, Ontario CA - This is actually a great place to fly in and out of. It straddles the line between small and middle size airports. There aren't a lot of amenities - there are a couple sit down restaurants and bars, gift shops, coffee shops, and of course a Hudson News type of store. Security tends to be very quick, usually less than 15 minutes in my experience. Rental cars are on site and it's a very short shuttle ride to the rental car center. Most of the major rental companies are represented.

If you're going to the east side of L.A., this is the airport you want to be at. I-10 is only a few minutes to the North and there are other major roads nearby. There's a good selection of hotels near the airport too and it's a relatively safe area. If you are going into L.A. itself, or if you're going to the coastal towns to the north and south, you might as well go to LAX instead, because traffic can take hours to get from Ontario to L.A. All in all, I highly recommend Ontario Airport.

 

[Peanut]

I never liked Burbank, small but runs like a large airport, badly. SeaTac, always had problems, even with car rentals. The worst has to be Hartsfield in Atlanta. Seems any connection is always at the opposite end. Even customs was a pain, especially if your sick or injured. I had emergency surgery while working in europe then flew home. Went through customs at hartsfield in a wheel chair. Took so long I missed my connection to birmingham. And then I was left to roll myself around... and figure out how to get home. Customs people didn't care, not their job despite being the cause.

I always like the Nashville airport. Used to like the old Stapleton airport in denver, until they built the new one in nebraska.

Oh, a thumbs up from me on Ontario, most smallish airports run better.

 

[Patchouli]

Dallas Love Field Airport is in the thick of things, kind of hard to get into and out of driving, but it is a small airport and it is fairly easy to navigate inside. Outside however, it took me a half hour to find my car after going in to pick someone up. I don't have all the extra notes like Spikedriver does but this is not my preferred airport.
DFW Airport...I've usually had to take the tram or bus to get to my departure gate once I've done check-in. Sometimes your departure gate is changed (and not announced) while you are sitting there at your current departure gate. You have to make sure you have your notifications on your phone so you have time to go up a long escalator or stairs, hop on the tram or bus and still have time to get to the new departure gate. Parking is good. Not happy about the way the passenger drop off is set up. Getting to car rental is a little nightmare too, good luck! It is not in the airport building itself and some rentals are not right there in the airport boundaries. Lots of little eateries. It is a huge airport.
Spokane airport was good. Small and not too busy when I went through. Not much in the way of food. Car rentals right outside, not much of a hassle to go through Spokane at all.
San Diego Airport was okay, for such a busy place seemed a bit small.
Fort Myers Airport is a good one to fly in and out of, very busy though.
Grand Rapids was a good one to get in and out of, smaller than Fort Myers.
I hope I never have to deal with the Atlanta Airport ever ever again. Too big. LOL
BWI in Baltimore area, also known as Thurgood Marshall, is the one I had used the most, and the parking was good, entrance, everything about it for a large airport is pretty decent.
Maybe not the kind of reviews you're looking for...

 

[Supervisor42]

I never liked Burbank, small but runs like a large airport, badly. SeaTac, always had problems, even with car rentals. The worst has to be Hartsfield in Atlanta. Seems any connection is always at the opposite end. Even customs was a pain, especially if your sick or injured.

I will always remember this famous quote from my mom (RIP):
"It doesn't matter if you are going to heaven or hell, you are going to have to change planes in Atlanta ".

 

[Peanut]

First time I flew home after bootcamp I changed planes in Atlanta. I'm waiting... and waiting some more. They finally opened the door to begin boarding.

They didn't open the usual door but a little door to the side. It opened onto metal steps that went down to the tarmac. There was a twin engine turbo prop sitting there with seats for 8 people. Very small plane, I remember thinking... Oh Carp! Here we go!

 

[Morgan101]

Spike, I agree with your assessment of Ontario. I had to work a project up in Apple Valley, and I always flew in and out of Ontario. Much easier than the other LA airports. For LA travel that was further South I flew into John Wayne. Technically I think it is located in Santa Ana, and I think they also call it Orange County.

