Worst & Best Airports

[ncskier]

Security line at CLT, yesterday was a nightmare...perhaps not their fault as there a bunch of flights cancelled the night before (for no good reason to this amateur)... By the way when did tsa start asking you to remove all books and magazines? Huh? Yeah, that was a new one.

As CLT is my home airport, it has some redeeming qualities that I like and it's probably good to just connect through, but as a destination or departure city, there have been problems.

1: you will not get your bags for a least 45 minutes. Take a dump, grab a beer or two, then make your way to the claim area. Absolutely no reason to rush. This is true today...

2: good luck getting on a parking shuttle bus. (Granted I think this has improved but)... And this wasn't a singular instance. Wife, 3yo and myself got to CLT after multiple flight delays coming back from a ski trip; 11pm at least . We are parked in the daily deck... Took at least 30 minutes to get a bus...in the meantime the same empty employee bus came by 3 times, as did a number of other busses that picked up no one. Meanwhile 20 plus people waiting for the daily decks bus to stop sat and watched empty bus after empty bus drive by multiple times. That was one instance but certainly not singular as it was bad for a long time. I think it might have improved lately.

I fly CLT weekly as my home airport and I would agree on all points with this. Last flight back from SLC with wife and two kids same experience with daily bus. Same experience with luggage. When I fly solo for work I do two things to avoid this. Park in Hourly and walk to my vehicle and only bring a carryon. Not possible with skis. Also TSA precheck to avoid security lines. One piece of advice is also American Lounge access is key.The main concourses are a damn mess and a throng of unwashed masses. Get status or spring for the yearly membership. All have made my experiences better.

[digitaldeath]

I rate airports on how many, if any, Starbucks they have and how hard they are to locate.
No Starbucks = Shitty travel day for me.

ya, your pussy hurts

[PNWbrit]

only bring a carryon. Not possible with skis.

^ That's some solid travel advice there folks....

[Danno]

Milanesa torta at Tortas Frontera. :drool: anyone who thinks this airport is worse than LGA is a fucking loon.

[jm2e]

ya, your pussy hurts

Ohhh So Mean, I cry a little bit now.

Yea, I like coffee. And when I'm spending the day doing something shitty like traveling, it cheers me up to have something I like. Helps shut out the heaps and heaps of bullshit in airports and on airplanes.
"can I interest you in 4oz of Diet Coke and a tablespoon of nuts?" "No thanks, I have my mother fucking coffee and a chocolate brownie that I can nurse for the next couple hours until we get off this germ factory"

[BmillsSkier]

I rate airports on how many, if any, Starbucks they have and how hard they are to locate.
No Starbucks = Shitty travel day for me.

I pride myself on knowing where just about every Starbucks is in every airport I routinely travel through.

I also know where every Godfathers pizza is between Atlanta and Charleston so take that with a grain of salt.

[nickwm21]

LAX is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Around $2bil of improvements over the next 10 years or so.

[Todds]

MSP is very good. It is pleasant to be in.

Chicago is horrible.

[iceman]

I rate airports on how many, if any, Starbucks they have and how hard they are to locate.
No Starbucks = Shitty travel day for me.

Is there actually an airport that doesn't have a Starbucks?

[WTF is dat]

The airport on st Thomas sucks because you have to wait at least an hour to clear customs (even though you are still in America? Wtf) and once you clear customs there is no where to sit and only one place to eat that sucks.

On the plus side, free shots of cruzan rum when you land.... That's kinda cool.


Turks and Caicos sucks because of the fat ass security line. There is an outside bar there though. That's cool.


Guatemala City is a dump. The runway is on a hill and is slanted (wtf??) and you fly over some horrible slums.

[Brock Landers]

Is there actually an airport that doesn't have a Starbucks?

Long Beach?

Even Cabo has a huge starbucks.

[Tippster]

Guatemala City is a dump. The runway is on a hill and is slanted (wtf??) and you fly over some horrible slums.

We got on a minibus to take us to Antigua and as soon as we pulled away from the curb a full on firefight between rival gangs erupted a block away. Holy shit that place is a hellhole. Rest of the country is awesome, tho.

Oh, and airport-wise Tegucigalpa is far worse than Guate.

[Beaver]

For sketch factor and reliability Castlegar is one of the worst. In the winter you can't count on getting out because it gets fogged in. On liftoff there is a mountain at both ends of the runway, not hills, steep fucking mountains. They only fly turbo props into it now but when they had 737s it was great. The pilots would fucking pin it straight at the mountain and as soon as it was off the ground start banking a turn. Fun fun. Landing was also fun, you look up at the highway at on point.

