We have the crappiest airports in the world?

[9erempiree]

Unacceptable.

http://www.worldairportawards.com/awards/world_airport_rating.html

I've been to 3 in the top 20. Two in the top 10.

I've been to SFO and its very good but it shouldn't appear at #37.

Lets not talk about LAX because that is a shit hole. The bathrooms are like bathrooms in a bar. Toilet paper and piss on the floor.

[Schotsman]

As a Dutchman I am very surprised that Schiphol is above Vancouver on that list. Vancouver is a beautiful airport with all the light, trees, First Nation memorabilia and what not. Kinda has a rainforesty feeling at a lot of places. Schiphol always feels to me like a giant soulless shopping mall where airplanes tend to arrive and depart. And they have a lot of problems with malfunctioning signals near the train station, meaning a lot of delays for people that want to transfer from plane to train.

In the US I've been to the airports of Philly (just for a transfer though), Chicago and Newark. Philly at the time (I don't know if that's usual there) had horrible crowd control with huge gigantic queues all over the place. Newark at the time was just a very big bus stop.

[Facepalm]

Unacceptable.

http://www.worldairportawards.com/awards/world_airport_rating.html

I've been to 3 in the top 20. Two in the top 10.

I've been to SFO and its very good but it shouldn't appear at #37.

Lets not talk about LAX because that is a shit hole. The bathrooms are like bathrooms in a bar. Toilet paper and piss on the floor.


Yes, we do. We have the crappiest airlines too.

[iamgine]

Emirates is #1 airline? I've always flown Singapore Airlines but maybe I'll try Emirates sometimes.

How ironic that an Arab airline is #1. And another Arab airline is #2. :lol

[sd3035]

Changi is undergoing massive upgrades too

[Overdrive]

As a Dutchman I am very surprised that Schiphol is above Vancouver on that list. Vancouver is a beautiful airport with all the light, trees, First Nation memorabilia and what not. Kinda has a rainforesty feeling at a lot of places. Schiphol always feels to me like a giant soulless shopping mall where airplanes tend to arrive and depart. And they have a lot of problems with malfunctioning signals near the train station, meaning a lot of delays for people that want to transfer from plane to train.

In the US I've been to the airports of Philly (just for a transfer though), Chicago and Newark. Philly at the time (I don't know if that's usual there) had horrible crowd control with huge gigantic queues all over the place. Newark at the time was just a very big bus stop.

The highway, taxiway cross in Schiphol impressed me the first time I was there. The airport itself is huge, but as you said sterile.

Don't know how VIE can be that high. Shit looks like it was built for Cessnas.

[rezznor]

Changi is undergoing massive upgrades too
changi is amazing

[highwhey]

Emirates is #1 airline? I've always flown Singapore Airlines but maybe I'll try Emirates sometimes.

How ironic that an Arab airline is #1. And another Arab airline is #2. :lol
Why is it ironic?

[9erempiree]

Yes, we do. We have the crappiest airlines too.

Don't get me started on airlines bro because that is another topic.

You get treated like shit if you fly domestically or internationally with a domestic airline.

The flight attendants are ugly and old.

[9erempiree]

Emirates is #1 airline? I've always flown Singapore Airlines but maybe I'll try Emirates sometimes.

How ironic that an Arab airline is #1. And another Arab airline is #2. :lol

Emirates is the best because of the oil money. They like to splash and showoff. What better way than to do it with their airlines.

I've seen their planes and interiors....top notch.

[Facepalm]

Don't get me started on airlines bro because that is another topic.

You get treated like shit if you fly domestically or internationally with a domestic airline.

The flight attendants are ugly and old.


http://www.elitereaders.com/vietnams-bikini-airlines-set-create-countrys-first-female-billionaire/

3rd world countries beating us at the airline game. SMH

[Schotsman]

The highway, taxiway cross in Schiphol impressed me the first time I was there. The airport itself is huge, but as you said sterile.

Don't know how VIE can be that high. Shit looks like it was built for Cessnas.

True, when you drive on the highway past Schiphol, you can literally see the JumboJets taxi over you. Very cool.

[Facepalm]

Emirates is the best because of the oil money. They like to splash and showoff. What better way than to do it with their airlines.

I've seen their planes and interiors....top notch.


Yup. Singapore airlines is real nice too, even if you aren't a business traveler.

[9erempiree]

Yup. Singapore airlines is real nice too, even if you aren't a business traveler.

Never flew Singapore but I have heard great things about them.

[Dresta]

How is Heathrow 8th? Tis one of the shittiest airports in the world.

Singapore and Hong Kong though :rockon: --they actually make it enjoyable to be in an airport.

[Facepalm]

How is Heathrow 8th? Tis one of the shittiest airports in the world.

Singapore and Hong Kong though :rockon: --they actually make it enjoyable to be in an airport.

I was wondering that too. Heathrow isn't anything special.

