The AIRPORT thread
Discussion
justayellowbadge said:
Gatwick. Unspeakably desperate.
I steadfastly refuse to use it.
I can't comment on South Terminal, but I'll do anything I possibly can to fly out of North Terminal at Gatwick rather than use Heathrow for a number of reasons.I steadfastly refuse to use it.
- There is hardly any distance to walk to any gate, the queues for security on the way out and passports on the way back are invariably shorter.
- The long term parking is about half the price, and you never have to worry about the traffic between the carpark and the terminal.
- There's always plenty of room in the BA First Class lounge, unlike Heathrow T4 which is generally fit to burst.
- The shops are fairly decent.
- It's one hell of a lot better to drive to at just about any hour of the day (I'm exactly 28 miles from either via the M25).
In terms of the worst, Milan Linate is probably the armpit of European airports. It might be practically next to the Duomo, but it makes Heathrow T2 look attractive, and that just shouldn't be possible.
Cairo has to get an honourable mention as the airport with the crappest shops on the face of the planet. Until you've seen it for yourself, the idea of an airport shop selling second-hand Betamax video recorders is simply too difficult to imagine.
However, without doubt the overall prize for the worst airport on the face of the planet, assuming nothing has changed since I was last there in 2002, is won, head and shoulders below the nearest competition, by Riyadh Airport in Saudi. You arrive at this huge, imposing building thinking OK, I'm not going to get a beer, but this must have some decent facilities. You are wrong. They take a sadistic delight in making you get there at least 2 hours before your flight (and I've seen 1st class passengers bumped completely off the plane when they've turned up 90 minutes before departure) only to discover that there is nothing to do. This is the largest building in the World with nothing inside it!
The VIP lounge appears to be shared by all the airlines, which is not good, seeing as it has about 12 chairs and no aircon, and there is one small snack bar outside, and that's it. If I ever have to go back there, it will be too soon.
Mars said:
I love driving in Europe.
Even with the congestion and the Gatsos, driving beats having to squander hours of my life in airports - including endless queues for security checks that are at best a token effort to make people feel 'safe', only to be perched in a flying sewer pipe for several more hours, into a cocked hat. 
I'll raise you all: Port Harcourt international airport!
Deal with the smell, pay your way through check-in/immigration/customs, the business lounge is like a London public convenience and when you take off you look out of the window at the anti-aircraft guns beside the runway and the other wrecked aircraft. Maybe, just maybe your luggage hasn't been robbed or shat on.
Aaarrrghhhh!
Deal with the smell, pay your way through check-in/immigration/customs, the business lounge is like a London public convenience and when you take off you look out of the window at the anti-aircraft guns beside the runway and the other wrecked aircraft. Maybe, just maybe your luggage hasn't been robbed or shat on.
Aaarrrghhhh!
Famous Graham said:
always flying BMI and having their lounges at both makes things much more civilised.
Are they any good these days? I only used them a couple of times maybe 6-7 years ago, and they came across pretty poorly in comparison to BA. Very much the poor relation, and in some ways almost as bad as Air France.Be nice to know if they're worth it now, as BA have certainly gone downhill.
Kermit power said:
Famous Graham said:
always flying BMI and having their lounges at both makes things much more civilised.
Are they any good these days? I only used them a couple of times maybe 6-7 years ago, and they came across pretty poorly in comparison to BA. Very much the poor relation, and in some ways almost as bad as Air France.Be nice to know if they're worth it now, as BA have certainly gone downhill.
Good airports; as one of the other posters said, Rotterdam is pretty good, small, not too busy and lots of amenities. Otherwise I find the Scandinavian airports pretty good, Oslo and Billund in Denmark stick in my mind, have never been a fan of Schipol to be honest.
For bad airports I could write a book, I've had the misfortune of flying in/out of some of the worst, where to begin:
Rabual, Papua New Guinea, just after the earthquake, the original airport was under 5' of ash so they reactivated a jungle strip last used by the Americans during the Second World War. Airport facilities: none, just one earth landing strip, tractor and trailer to pick your baggage off.
To enjoy the best that airports can offer you really must try the domestic terminal at Luanda, Angola, truly hell on earth. Even better than Catumbela airport down the coast where there is a single airport 'building' with the only entertainment being watching the air force shuffle their unflyable Mig 21s on the apron. And this was all after stepping off a plane older than myself (727).
Chittagong, Bangladesh, just don't go there.
Port Gentil, Gabon, the departure 'gate' part of the building was literally half demolished and open to the elements, with no sight of it being rebuilt in the near future.