IMHO all of the large airports are equally bad especially if you have to make connections. If you are going to New York fly into LaGuardia or Newark. Both are much easier than Kennedy. Kennedy is massive. Everything is miles apart.

Logan Airport in Boston is not bad. Phoenix is not bad. Dallas/Forth Worth is massive. Denver is massive. Charlotte is massive. Philadelphia is massive. If you have to connect in any of those airports make sure you have at least an hour between flights. O'Hare in Chicago is not one of my favorites, but for as large as it is I have never had any problems there. Same with Detroit.

 

[Supervisor42]

IMHO all of the large airports are equally bad especially if you have to make connections. If you are going to New York fly into LaGuardia or Newark. Both are much easier than Kennedy. Kennedy is massive. Everything is miles apart.

That's what I remember about DFW (Dallas/Fortworth).
You have to get on a tram and ride to go to some gates.
If you weren't smart enough to know to get on one, you were SOL .
One of the trams:

And another one:

 

[Haertig]

Denver has been under construction (supposedly to upgrade things) forever. And looks like it will be under construction forevermore. Bring earplugs, because if you're in the central main terminal area all's it takes is one guy beating on a steel beam with a hammer to nearly deafen you - it echoes so bad. For some reason, they like to hammer mindlessly on those steel beams, like crazed high tech woodpeckers. I've never been able to figure out what they're actually trying to accomplish

 

[SoJer]

Denver... For some reason, they like to hammer mindlessly on those steel beams... I've never been able to figure out what they're actually trying to accomplish

Maybe cuz they voted for Biden? (and hammers to one's own Head are somewhat counter-productive) jk

Well.. lemme see (prior to 2018, I used to fly a LOT for my Co. / work, and usually with Delta, whenever possible ('SkyMiles' and upgrades (less bag fees, etc) and all.. Was 'Platinum' (if-not Diamond) level for Years..) Anyhoo, here's my .02 from my experiences:

The Good: ONT, SNA, FAT, LGB; HNL; MIA; GJT; SLC; LGA; MSP; OKC;
The 'Meh' / OK, tolerable: BUR; IAH, DFW, SAT; MKE; LAS; PIT; STL; SDF; PHX; TPA; DTW; ROC; CLT; ATL (Domestic);
The Bad / Ugly: LAX, SFO; SEA; PDX; DEN; GTF; ATL (for International); BUF, SYR, JFK; PHL; EWR; CLE;
The 'Hell would be Preferable': ORD & IAD

..Actually, it was spending a Night from Hell in IAD that kinda got me into 'EDC-Prepping' (ergo: what you can Carry with you).. I froze, starved, and got threatened, all in the same night.. I vowed: Never Again. (and, since then, I have not so-suffered ever again..

jd

 

[Spikedriver]

San Jose and Sacramento are both good airports. Sac is right by the freeway so getting in and out is a breeze. Rental cars are on the property but you do have to shuttle to them. The airport has several restaurants and gift shops, and a golf store. It tends to be expensive to fly there though.
San Jose is also close to the freeway. It's another mid size airport with just a few restaurants. I don't recall if the cars were on site or not, but it was just a few blocks to the freeway. Going through security is pretty quick.
San Fran blows. I mean it sucks out loud! There's a lot of international traffic and it's always crowded. Driving near the airport is a clusterflop too. There are a lot of amenities though, lots of good bars and restaurants. If you want to tie one on, you can do it there.
LAX...I'll just say, avoid if possible. There is nothing about it that doesn't suck. Security takes forever, it's a long shuttle ride through Inglewood to the rental cars, it's crowded, and it's freaking huge. The traffic around the airport is ridiculous too. Pro tip - try to schedule your flight so you land after 8PM. Traffic starts to die down and its easier to get out of Inglewood. Just don't take the wrong ramp and end up in a bad part of town. The only advantage LAX has, is that it's usually at least a hundred bucks cheaper than places like Ontario or John Wayne.