[LJJ]

As a Dutchman I am very surprised that Schiphol is above Vancouver on that list. Vancouver is a beautiful airport with all the light, trees, First Nation memorabilia and what not. Kinda has a rainforesty feeling at a lot of places. Schiphol always feels to me like a giant soulless shopping mall where airplanes tend to arrive and depart. And they have a lot of problems with malfunctioning signals near the train station, meaning a lot of delays for people that want to transfer from plane to train.


They really shouldn't care about the airport having pretty trees for a ranking like this.

Schiphol is far from the fanciest airport, but it is a really smooth and efficient operation. I'm always impressed by how small Schiphol feels compared to other airports, and it's only 15 minutes from downtown compared to at least an hour for most airports of that size.

[sd3035]

changi is amazing

terminal 4 and Jewel will be finished soon, then terminal 5 in about 10 years

[aj1987]

How is Heathrow 8th? Tis one of the shittiest airports in the world.

Singapore and Hong Kong though :rockon: --they actually make it enjoyable to be in an airport.
Agreed. CDG and Frankfurt aren't really special either. I guess they really basing this ranking solely on the architecture? The airports in Koh Samui and Doha are pretty nice. Haven't seen the new terminal in Doha though.

[dunksby]

Doha is shit, it takes like a twenty minute bus ride to get to the transit area once you get off the plane which is ridiculous.

[Hawker]

Not surprised. LAX and Miami are some of the biggest shithole airports in the world. Probably has more to do with the vast amount of people that go through them. Australian airports are nice but don't have to deal with the massive amount of people that go through them like American airports do.

At least customs is practically virtual now and filling out that card is useless in LAX.

[aj1987]

Doha is shit, it takes like a twenty minute bus ride to get to the transit area once you get off the plane which is ridiculous.
IIRC, that was the old terminal. Agreed on the shuttle ride to the terminal though. That airport is just massive AF. They built a new one and are routing all international traffic through that one.

I'm probably just being biased because of Qatar Airways though. It's probably the best in the world RN. Better than Thai, Lufthansa, Air India, Emirates, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, AA, etc..

[Dresta]

They really shouldn't care about the airport having pretty trees for a ranking like this.

Schiphol is far from the fanciest airport, but it is a really smooth and efficient operation. I'm always impressed by how small Schiphol feels compared to other airports, and it's only 15 minutes from downtown compared to at least an hour for most airports of that size.
Agreed about Schiphol: you always seem to get out pretty quickly, and without much walking (well, except like the first time I was there when I kept walking in circles); then it's connected to the railway so you can get anywhere pretty quickly and conveniently (could get the train straight to Duivendrecht when I lived there). It is very good in comparison to the nightmare that is London Heathrow.

Honestly, apart from the stand-out ones, small airports are generally better. The Rotterdam to London City Airport route is the height of convenient travel; there also never seems to be any customs agents coming back this way (you're out in like 10 mins, even with luggage).

[Dresta]

Not surprised. LAX and Miami are some of the biggest shithole airports in the world. Probably has more to do with the vast amount of people that go through them. Australian airports are nice but don't have to deal with the massive amount of people that go through them like American airports do.

At least customs is practically virtual now and filling out that card is useless in LAX.
Holy shit is that place bad. I wonder how much of it is staff incompetence because they just never seem to be moving (and show no concern about how incredibly long they take over absolutely everything).

[DCL]

we haven't invested in airports since like fugging 1980.

visitors from the third world visiting the US for the first time probably do not have great first impressions when they land in our outdated as fk shithole facilities.

[DCL]

and yeah, most of our airlines have old ass hags still working in cabin crew.

we do not have the advantage of some countries that can just fire people for being old or ugly.

that shit won't fly here.... endless lawsuits. :oldlol:

[dunksby]

IIRC, that was the old terminal. Agreed on the shuttle ride to the terminal though. That airport is just massive AF. They built a new one and are routing all international traffic through that one.

I'm probably just being biased because of Qatar Airways though. It's probably the best in the world RN. Better than Thai, Lufthansa, Air India, Emirates, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, AA, etc..
Attaturk/Turkish combo is better IMO, of course as long as we are talking about massive ones. Singapore is best purely quality wise.

[Overdrive]

then it's connected to the railway so you can get anywhere pretty quickly and conveniently (could get the train straight to Duivendrecht when I lived there).

Isn't that standard for most metropolitan airports?

Tegel didn't have one iirc.

[DCL]

i've seen enough

we need to copy this airline from vietnam


http://oi68.tinypic.com/1z6447r.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Lxs9Jpt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m8nipoi.jpg


http://www.maxim.com/maxim-man/bikini-airline-vietnam-first-woman-billionaire-2016-3

[Dresta]

Isn't that standard for most metropolitan airports?

Tegel didn't have one iirc.
No, not nearly as convenient and well-networked.

The London airports, for example--a nightmare. Even London City Airport is not as well-integrated into the city as Schiphol is (though it is miles better than all the other "London" airports).