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, new airport already disintegrating, perpetually showing a flight to Geneva and none others on the departure board.
Port Harcourt, as one of the other posters said, not the best, the AC does not work, but you don't get fleeced anymore, and they had actually removed the moss covered old jets that were parked off the runway nose into the jungle last time I was there.
Could go on, there are some truly terrible airports out there.
For bad airports I could write a book, I've had the misfortune of flying in/out of some of the worst, where to begin:
Rabual, Papua New Guinea, just after the earthquake, the original airport was under 5' of ash so they reactivated a jungle strip last used by the Americans during the Second World War. Airport facilities: none, just one earth landing strip, tractor and trailer to pick your baggage off.
To enjoy the best that airports can offer you really must try the domestic terminal at Luanda, Angola, truly hell on earth. Even better than Catumbela airport down the coast where there is a single airport 'building' with the only entertainment being watching the air force shuffle their unflyable Mig 21s on the apron. And this was all after stepping off a plane older than myself (727).
Chittagong, Bangladesh, just don't go there.
Port Gentil, Gabon, the departure 'gate' part of the building was literally half demolished and open to the elements, with no sight of it being rebuilt in the near future.
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, new airport already disintegrating, perpetually showing a flight to Geneva and none others on the departure board.
Port Harcourt, as one of the other posters said, not the best, the AC does not work, but you don't get fleeced anymore, and they had actually removed the moss covered old jets that were parked off the runway nose into the jungle last time I was there.
Could go on, there are some truly terrible airports out there.
Edited by Popeyed on Saturday 3rd November 19:49
Popeyed said:
Good airports; as one of the other posters said, Rotterdam is pretty good, small, not too busy and lots of amenities.
If I have to fly, Rotterdam is a thousand times better a place to depart from than Schiphol - and I'm not saying that because it's a mere 10 mins drive from where I live.
Surprsied no-one's mentioned Nairobi International ... Used it several times and invariably find if I've escaped being bitten while on holiday (safari or Watamu) I alway scome away from the airport with all sorts of areas nibbled by creatures I'd prefer didn't nibble me ...
Nairobi Wilson now, that's different, so laid back it could be flat on its back. Very entertaining to sit there and people watch!
Nairobi Wilson now, that's different, so laid back it could be flat on its back. Very entertaining to sit there and people watch!
I've never been because, well, I'm not stupid, but my other half suggests that getting frisked and having some redneck paw your smalls, or tolerating the drudgery of Heathrow or O'Hare, is as nothing compared to watching your documents and luggage disappear courtesy of a couple of teenagers with machine guns at Asmara 
(I had no idea she'd been to Africa. Pistonheads, bringing families closer.)
(I had no idea she'd been to Africa. Pistonheads, bringing families closer.)
Edited by J111 on Saturday 3rd November 23:37
Siem Reap (Cambodia) departure lounge has wonderful leather-upholstered chairs!
Singapore has an open air bar and smoking area on the top level; a wonderful place to spend 30 minutes while the other 400 passengers from your plane fight through baggage reclaim, passport control and customs.
Cairo international is now civilised - for anyone who last visited over 5 years ago.
LAX has a bizarre system for checking luggage in.
Singapore has an open air bar and smoking area on the top level; a wonderful place to spend 30 minutes while the other 400 passengers from your plane fight through baggage reclaim, passport control and customs.
Cairo international is now civilised - for anyone who last visited over 5 years ago.
LAX has a bizarre system for checking luggage in.
all to do!driverrob said:
LAX has a bizarre system for checking luggage in.
Half of that sentence is superfluous. LAX is just plain weird. I saw someone get told off for reading a newspaper in the queue. Fine if their lack of attention held the queue up, but they were a good 2 hours (that was a fun way to spend an afternoon 
) from talking to an immigration Nazi. Another one:
Dar es Salaam internal flights terminal is, shall we say, 'quaint'.
Boarding passes for the single engined island hopper were written in pencil on paper forms. We left our luggage in the staff office while we went outside for a smoke.
I used to like the old Bangkok departure terminal with its incredibly long shopping area. I don't know what its new replacement is like.
Dar es Salaam internal flights terminal is, shall we say, 'quaint'.
Boarding passes for the single engined island hopper were written in pencil on paper forms. We left our luggage in the staff office while we went outside for a smoke.
I used to like the old Bangkok departure terminal with its incredibly long shopping area. I don't know what its new replacement is like.
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