Started By
Message

Your Best and Worst Airports (Domestic + International)

Posted on 12/17/23 at 8:36 am
Posted by CuseTiger
On the road
Member since Jul 2013
8197 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 8:36 am
With all the travel coming up I figure we can have a fun thread discussing your favorite and least favorite airports. Let's have both domestic and international since we have a lot of people doing both on here.

Domestic Best-
Buffalo. I was going through my head of the large airports, connecting airports, rental car experiences, time from parking to get through security, and settled on Buffalo. The airport flies direct to most places in the US, the short and long term parking lots are within walking distance of the terminal, check-in is a breeze, security never takes longer than 10 minutes even at the busy hour of 5am. The food options are decent with a tim hortons and an anchor bar, the runways are right next to the terminal so no obnoxiously long taxi times like at DFW, ORD, JFK, etc. Plenty of space in the terminal to spread out and find a quiet gate area. The rental cars are at the terminal as well which saves having to take a bus ride elsewhere.

The other option for me in a close second was Cincinnati CVG, very easy to get around, spread out, and flights to a lot of the country.

Domestic Worst-
Orlando. I haven't flow out of here in years and had the pleasant opportunity to last week. Drop off for passengers is congested, check in/baggage drop off can have very long lines with people checking strollers, security for regular, TSA Precheck, and Clear was a mess, and the gate area for Delta and Southwest is extremely cramped/congested. It took over an hour from stepping in the terminal to check-in to getting through security then taking the tram to the gates. Throw in a ton of screaming kids either coming or going to disney world and you've got a terrible setup. I have not been in the jetblue terminal C yet so no clue how that is.

International Best-
It's been a while for me, but I'll nominate Seoul Incheon South Korea. They had very cheap tours if you were connecting through there ($5 or $10) and took me to the city for 3-4 hours. The security was easy, same with immigration, also seemed like a decent amount of food options.

International Worst-
London. From the buses at one terminal to another terminal to reclearing security and removing all liquids, the experience was less than pleasant. Another thing to be aware of is they don't post the gates like the US does hours before, it's when you're in the terminal waiting for the plane. So you're stuck standing around watching a board monitor like it's NY Penn station for a track number.
Posted by usc6158
Member since Feb 2008
35338 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 8:56 am to
Domestic:
Best: Detroit
Worst: Miami

International:
Best: Copenhagen
Worst: Charles de Gaulle

Haven't been to Asia or the Middle East so would assume Dubai, Doha, Singapore etc take a cake.
Posted by wesfau
Member since Mar 2023
495 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 9:38 am to
Not enough international travel to vote there, but best Domestic is ATL by a country mile. Worst domestic is Sky Harbor or LAX.
Posted by SportsGuyNOLA
New Orleans, LA
Member since May 2014
16993 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 9:42 am to
Worst-

Denver and Detroit

Avoid these 2 as much as possible
Posted by kciDAtaE
Member since Apr 2017
15706 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 9:46 am to
I was very impressed with Tokyo NRT. Super efficient. Was through all checkpoints in less than 30 minutes with the fast pass app. And luggage was waiting for me at baggage claim. Color coded lines for train transfers and people employed there with the sole purpose of assisting with tickets and other questions.
Posted by jfw3535
South of Bunkie
Member since Mar 2008
4646 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 10:56 am to
Don't remember whether it was Oakland or San Francisco I flew out of one time and I remember that airport being a total shite show.

Don't really have a vote for best and don't travel internationally enough to have an opinion.
Posted by luvdatigahs
Alameda, CA
Member since Sep 2008
3014 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 11:00 am to
Domestic
Best: atl
Worst: lax

International
Best: Doha, incredible
Worst: Kathmandu, exactly as you would picture it
Posted by Tigertown in ATL
Georgia foothills
Member since Sep 2009
29178 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 11:04 am to
quote:

Domestic Best: atl Worst: lax


I can go with that. Hate LAX

Also like: DFW, SLC
Dislike: MCO, LAS
Depends on concourse: SEA, IAH
Surprisingly don’t mind: MIA
This post was edited on 12/17/23 at 12:39 pm
Posted by H2O Tiger
Delta Sky Club
Member since May 2021
6614 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 11:09 am to
Double post
This post was edited on 12/17/23 at 11:12 am
Posted by H2O Tiger
Delta Sky Club
Member since May 2021
6614 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 11:11 am to
Domestic
Best: Atlanta - It's big, but nothing is more efficient than getting through that place. Plus it has some decent restaurants and plenty of Sky Clubs
Worst:LAX - Maybe it'll get better once the construction is finished but I go out of my way to avoid that place.