[BCMtnHound]

For sketch factor and reliability Castlegar is one of the worst. In the winter you can't count on getting out because it gets fogged in. On liftoff there is a mountain at both ends of the runway, not hills, steep fucking mountains. They only fly turbo props into it now but when they had 737s it was great. The pilots would fucking pin it straight at the mountain and as soon as it was off the ground start banking a turn. Fun fun. Landing was also fun, you look up at the highway at on point.

Heh. Cancelgar is fun when the pilot announces over the speakers that he sees a 10min gap in the cloud and says he's 'going for it'. After sitting on the runway for an extended time waiting for said opening. And the whole plane breaking into a cheer once the cliff face above Brilliant (and coincidentally, Verigin's tomb) is cleared.
I think there's an airport in Alaska that has a worse record, but not by much. Always tried to fly the charters out of Trail whenever possible, much less fun and a more reliable trip to the coast.

[BmillsSkier]

For sketch I always think of St Bart's.

Drop in over the head wall and clear the road just feet above cars (the giant cross on the hill memorializing all those who have come up short is a nice touch), then get down to the Tarmac quick - dealing with nasty crosswinds, and slam on the brakes before going into the bay.

[Sirshredalot]

I pride myself on knowing where just about every Starbucks is in every airport I routinely travel through.

I also know where every Godfathers pizza is between Atlanta and Charleston so take that with a grain of salt.

Apparently you have no taste in either coffee or pizza. But you're some fucking golf course asshole who inhabits a suburban Atlanta McMansion, so those things should go without saying. No taste is no taste.

[BmillsSkier]

Apparently you have no taste in either coffee or pizza. But you're some fucking golf course asshole who inhabits a suburban Atlanta McMansion, so those things should go without saying. No taste is no taste.

Feel better after getting that bit of crazy off your chest?

But since you asked, I like my airport Starbucks, shitty pizza on the road to Charleston, and golf is not nearly as close as you'd expect from Buckhead. So if that makes me the target of some random angry post, or worse an asshole, so be it. I'm still pretty happy. Hope you are too.

Or did you want to compare dicks on who drinks the better French press obscuro-blend. I may have misread your post.

[ilikebeer]

I flew a fuck ton for work in the early 90s. While there are still a few airports that truly resemble my vision of hell, they're almost all massively improved. For my money, DTW was a vision of hell on earth. Narrow hallways, low ceilings, everyone ripping cigs, wide-bodies off the runways and in the terminals, and a spoke design that made connections almost impossible (ORD and ATL were worse).

LGA is the worst modern-day airport. The location is great for getting to/from Manhattan, but the airport itself just sucks. It used to be MUCH worse before the Delta and USScare terminals opened.

Best...pretty much any smaller airport. Big city airports always involve a higher hassle factor either in the airport or out. Amsterdam is probably the best big city airport...efficient layout, really easy access to city. My experience isn't the broadest but not the worst, either.

[Bromontana]

For sketch I always think of St Bart's.

Drop in over the head wall and clear the road just feet above cars (the giant cross on the hill memorializing all those who have come up short is a nice touch), then get down to the Tarmac quick - dealing with nasty crosswinds, and slam on the brakes before going into the bay.

There isn't a sea wall on this one but the runway is short and I flew the same flight 2 months prior. Approach poorly and you have rice fields, the ocean or a mountain.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/airasia-...30-12frjj.html

[XXX-er]

For sketch factor and reliability Castlegar is one of the worst. In the winter you can't count on getting out because it gets fogged in. On liftoff there is a mountain at both ends of the runway, not hills, steep fucking mountains. They only fly turbo props into it now but when they had 737s it was great. The pilots would fucking pin it straight at the mountain and as soon as it was off the ground start banking a turn. Fun fun. Landing was also fun, you look up at the highway at on point.

yeah I have flown into Castelgar, an airstrip RIGHT at the base of a mountain! and the pilot has to make a lot of cicles to get out of the valley

[Danno]

Fuck LaGuardia airport. Fuck it in the ass with a rusty coat hanger and no lube.

[gravitylover]

Sounds like you enjoyed your experience. Welcome back to NY.

[BmillsSkier]

What did they close the Au Bon Pain?

[iceman]

Fiorello sez, "No, fuck youse."

[Art Shirk]

Even Cabo has a huge starbucks.

It sure does! What a beautiful airport and surrounding cities. Wouldn't it be nice to have your own property when visiting next time? PM me for details. You can't afford to not look into this opportunity.