Worst & Best Airports

[skaredshtles]

<snip>
Pretty sure I've told this story on here before, but the first time I walked through Spokane airport (in the 90s) I saw a couple walking hand in hand, both proudly wearing white supremacy paraphernalia. Not subtle 'only seen by others in the know' stuff, but full blown foot wide swastika tee shirts.

Ahhh... the Good Ole Days™.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

A lot of flight attendants get airport massages.

Really? I don't think I've ever seen aircrew in an airport doing anything other than getting the fuck in or out.

Speaking of stories, I was wrangling extras on a movie and we were shooting on location at LAX. We had a couple of extras dressed as pilots and we all thought it would be hilarious to send them into an airport bar to throw back some doubles and see if anyone caught on. Unfortunately the idea got nixed from the location manager, and we were all ready to film reactions from the people.

[Ted Striker]

Really? I don't think I've ever seen aircrew in an airport doing anything other than getting the fuck in or out.

They're often in their civies. There are generally two types of layovers: airport and in town. When doing an airport layover, they'd walk over and get a massage (complete with staff discount).

a couple of extras dressed as pilots and we all thought it would be hilarious to send them into an airport bar to throw back some doubles and see if anyone caught on.

Fast forward to 7:47

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

I think they got the idea from us, this was way back in the day, City Slickers was the flick.

[zion zig zag]

That makes sense. And look, this is the internet so hyperbole is expected. I understand that people with long layovers want real sit-down food.

But I feel like the focus on airport food goes beyond people with long layovers. For ex, I live in the Denver metro area. If the only reason (or main reason) people cared about airport food was for layovers, I would never see a single article in Denver's local papers on Denver airport food, because why would anyone in Denver give a rat's ass about the food in the local airport? But over the years I have seen tons of press in the local rags about DIA's food options. Obviously, people go to the airport and eat (before flying) or fly home and eat (before leaving the airport). Or they never eat at them but still care about them. Those are the parts I do not get. I read all these things about DIA's expanding and improving food options and I am thinking "why do I give a shit about that"?

OK yeah, that's weird. Especially people getting off the plane at their home destination and eating at an airport restaurant. Those are crazy people.

[zion zig zag]

One Flew South is a legitimately good restaurant no matter where it's located.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trave...nts-in-the-us/

http://oneflewsouthatl.com/

I've heard that its really good. I always have a craving for Ludicris's Chicken and Waffles so we ended up there. I'll be back in ATL couple months so maybe I'll branch out.

[BmillsSkier]

DEN's food options at 5am this last trip through were the Jamba Juice and the Dunkins.

Jamba had 1 person in line and I got a tasty and healthy yogurt/granola thing.

Line at Dunkin's was a mile long and you all know those donuts weren't made in the airport overnight.

Demand drives a lot of these things.

[The AD]

That makes sense. And look, this is the internet so hyperbole is expected. I understand that people with long layovers want real sit-down food.

But I feel like the focus on airport food goes beyond people with long layovers. For ex, I live in the Denver metro area. If the only reason (or main reason) people cared about airport food was for layovers, I would never see a single article in Denver's local papers on Denver airport food, because why would anyone in Denver give a rat's ass about the food in the local airport? But over the years I have seen tons of press in the local rags about DIA's food options. Obviously, people go to the airport and eat (before flying) or fly home and eat (before leaving the airport). Or they never eat at them but still care about them. Those are the parts I do not get. I read all these things about DIA's expanding and improving food options and I am thinking "why do I give a shit about that"?

With the vagaries of security lines I can imagine some people want to get to the airport way ahead of time just in case, figuring they can sit down and have a drink or a meal if it turns out security lines are short.

[BmillsSkier]

I've heard that its really good. I always have a craving for Ludicris's Chicken and Waffles so we ended up there. I'll be back in ATL couple months so maybe I'll branch out.

If you don't have time for Luda's chicken and waffles and find yourself in Concourse B, the fried chicken taco from the Original El Taco is dangerously good.

Not good for you, but very tasty.

[phatty]

With the vagaries of security lines I can imagine some people want to get to the airport way ahead of time just in case, figuring they can sit down and have a drink or a meal if it turns out security lines are short.

That's me. I generally try to get there at least 90 minutes before the flight. If security is fast, I might grab some food. Especially if traveling for work where I can expense it.

[The Reverend Floater]

maybe there's an inside joke I'm not getting, but rod isn't a bot.

Uhhhh...what? Have you seen his posts in the Ukraine thread? Zero chance that comes from a sentient being.

[Danno]

Do bots sell gear?

[Danno]

There are certain threads I don't read, the Ukraine thread is one of them.

[The Reverend Floater]

There are certain threads I don't read, the Ukraine thread is one of them.

I absolutely don't fault you there!

[riser4]

There's no way this isn't available at the Bangkok airport.

Right, however, would you want to chance it?

[Adolf Allerbush]

The list is in:

Attachment 454684


It blows my mind how well ATL runs that many people through it each year.

DEN is still a goat rodeo with not enough baggage handlers.

Interesting. I think a good chunk of passenger traffic transfers to other flights at ATL. Meaning, Not nearly that much coming through security...maybe that's obvious?

[hawkgt]

Took me longer to walk to gate than go through security at new KCI.

[BmillsSkier]

Interesting. I think a good chunk of passenger traffic transfers to other flights at ATL. Meaning, Not nearly that much coming through security...maybe that's obvious?

While that is true of any airport, the number of people that go through security at ATL is staggering (they measure “busiest” by how many passengers pass through the airport in a day regardless of how they pass through).

I’m constantly dumbfounded, but also very appreciative, of all the gomers waiting in the sea of humanity that is regular Security as I sail through Precheck/Clear.



I was waiting in the cell phone lot yesterday evening and was thinking about how complex that place is.

I’ll defer to Ted’s expertise, but I believe ATL is the only airport where they can launch/land 4 planes simultaneously, and they do that every 60 seconds or so all day.

[skaredshtles]

Right, however, would you want to chance it?

Oh, hell no.

[alpinevibes]

I believe ATL is the only airport where they can launch/land 4 planes simultaneously, and they do that every 60 seconds or so all day.

There are a few airports with landing/takeoff capability for 4 planes, but ATL is rare for allowing triple parallel landings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ing_capability

The FAA allows a maximum of 32 operations per runway per hour.

[bennymac]

OK yeah, that's weird. Especially people getting off the plane at their home destination and eating at an airport restaurant. Those are crazy people.

[singlesline]

I've never understood the fascination with airport food, and how airports try to advertise having great restaurants. I never eat at the airport, other than coffee shop food or grab/go fast food. I don't care that there's a goddam fine dining steakhouse at the airport.

They totally killed the food at MDW a few years back. Got rid of all the chains and fast food and replaced almost everything with upscale "local" restaurants (or at least places that have the same name as a local restaurant).

Who wants that? People on a short layover will just be confused. Local people won't want to overpay for a worse version of the same food they can get in their neighborhood, non-locals won't recognize anything besides the Dunkin (normally I'd say there's nothing wrong with that...but airport food is all about speed/efficiency and knowing what you are gonna get).

The worst part was they lost the Potbelly (which even IS local). Honestly, that was a killer airport food. Reliably good sandwiches (with giardiniera!), fast service, easy to eat on the plane if you are crunched for time, and not wildly overpriced.

They also lost McDonalds for which I have a soft spot for for early morning travel breakfasts.

[singlesline]

OK yeah, that's weird. Especially people getting off the plane at their home destination and eating at an airport restaurant. Those are crazy people.

I'll make one exception for that. If I am flying into O'hare and hungry, I'll place an online order for a sandwich from Tortas Frontera as we pull into the gate so it is ready for pickup by the time I am exiting the airport.

Those are legitimately good sandwiches (breakfast ones too!) and I'd rather go hungry on a flight and eat one of those on arrival than eat generic/bad food on the outbound side.

[Danno]

yeah, those tortas are good, it's the saving grace of flying through OHare.

[BmillsSkier]

Rick Bayless tortas are good no matter if they’re in an airport terminal or not.