International
Best: Doha - The bus gates are a PITA but the premium passenger experience is unmatched in everything I've experienced.
Worst: Male - Hopefully the new terminal fixes some of these issues but the ground experience is horrible. No AC at customs (people passing out around us), security lines a mile long, and nothing noteworthy once airside.
Posted by CuseTiger
On the road
Member since Jul 2013
8197 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 11:59 am to
Agree with a lot of the posts that LAX is bad, I actively avoid that airport if possible. I'm also not a fan of Phoenix with the rental car facility feeling like it's an hour drive away.

Whoever said Seattle I generally have good experiences there but Delta was understaffed for checkin this morning. Gave myself 2 hours and it was barely enough (that was with me printing out bag tags on my own)

Curious, whoever said Detroit as a bad airport, any particular reason why?
Posted by AbitaFan08
Boston, MA
Member since Apr 2008
26545 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 12:24 pm to
Worst: Kansas City
Best: the new LGA

Worst: Taipei
Best: I suppose Heathrow?
Posted by Tigris
Mexican Home
Member since Jul 2005
12351 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 12:48 pm to
quote:

Worst: Kansas City


The new one?

quote:

Best: I suppose Heathrow?


Man, that gets my nod for worst international. The connections involving multiple buses and security screenings are just awful.

I'll go worst US - Ft. Lauderdale.
Best US - Panama City, FL (fairly new, uncrowded, well run)

Worst International - Heathrow
Best International - Tokyo Narita
Posted by H2O Tiger
Delta Sky Club
Member since May 2021
6614 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 1:23 pm to
For whatever reason, through all of my travels, I've never been to PHX.

Had a trip booked depending on where Texas went bowling but we're going to MSY instead
Posted by ob1pimpbobi
College Station
Member since Jul 2022
2637 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 1:58 pm to
LAX is hands down the worst. Denver just announced some huge deal where they are going to double the size. 4 more concourses. That place is already nuts.
Posted by Bama Bird
Member since Dec 2011
Member since Mar 2013
19024 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 2:11 pm to
US Best: Detroit
US Worst: Orlando/Charlotte

Intl Best: CDG, I guess. I've only flown into a handful and none of them stand out as fantastic
Intl Worst: Frankfurt
Posted by Tigertown in ATL
Georgia foothills
Member since Sep 2009
29178 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 2:46 pm to
quote:

Best US - Panama City


If we ate going that small I will say SAV is great.

EUG (Eugene) and FAT (Fresno) not good at all.
Posted by AbitaFan08
Boston, MA
Member since Apr 2008
26545 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 3:39 pm to
quote:

The new one?


No this would have been the old one. So in fairness I shouldn’t count it since it no longer exists
Posted by Tshiz
Idaho
Member since Jul 2013
7553 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 3:44 pm to
Best: ATL, Newark
Worst: Boston, phili, jfk, lax

Best: Copenhagen
Worst: London or CDG
Posted by bluestem75
Dallas, TX
Member since Oct 2007
3226 posts
Posted on 12/17/23 at 4:50 pm to
Blows my mind how many of you like ATL. I think it’s a shite show. The concourses are too narrow and crowded and that stupid tram takes forever.

MCO suuuuuuuucks if you don’t have Precheck. Other than that, I don’t mind it.

The worst for me is MIA. That place is disgusting. The bathroom stalls are falling apart. There’s nowhere to eat especially once you get through security. It’s in serious need of a major remodel. It stinks, too.

For large airports, I like PHX. It’s pretty easy to get through security and getting to the rental car garage will get better once they get the train up and running. Plenty of good food options and the concourses are short which means I can get to the gate with minimal walking.

I like the new Dallas Love so much, I never book to fly out of D/FW. It’s smaller, single concourse has plenty of bathrooms and food options. It’s always clean and has plenty of seats and space even when crowded.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 4Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram