Worst & Best Airports

[halliday]

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.

ATL is an amazing place. I fly through there coming and going to work. Even on a busy day all I need is 15-20 minutes to make my connection from any concourse.

[stapes]

Flew in/out of Helsinki last week. Same back in Oct. Great airport all around. Security was a breeze and ran like a fine oiled machine.

[mcski]

There for the demo ski?

[Ottime]

I fucking hate airports and air travel. Just too much hassle.

That said, Changi Airport in Singapore is my new Happy Place. It is by far the best airport I have ever been in and far far exceeds any airport in the US.

I can show up 45 minutes before a(n international) flight and still have time to grab a meal before boarding. Ticketing, even if checking a bag, has never taken more than 5 minutes. Passport control at most 3 minutes. Security is at the gate so it is just your plane and is combined with boarding. So fucking efficient.

Good meals starting at $7. Spacious. Butterfly Garden, waterfall, hanging gardens, clean bathrooms, comfy chairs, movie theatre, bed cubes for long layovers, amazing restuarants, massage parlors and great fast restuarants.

Did I mention no cluster fuck at drop off or pick up and super efficient public transportation and cab pick up.

Three minutes for entering through passport control and no customs bullshit (just don’t look shady).

I fear American airports. I just had to transfer from international to domestic in SFO and that took a full two hours. So inefficient. Staff is overwhelmed and prickly as fuck. No one in line or working were in the happy place. Only disenchantment.

I echo that SJC is way better. When we come back in July we are flying into SJC from Tokyo. Feeling pretty lucky there.

[stapes]

There for the demo ski?

Not sure if directed at me, but no, just work. And sitting in saunas.

[Ottime]

I fucking hate airports and air travel. Just too much hassle.

That said, Changi Airport in Singapore is my new Happy Place. It is by far the best airport I have ever been in and far far exceeds any airport in the US.

I can show up 45 minutes before a(n international) flight and still have time to grab a meal before boarding. Ticketing, even if checking a bag, has never taken more than 5 minutes. Passport control at most 3 minutes. Security is at the gate so it is just your plane and is combined with boarding. So fucking efficient.

Good meals starting at $7. Spacious. Butterfly Garden, waterfall, hanging gardens, clean bathrooms, comfy chairs, movie theatre, bed cubes for long layovers, amazing restuarants, massage parlors and great fast restuarants.

Did I mention no cluster fuck at drop off or pick up and super efficient public transportation and cab pick up.

Three minutes for entering through passport control and no customs bullshit (just don’t look shady).

I fear American airports. I just had to transfer from international to domestic in SFO and that took a full two hours. So inefficient. Staff is overwhelmed and prickly as fuck. No one in line or working were in the happy place. Only disenchantment.

I echo that SJC is way better. When we come back in July we are flying into SJC from Tokyo. Feeling pretty lucky there.

[The AD]

That said, Changi Airport in Singapore is my new Happy Place. It is by far the best airport I have ever been in and far far exceeds any airport in the US.

I can show up 45 minutes before a(n international) flight and still have time to grab a meal before boarding. Ticketing, even if checking a bag, has never taken more than 5 minutes. Passport control at most 3 minutes. Security is at the gate so it is just your plane and is combined with boarding. So fucking efficient.

It's amazing we take for granted airports and other things have to be a complete shit show until we find one that's actually efficient.

I've got a flight out of Paine Field in Everett next week. I'll report back how it is. Everyone I've talked to says it's great.

[bad dancer]

This thread TLDR. ! vote for Korea Inchion.
Best bathrooms hands down. Small and private with the crazy bidet toilet seat air fan butt washer dryer video game console thingy next to you.
Cheap beer in the bar and amazing deep fried gyoza. Great place for a long layover. Napping areas with massive lounge chairs.
I will forever try and get a layover there when coming back to Canada from Vietnam.

[m2711c]

agreed. toilet seat air fan butt wash dryers are key, and should be the worldwide default setting.





fact.

[The Reverend Floater]

That's one of the worst things about the airport.

Using the urinal? You're standing in piss and breathing in the pee vapors of 20 other dongs. Half the people walk right out the door without even glancing at the half broken sinks.

Taking a dump? Hope you love feces drenched steam baths, with your butt hole occupying the same space that someone else's butthole was occupying not 20 seconds earlier. And the fart symphony is to die for. Seriously, what in the fuck are those people eating that makes their butt lips chatter like Miles Davis playing a broken tuba? It is my nightmare and I do everything possible not to shit in an airport.

Oh, the humanity.

[Supermoon]

Nothing worse than an airport bathroom at 9 am on a Friday when every stall is filled with some fat guy in a golf shirt doing battle with whatever whiskey and steak dinner he had the night before.

[mcski]

The best is departure lounges in SLC for Friday flights to VEgas. All the girls on their way to their weekend jobs is a sight to see

[nickwm21]

The best is departure lounges in SLC for Friday flights to VEgas. All the girls on their way to their weekend jobs is a sight to see

Southwest - Burbank to Vegas - 7pm Thursday’s. Commonly known as the “stripper shuttle”. I’ve been on that flight twice, it’s a spectacle.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[mcski]

I Can see how that one could be even more spectacular originating so close to porn valley

[riser4]

Southwest - Burbank to Vegas - 7pm Thursday’s. Commonly known as the “stripper shuttle”. I’ve been on that flight twice, it’s a spectacle.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

That's it, I'm going.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Hot moms at SLC or strippers at BUR..

[Timberridge]

That's it, I'm going.

BUR is Burbank not Burlington.

[BmillsSkier]

Where've you been TR? Stuck in Amsterdam?




Something is up at ATL this morning, my feed has been full of clusterfuckedness down there. That second pic is the regular security line being routed all the way back through baggage claim. That's not normal.

[phatty]

Where've you been TR? Stuck in Amsterdam?




Something is up at ATL this morning, my feed has been full of clusterfuckedness down there. That second pic is the regular security line being routed all the way back through baggage claim. That's not normal.

We had something like that in Seattle when they had a bunch of TSA call in sick the same day. Only had 2 of 5 security lines open and the lines stretched to the parking lot. It took people 4hrs and many missed their flights because of it.

[riser4]

BUR is Burbank not Burlington.

No shit Sherlock.

[halliday]

That's one of the worst things about the airport.

Using the urinal? You're standing in piss and breathing in the pee vapors of 20 other dongs. Half the people walk right out the door without even glancing at the half broken sinks.

Taking a dump? Hope you love feces drenched steam baths, with your butt hole occupying the same space that someone else's butthole was occupying not 20 seconds earlier. And the fart symphony is to die for. Seriously, what in the fuck are those people eating that makes their butt lips chatter like Miles Davis playing a broken tuba? It is my nightmare and I do everything possible not to shit in an airport.

Oh, the humanity.

I'll never shit in an airport bathroom again after reading that.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

We had something like that in Seattle when they had a bunch of TSA call in sick the same day. Only had 2 of 5 security lines open and the lines stretched to the parking lot. It took people 4hrs and many missed their flights because of it.

Seriously, this looks like Denver did every time I had to go through it when I was living/working in Mexico. I'd have to go through customs/immigration AND then through the burning hell of TSA to get my connection home. Then the train and hike out to the far reaches of BFE. Luckily there was a little New Belgian bar out there so I could drink myself into a stupor to recover from the pain.

[CascadeCrudSkier]

I fucking hate airports and air travel. Just too much hassle.

That said, Changi Airport in Singapore is my new Happy Place. It is by far the best airport I have ever been in and far far exceeds any airport in the US.

.

I really dislike Changi; it's often ranked as the best in the world but the layout is terrible in my opinion. If they created a security barrier like every other airport it really would be the best but having a security checkpoint at your gate makes no sense. There's often a long line right before you need to board and there's no restroom or place to get liquids on the other side of the checkpoint. So you dump your drinks to go sit in what's basically a holding cell until you can board your aircraft. It probably isn't as big of a deal if you lived there but since it's a hub for SE Asia (and the typical swap between NE Asia and Australia or the Middle East) you always have to go through the security experience again and since you have no idea how long it'll take you can't hang in a lounge up until your boarding time.

I realize this falls into 1st world problems but it just seems like such a terrible design flaw to the airport. It definitely puts Changi well behind most other airports in Asia.

[The Reverend Floater]

I'll never shit in an airport bathroom again after reading that.

My pleasure.

[Kenny Satch]

Right now Toronto Pearson international is the worst air port in Canada

Terminal one is a fuck up of fuck ups.
Terminal 3 ain't so bad.