Favorite Airports?

[realjd]

Is there a reason for the Japanese might I ask, this is Detroit's airport you're talking about right?

Delta (formerly Northwest) is the largest US air carrier in Asia and they have a big hub in Tokyo (NRT). DTW is Delta's Asian gateway airport, so most people flying to/from Asia from the United States on Delta will go through DTW.

DTW is also Delta's second biggest hub (formerly NWA's largest).

[OCGuy81]

Delta (formerly Northwest) is the largest US air carrier in Asia and they have a big hub in Tokyo (NRT). DTW is Delta's Asian gateway airport, so most people flying to/from Asia from the United States on Delta will go through DTW.

DTW is also Delta's second biggest hub (formerly NWA's largest).

I'm kind of surprised that MSP doesn't take the honors for that, being further west, or even SLC.  Must be the size.

[realjd]

I'm kind of surprised that MSP doesn't take the honors for that, being further west, or even SLC.  Must be the size.

Detroit is only marginally farther away than MSP, and closer than SLC. These planes fly more north than west to get to Tokyo due to the curvature of the earth.

[english si]

I quite liked Detroit - as big airports go, it's pretty nice. Heathrow Terminal 3 is probably the worst. Stansted and Gatwick are also rather annoying (I've had a 15 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim at Stansted and I was walking at such a speed as to overtake most of the plane having been one of the last set off and long waits at all three for the plane to get to a gate).

Bangkok's new one is great, but then I enjoyed roaming around the large open space and was only transferring there, rather than leaving (ditto DTW, though I did go outside for a bit as i had a lot of time) - I'll go with that.

Small airports are great for arrivals, but perhaps not for departures. I liked Alghero's 5 minute from wheels down to out the front (OK, without hold baggage), but there wasn't that much to do there while waiting for the plane home.

I liked the architecture (as radically different from the glass and steel) at Jakarta, but there wasn't anything to do while waiting for a domestic flight (a bit more for international).

[MDOTFanFB]

Agree with the other people on Detroit Metro Airport, since it's a short drive to the west for me.

[realjd]

I quite liked Detroit - as big airports go, it's pretty nice. Heathrow Terminal 3 is probably the worst. Stansted and Gatwick are also rather annoying (I've had a 15 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim at Stansted and I was walking at such a speed as to overtake most of the plane having been one of the last set off and long waits at all three for the plane to get to a gate).

Bangkok's new one is great, but then I enjoyed roaming around the large open space and was only transferring there, rather than leaving (ditto DTW, though I did go outside for a bit as i had a lot of time) - I'll go with that.

Small airports are great for arrivals, but perhaps not for departures. I liked Alghero's 5 minute from wheels down to out the front (OK, without hold baggage), but there wasn't that much to do there while waiting for the plane home.

I liked the architecture (as radically different from the glass and steel) at Jakarta, but there wasn't anything to do while waiting for a domestic flight (a bit more for international).

Nothing to do? That's why God invented airport bars! 

I've never been to LHR T3, but I was not impressed with T4. It's full of fancy restaurants and expensive designer clothing stores. How can you have a major airport without some sort of fast food or takeout establishment? And who really is going to go buy a $10k dress at an airport?

[OCGuy81]

I've never been to LHR T3, but I was not impressed with T4. It's full of fancy restaurants and expensive designer clothing stores. How can you have a major airport without some sort of fast food or takeout establishment? And who really is going to go buy a $10k dress at an airport?

Very true.  I would never think of going to the airport if I ws seeking a nice meal for one of the date nights my wife and I have.  Airports are more fast, grab n go type food.  As far as something to do, more airports should borrow from the book of Las Vegas/McCarran Int'l.  Those slot machines always have people playing while waiting for flights, and have got to be a nice revenue generator.

[formulanone]

It's full of fancy restaurants and expensive designer clothing stores. How can you have a major airport without some sort of fast food or takeout establishment? And who really is going to go buy a $10k dress at an airport?

I've never understood luggage stores in an airport; oh, it sounds like it makes sense, but who the heck is that for? The person who was robbed by a rouge skycap? I can understand a nice three-piece suit store to completely take advantage of the businessman who needs to look sharp for a meeting in 2 hours...but luggage? Am I missing something here, because it seems to throw all logic and usefulness out the window...?

Give me a mix of sit-down and fast-food places in an airport, or better yet...Atlanta has a lot of the grab-and-go places with umpteen different names (I personally look for the ones that have cold Red Bull), although sometimes the food's a bit middling if it's 5pm. But sometimes there's not much time between flights, and that's when there's a line at every restaurant and nearly every bar. I have to admit, their fast food is actually fairly priced (same at DTW); unlike the hijacking that typically occurs in the Paradies Shoppes 'round the nation, and anything at LAX (yikes!) or FLL's gougers.

[english si]

Nothing to do? That's why God invented airport bars!  

They aren't open in the mornings in the small airports in Europe (which is when my flights were) and were landside anyway, and Jakarta doesn't have one at all. Once past security, their was maybe a gift shop and a place to get a soda.

I've never been to LHR T3, but I was not impressed with T4. It's full of fancy restaurants and expensive designer clothing stores. How can you have a major airport without some sort of fast food or takeout establishment? And who really is going to go buy a $10k dress at an airport?

Never been to Terminal 4 (other than the tube station), but that sounds like St Pancras railway station - I guess facilities are there (other than a fast food restaurant), but they are upper middle-class shops, rather than high-street ones. You arrive on a train from Paris, and you have a champagne bar (the world's longest) and a baguette shop - OK, there's more stuff that isn't as French, but is something English and not posh like a pasty shop out of the question?

T3 has stuff, is less pretentious than T4, but is 10-15 years older, ugly, crampt-feeling (low ceilings, little open space) and very busy.

[Anonymity Lane]

I have been to Denver International Airport many times, seeing as how I live in proximity to it. So I've always been fond of it.

In my lifetime (I'm 17, so I imagine I'm quite a bit younger than most of you) I recall Detroit-Wayne County Terminal Airport having been renovated only once; the last two times I had been there were June of 2008 and August of 2010, and it had been renovated sometime between those visits. I am fond of both incarnations of the airport, the former probably out of sentimental value and the latter because of how sleek and smooth it feels.

[realjd]

I have been to Denver International Airport many times, seeing as how I live in proximity to it. So I've always been fond of it.

In my lifetime (I'm 17, so I imagine I'm quite a bit younger than most of you) I recall Detroit-Wayne County Terminal Airport having been renovated only once; the last two times I had been there were June of 2008 and August of 2010, and it had been renovated sometime between those visits. I am fond of both incarnations of the airport, the former probably out of sentimental value and the latter because of how sleek and smooth it feels.

Since you're DEN-based I'm assuming you were flying United. They fly into the smaller terminal at DTW which was recently renovated. The one we were talking about is the gigantic Delta hub next door which opened in the early 2000's. Both the big Delta terminal and the smaller everyone else terminal share the same sleek architecture (as does the new IND airport).

[tdindy88]

By coincidence, I'll be flying out of IND tomorrow to Denver and then on to Portland, which if I read it correctly on this thread is also a nice airport. Then I'll fly back through Denver on the return. This will be my third time going thorugh Denver and I have always been conflicted between it and IND (where I live). Granted, I never flew through the old IND so there's that too. Needless to say, no crappy airport designs for me tomorrow!

[empirestate]

Typically, the smaller-market or satellite airports have been my favorite: MHT is a recent one that was easy for me, and SNA is similarly convenient as far as getting in, out and through the place. Also, though I've never been through as a passenger, ISP seemed convenient, nice and small. Oh, and how can I forget my long-time hometown airport, ROC!

I also greatly enjoyed my trip from OGG (commuter terminal) to MKK...no lines, no x-rays, no gates, baggage check, jetways...just wait on a bench and the pilot takes you straight out to the plane. 

I'm flying to FLO soon...I expect it to be low-hassle! Also, long ago I went out of SBY...this was well pre-9/11, and it was a cinch.

For larger airports, I found PIT to be not so bad, except for its long distance from the city. That's definitely a buzzkill. With places like LAX, JFK and so on, it seems to depend a lot on which terminal you go through.

I have never had a good time at ORD, other than a memorable bar visit or two.  Also, ATL has been bad luck for me, as I've never had a connecting flight that wasn't at the opposite end of the next terminal or two over (and with no appreciable layover time).

[OCGuy81]

By coincidence, I'll be flying out of IND tomorrow to Denver and then on to Portland, which if I read it correctly on this thread is also a nice airport. Then I'll fly back through Denver on the return. This will be my third time going thorugh Denver and I have always been conflicted between it and IND (where I live). Granted, I never flew through the old IND so there's that too. Needless to say, no crappy airport designs for me tomorrow!

You read about Portland correctly.  I make a few trips up that way each year, and love PDX.  It's very easy to navigate, and has a great selection of places to eat and shop at.  I actually bought my wife a pair of the Nike Free she's been wanting on a trip home, and was surprised to learn they don't inflate prices at the airport.  Plus, the food is pretty decent.  My last trip I had to go from PDX to Sacramento, and took a flight on Horizon from terminal A.  There was a Laurelwood (a local microbrewer) Brewing Company in that terminal! Nice!

On a few trips there, I've gotten off the plane and have heard a guy on a piano as I navigate towards the baggage claim.  Kinda cool.

They just need a Voodoo Donut on site.  One of my clients took me to that Portland landmark, and it's incredible.