 

[Spikedriver]

I've flown to four airports in Arizona. Phoenix Sky Harbor is actually not terrible for a large airport. Getting through security can be a pain. There's lots of stores and restaurants. I can't recall if getting to the rental cars is a pain or not. Traffic around the airport isn't horrible unless it's rush hour. Beware of some of the neighborhoods around the airport though.
Tucson is fantastic. It's quick in and out. Security is efficient. There's a Waffle House right by the airport so you can get some good food after your flight. There's not a lot of amenities in the airport though.
Mesa airport is where Allegiant Airline flies to in Phoenix. It's a little dump out on the edge. Keep that in mind when you rent a car. If you rent the car from the Phoenix airport rental, it's a 45 minute, $20 shuttle ride from Mesa to Phoenix. The only food is a vending machine. You have to disembark out on the runway in 9,000 degree heat and walk to the airport from the plane. It's cheap to fly Allegiant, but the experience isn't great.
I'm a fan of Yuma. It's a tiny airport. You have to walk out on the runway to the plane. But the airport parking has overhead covers so the sun doesn't bake your car. There's not much for amenities and there's only 2 or 3 gates. Security is pretty lax. It's quick in and out. I've never rented a car there so I can't comment on that aspect...

 

[Spikedriver]

Las Vegas is...meh. There are worse places. There are tons of international tourists, mostly from Asia, and it gets pretty crowded. There's slot machines everywhere, making a racket. If you smoke, there are "game rooms" with slots in them, and you can actually smoke in those rooms. There's lots of good restaurants and stores. The rental cars are a short shuttle ride away. Be aware that weed is now legal there and everybody is blazing outside the airport before their flight. It stinks out there.

 

[Spikedriver]

Albuquerque is a terrific little airport. It seems to be fairly new. It's quick in and out, just off the freeway. Security is efficient, there a few places to eat. It's just more pleasant than most airports. Highly recommend this airport.

Salt Lake is OK. I've taken several flights there that had bad turbulence. The airport is big but not big like Denver or LAX. Lots of amenities. I've never rented a car there. Security is decently quick. Flights tend to be expensive for some reason.

 

[sonya123]

Frankfurt Germany is pretty bad. It's so big you can't find anything, makes even Atlanta look small

Bad airport Philadelphia, never flew through there without a problem

Orlando MCO is pretty good except when there's bad weather

Worst airline: Alitalia

 

[Sourdough]

I love airports and loathe all terminals. I also hate flying in large aircraft. But love piloting. The most awful airport was Mexico City. Maybe tied with Newark, NJ in the late 60's

 

[Spikedriver]

Moving east...

Oh, Denver...how I hate thee. This is one of the worst airports. If you're connecting there on United, be prepared to get a workout as you haul yourself and your luggage from one terminal to the next. The moving sidewalks help, but it's a long damn way between terminals. On the plus side, there are tons of restaurants and shops. But that does little to kill the pain of flying there. Weather can be a serious problem - I've had to miss work a couple times because of storms canceling flights. United was at least responsible enough to comp me meals and a room at a nice hotel. Last but not least, there's always the "Satan Horse" that welcomes you when you pull into the airport. That thing is just gross.

 

[Spikedriver]

Further east, there's Omaha - Eppley Airfield. This is a nice little airport. Parking is cheap and convenient. They were smart and put restaurants before you get to security at each terminal. You can walk to one terminal, eat, and walk back to the other without going through the scanners. Security is always fast and its a short walk to the gate afterward. Ive never rented a car there. Its only 15 minutes from the Doorly Zoo which is something everyone should see once in their life.

I have actually flown into Salina, KS a couple times. This was back in the 90s when US Air had commuters there from Kansas City. I hear it hasn't changed much. It's an old SAC base with a 10,000 foot runway. There aren't any amenities and I don't know if you can even still get a flight there from a major airline.

Kansas City is one I haven't flown from since the 90s. It's being remodeled now and I understand it's just reopened in the new terminal. Hopefully it's been improved.

 

[Spikedriver]

Des Moines is kind of my home base. It's small and convenient. Parking is cheap and the rental car counters are actually right inside the airport. There is one bar and grill, a Hudson Bay store, and a couple coffee shops. Security tends to be very fast except when there's a large airliner with a full flight. The security lines just aren't equipped to handle large crowds all at once. Flights do tend to be expensive, and unless you're coming from a major hub like Chicago or Phoenix you can't get a direct flight.

