Best/worst airports you've been to?
- Thread starter Van Hellseek
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Best:
Probably not the best but I use Gatwick several times a year and have no qualms with it, does the job and I find it signifcantly better than Heathrow.
Ulaan Bataar airport, Mongolia. Not very modern but due to the tiny numbers of people at the airport (only two gates at the time) it was such a relaxed enviroment.
Singapore. Super modern etc.
Worst:
Cuba. 2 hour imiigration queue on the tarmac in the sun. List of incoming passengers (two planes so maybe 600 people) was printed on a piece of paper and took forever. YOu wouldn't want to complain about the heat or wait either, immigration are armed with assault rifles.
Rome fiumicino. Absolute maze, 45 minute walk from initial security to gate including an extra passport control check (which I'm still not sure how we came across).
Probably not the best but I use Gatwick several times a year and have no qualms with it, does the job and I find it signifcantly better than Heathrow.
Ulaan Bataar airport, Mongolia. Not very modern but due to the tiny numbers of people at the airport (only two gates at the time) it was such a relaxed enviroment.
Singapore. Super modern etc.
Worst:
Cuba. 2 hour imiigration queue on the tarmac in the sun. List of incoming passengers (two planes so maybe 600 people) was printed on a piece of paper and took forever. YOu wouldn't want to complain about the heat or wait either, immigration are armed with assault rifles.
Rome fiumicino. Absolute maze, 45 minute walk from initial security to gate including an extra passport control check (which I'm still not sure how we came across).
You guys need some perspective on your 'worst' airports. Conakry takes it hands down for me. For a more first world worst option, Hartsfield International in Atlanta is pretty grim. Accra was also a bit crap.
I quite liked Casablanca's international departures, but it's internal departures sucked. I still think it's a disgrace how few major hubs offer free WiFi.
I quite liked Casablanca's international departures, but it's internal departures sucked. I still think it's a disgrace how few major hubs offer free WiFi.
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Soldato
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Worst - LAX - queing outside, nothing much to do there, shops inside are rubbish.
Cant think of any that ive thought "brilliant!"
Cant think of any that ive thought "brilliant!"
Soldato
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Best airport 6 years in a row. Of course this is Incheon airport not Seoul, I'm sure that's what you meant.
Worst: any airport in China. Big, dull, expensive, no wifi. Terrible if you're ill with one medical bay about a 1Km walk from most of the departure gates, Shenzhen I'm looking at you!
Best: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Saigon) - International Terminal. Maybe I was lucky but I just found it was very relaxing - not overcrowded, everything you needed and some things you didn't (hairdressers/beauty salon). The domestic terminal is crap though lol.
Worst: Heathrow - don't need to say anything more.
Doha - operating well above capacity, always seems to be a mad rush to get connecting flights.
Worst: Heathrow - don't need to say anything more.
Doha - operating well above capacity, always seems to be a mad rush to get connecting flights.
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
My worst has to be Malé International Airport, Maldives.
Besides being in the middle of the ocean, there was naff all to do and the departure lounge was not air conditioned.
Besides being in the middle of the ocean, there was naff all to do and the departure lounge was not air conditioned.
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OP - I'm intruiged by CMB being one of the best?I've been there about 20 odd times, and although it's ok nowadays, it's not great.
Small queues and seemed relatively chilled out/relaxed when I was there. Small enough that everything is all relatively close, so there's no epic travelator marathons. And there a decent selection of shops and at least one good place to eat with free wifi. Also it has free internet 'terminals', and the smoking room was alright compared to some others.
It was quite early when I was there, maybe it gets busier/hectic later in the day.
The downsides were that it had toilet guys trying to get money for handing you a towel, and it was pretty expensive ($20USD for a FHM).
But yeah it's nothing amazing, just seemed like a nice little airport. Only been there once though, so I may have just been lucky.
5 years ago it was a total joke
I can imagine it used to be very strict given that a plane was blown up by a bomb there in the 80's.
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My worst has to be Malé International Airport, Maldives.
Besides being in the middle of the ocean, there was naff all to do and the departure lounge was not air conditioned.
Go to the VIP lounge next time. We went in there and it was pretty good. Unlimited free food and drink too.
Vienna? Really? I didn't think that much of it. We had a house in Vienna and used to fly there at least once a month. It runs smoothly until delays or cancelled planes comes into play .. an hour later and it's at the point of melting down. I did enjoy the adult shop there though
.Anyway, my favourites then.
Bratislava Stefanik Airport - They just opened the new terminal last year and it's minimal, spacious, clean and quick. Which is basically all I want from an airport.
Bergen Flesland Airport - Used to fly into it, well, at one point, once a week. Immigration is super super fast. You have your luggage ready and waiting once you're through and out of the airport in no time.
Amsterdam Schiphol - Huge, easily laid out with excellent customer service.
Worst:
Cape Town International - It wouldn't have been so bad had the immigration hall not been such a mess with moronic security guards poking around in the queues asking if you had a valid visa, as if you'd be let on the plane in the first place without one, if you needed on that is. Or asking my SA passport holder mate if he had a return ticket. To where mate? Transport links don't exist at all and every shop tries ripping you off. Price tags appears to be ballpark suggestions.
Doha, Qatar - Hot as hell with crap air con. Even at 4am in the morning I was sweating my cob off. Idiot security guards that keeps harassing with stupid questions.
Malta - Filthy. Full of flies. Taxi drivers harassing you from the moment you step outside.
Athens - Same as Malta. Better transport links to city centre via trains though.
Rome - Chaos.
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
I've been in the VIP lounge, but the departure gate was essentially a medium sized room with plastic seating, and that let it down.
Oh, and some french guy on the free Wi- Fi, babbeling on Skype for half hour is not cool
haha None of the airports in the UK are anything like a 'dump'. Both LHR and LGW are quite good by international standards. Let's bash the British shall we? 
Best for me is Singapore Changi, or Munich I think. Changi for free wi-fi and general awesomeness, Munich because it feels empty eventhough it is quite busy, is super-clean, and the food/ drink is ok/ not a rip off.
Worst- If we are talking ANY airport, I would have to think hard.
For Internationals, for me it has to be Riyadh's airport (Saudi Arabia). Long queues, few check in desks, guys with huge guns everywhere, nothing there apart from a Starbucks.
In Europe, the worst has to be Charles de Gaulle Terminal three- basically just a shed.
Best for me is Singapore Changi, or Munich I think. Changi for free wi-fi and general awesomeness, Munich because it feels empty eventhough it is quite busy, is super-clean, and the food/ drink is ok/ not a rip off.
Worst- If we are talking ANY airport, I would have to think hard.
For Internationals, for me it has to be Riyadh's airport (Saudi Arabia). Long queues, few check in desks, guys with huge guns everywhere, nothing there apart from a Starbucks.
In Europe, the worst has to be Charles de Gaulle Terminal three- basically just a shed.
Vienna? Really? I didn't think that much of it. We had a house in Vienna and used to fly there at least once a month. It runs smoothly until delays or cancelled planes comes into play .. an hour later and it's at the point of melting down. I did enjoy the adult shop there though
Out of the airports I've been too, yes it was the nicest imo. Lucky you for having a house in Vienna though! I really love the place.
haha None of the airports in the UK are anything like a 'dump'. Both LHR and LGW are quite good by international standards. Let's bash the British shall we?
When you go through LGW day in day out, you see how terrible it really is.