 

[Spikedriver]

Next is DFW in Dallas. Yikes. Security is a miserable affair. The place is huge and if it wasn't for the tram you'd never get from one end to the other. Inside, it's kind of a maze. You gotta watch the signs or you can walk past the corridor to your gate. There are tons of shops and restaurants. It's very busy and the crowds can be hard to maneuver in. This is American airline's big dog terminal. Most any American flight from east of the Mississippi going out west will come through here except for the directs out of O'Hare...

 

[Spikedriver]

I've only flown in for connections in Houston. The airport itself is nice. There are some impressive bars and restaurants. I've had flights get delayed for fog there. It seems ok, but I can't really pass judgement until I've had to go through security.

 

[Spikedriver]

Minneapolis St. Paul is a pretty good airport for being large. Parking tends to be very expensive - plan on paying something like $16/day for off site parking. I've taken a lot of early morning flights on Delta and Frontier there. Multiple airlines have their first flight of the day around 0530 and security can get backed up very quickly. Plan on getting there plenty early. Once inside, it's a very nice place. There's a shopping center and good food courts. I always like to go to Chik-fil-a when I'm there. Weather can be a problem in the winter. You'll have some delays for de-icing. But the ground crews are usually on the ball and get you out of there without too much trouble. MSP is right off the freeway too so it's easy to get in to pick someone up there.

 

[Peanut]

Odd, I used to fly in/out of Minneapolis St. Paul often but I have no memory of that place. Seems I remember snow but not much else.

Ya’ll remember the blue collar comedy tour. They did a bit on airport baggage claim in Buffalo ny. I died laughing when I heard it because I went there often. Buffalo, never had a problem flying in or out, good airport. I used to have catscan parts flown counter to counter(airport to airport). That meant picking up my parts in baggage claim.

A horrible place if your luggage or package isn’t on the carousel. There was a lady who worked nights alone in baggage. She was agreeable as wounded bear but not nearly as bright (sort of looked like one too). She had a large hairy mole on her chin. Couldn’t help but stare, the mole had a life of it’s own when she talked…

I had to deal with that lady often, she did not have a good side… I know those comedians were talking about her.

 

[Morgan101]

Does anybody travel internationally? I used to go to Europe regularly, but not for a long time, and not since 9/11 and the advent of the TSA. Has Europe increased security measures as the USA has?

One of my frequent stops was Schipol in Amsterdam. The airport was nice enough. It was a little disconcerting to walk out of the main terminal and see a clock tower with a sign about 10' over your head that said Sea Level.

 

[Haertig]

Oh, Denver...how I hate thee. This is one of the worst airports. If you're connecting there on United, be prepared to get a workout as you haul yourself and your luggage from one terminal to the next. The moving sidewalks help, but it's a long damn way between terminals.

We have three terminals ... Concourse A, B and C. Concourse B is the biggest, and that's where United sits - I think they do spill over onto other concourses to a small degree though. When they built the airport, I got to go on a tour of the place before it was completed (I was on a fire crew at my employer and they arranged for us to go visit DIA to learn about all the fire suppression stuff they had out there). Anyway, we entered the unfinished B concourse and the engineer told us "This is what ONE MILE looks like as an internal hall". Concourse B is one mile end to end. I don't know if it's been extended since those beginning days or not. The other two concourses are shorter, but they are still quite long.

To get between the terminals (concourses) you have to ride the underground train. There is no other way to get from A to B to C. You can take the train from A to the main terminal (baggage claim and ticketing) or there is a walkway through the sky that you can walk across if you are so inclined. So the main terminal and Concourse A can function in the absence of trains. But Concourse B and C are cut off from each other and everywhere else without trains. They told us the speed of the trains on our tour, I can't remember for sure, but I think they tootle along at about 75mph. They do accelerate and decelerate pretty fast. If you're not holding on or haven't braced yourself, you could easily do a face plant on the floor of the train.

The reason you can't walk between A to B to C is because the airplanes are driving around out there. The sky walkway between the main terminal and A is high enough so that the airplanes can drive under it.

I seem to remember the concourses at DFW being pretty long from one end to the other as well. They're curved IIRC, whereas Denver's are straight.

 

[Spikedriver]

@Morgan101 I haven't flown international. My sister does it often. In fact she and her husband are flying to Turkey one last time, next week. They have to tie up some loose ends before they can be fully released from their work there. They typically fly from Turkey to Frankfurt or Munich, then to the States. They have flown Turkey to Madrid to Toronto to Minneapolis too. I believe they went Instanbul>London Heathrow>Kennedy>Minneapolis once too. I would not be a fan of such flights...

 

[Caribou]

I will always remember this famous quote from my mom (RIP):
"It doesn't matter if you are going to heaven or hell, you are going to have to change planes in Atlanta ".

My (now) wife and I got an all you can fly for a month on Eastern Airlines for around $500. We could go anywhere we wanted but we had to go to A, come back to Atlanta and change planes to our next destination. We were just talking about that trip. Neither of us can remember how we got a month off back then. We had to have seen Atlanta over 20 times that month. Never want to see Atlanta again.

 

[Magpie]

I love a good airport I remember liking Minneapolis St Paul on a stop over, its was spotlessly clean and had nice shops selling crafts. I suppose London Gatwick is the worst, they don't tell you anything; but is does have a Giraffe restaurant that does great food, and with a good book you can survive anything. JFK scares me- always expect a hand on my shoulder and someone saying have you a visa lol. Heathrow is great for people watching. Didn't find anything to like about Berlin. Someone asked about security - I don't find it increased. It actually surprises me how lax they are sometimes.

 

[zoomzoom]

I do like PIT (Pittsburgh).
It's down a bit on amenities right now due to renovations and new terminal but I do like one rule they have for all the stores. They cannot charge any more than they do outside the airport. If Dunkin Donuts coffee is $1.50 in town, they have to sell it at the same price at the airport. Screw airports that charge $5.00 for a coffee.
As for amenities, at one time there was something like 100 stores/restaurants there. I just looked and there's still quite a few including 24 places to dine and/or drink.

 

[Weedygarden]

Some of us travel by air quite often, so I thought I'd start a thread about airports, where we can post our experiences and give other members some idea of what to expect when they fly to airports around the country. I'll start with some of the airports I like best.

Ontario Intl. Airport, Ontario CA - This is actually a great place to fly in and out of. It straddles the line between small and middle size airports. There aren't a lot of amenities - there are a couple sit down restaurants and bars, gift shops, coffee shops, and of course a Hudson News type of store. Security tends to be very quick, usually less than 15 minutes in my experience. Rental cars are on site and it's a very short shuttle ride to the rental car center. Most of the major rental companies are represented.

If you're going to the east side of L.A., this is the airport you want to be at. I-10 is only a few minutes to the North and there are other major roads nearby. There's a good selection of hotels near the airport too and it's a relatively safe area. If you are going into L.A. itself, or if you're going to the coastal towns to the north and south, you might as well go to LAX instead, because traffic can take hours to get from Ontario to L.A. All in all, I highly recommend Ontario Airport.

I have never been in or through LAX. I was told decades ago to avoid it like the plague (or pandemic). Whenever I've flown into the LA area, I've always flown into John Wayne. It is in Orange County, so technically south of LA. Driving anywhere in LA is a nightmare I never want to do again. I haven't been there in a while, but you used to get off the plane at John Wayne, on the tarmac, and walk into the airport. That may no longer be true. I don't know.

Did you know that there are LAX employees who live onsite? There is a lot where people have parked their RVs because of the housing expense and traffic conditions.
https://la.curbed.com/2016/9/7/12838504/lax-parking-lot-employees-rv-community

 

[Morgan101]

St Louis is not bad. Southwest Airlines has its own terminal. All of the other airlines are in the older, main terminal. It has enough shops and restaurants, and they have included some areas where children can play that are quite nice. It is clean, and the employees have all been very nice to us. We have required wheelchair assistance the last few times, and everybody in the process was very kind. As much as we have to use it I would rather have it than many of the others.