[dunksby]

Isn't that standard for most metropolitan airports?

Tegel didn't have one iirc.
TXL is not connected to shit, just a bunch of taxis and not even proper parking spots.

[Overdrive]

No, not nearly as convenient and well-networked.

The London airports, for example--a nightmare. Even London City Airport is not as well-integrated into the city as Schiphol is (though it is miles better than all the other "London" airports).

Never been to London so can't say anything about it. How long does it take to get to the city center from heathrow?


TXL is not connected to shit, just a bunch of taxis and not even proper parking spots.

I remember there being a crappy busline that took nearly aslong to "Tiergarten" as the flight itself.

[Dresta]

Never been to London so can't say anything about it. How long does it take to get to the city center from heathrow?



I remember there being a crappy busline that took nearly aslong to "Tiergarten" as the flight itself.
Not long at all if you're willing to pay for the express train service, which is a bit of a rip-off. Otherwise, you can take the tube, which can be up to an hour to the centre, and an hour and a half to the places where people actually live. The Express service isn't too bad if you're a tourist, but if you live there, you usually have to get on the tube for 45 mins to get back from Paddington anyway.

Whereas at Schiphol it's just get on the train and pay 3-4 euros and you're home in like 20 mins.

[Nanners]

Im pretty sure the Portland airport is the nicest one I have visited in the states

[Overdrive]

Not long at all if you're willing to pay for the express train service, which is a bit of a rip-off. Otherwise, you can take the tube, which can be up to an hour to the centre, and an hour and a half to the places where people actually live. The Express service isn't too bad if you're a tourist, but if you live there, you usually have to get on the tube for 45 mins to get back from Paddington anyway.

Whereas at Schiphol it's just get on the train and pay 3-4 euros and you're home in like 20 mins.

Okay, that's pretty bad. We've got a rip-off express train service aswell, but the slow train is nearly as fast and attents more innercity stations. The express train service nearly went bankrupt in the beginning.

[Hawker]

Holy shit is that place bad. I wonder how much of it is staff incompetence because they just never seem to be moving (and show no concern about how incredibly long they take over absolutely everything).

You can show up two hours earlier to your flight in the US and still be late. It's ridiculous. TSA gets tested apparently and have failed quite a bit as of recent hence why they go slower. I suggest three hours early now especially for the majors like Miami/LAX/Houston/DFW etc.

Miami and LAX are exits/gateways to/from major continents so I can cut them a little slack. I was coming back from Turks and Caicos and got to the security line two hours before to go through security and almost missed my connection. It's so effed.

Such a contrast in Australia I show up an hour early, check in to a kiosk and give my bag to a machine that takes it to my flight--so easy. Don't even have to take my shoes off domestically.

[aj1987]

You can show up two hours earlier to your flight in the US and still be late. It's ridiculous. TSA gets tested apparently and have failed quite a bit as of recent hence why they go slower. I suggest three hours early now especially for the majors like Miami/LAX/Houston/DFW etc.

Miami and LAX are exits/gateways to/from major continents so I can cut them a little slack. I was coming back from Turks and Caicos and got to the security line two hours before to go through security and almost missed my connection. It's so effed.

Such a contrast in Australia I show up an hour early, check in to a kiosk and give my bag to a machine that takes it to my flight--so easy. Don't even have to take my shoes off domestically.
Really? I fly into JFK a couple of times a year and fly out from there. The only time that I've been there 3 hours before my departure time was last year, when I went by the traffic report and started real early. Usually, it's under 2 hours and I still have to time to kill.


Attaturk/Turkish combo is better IMO, of course as long as we are talking about massive ones. Singapore is best purely quality wise.
Good to know. I've never been to Turkey. Should go there. Probably next year though.

As far as just carriers go, I prefer Qatar over any other carrier.

[LJJ]

Okay, that's pretty bad. We've got a rip-off express train service aswell, but the slow train is nearly as fast and attents more innercity stations. The express train service nearly went bankrupt in the beginning.

You should look at the Asian airports topping these lists. They are all fabulous and well organised. Incheon, Narita, Hong Kong, Kansai. But they are all like an hour trip from the city.

I remember at Incheon they had some dank tourism stuff. They had actual historical reenactments with dozens of actors, fancy expos, etcetera. But it doesn't matter much when you are a budget traveler and you have to ride the transit bus for 2 hours to get to downtown Seoul. I'd rather have a couple hours back.

[dunksby]

Really? I fly into JFK a couple of times a year and fly out from there. The only time that I've been there 3 hours before my departure time was last year, when I went by the traffic report and started real early. Usually, it's under 2 hours and I still have to time to kill.


Good to know. I've never been to Turkey. Should go there. Probably next year though.

As far as just carriers go, I prefer Qatar over any other carrier.
I was flying Qatar right up till I first travelled Turkish, not saying it's a world of difference, but the combination of both the airliner and the airport won me over.

[dunksby]

As for express trains for distant airports, I gotta say the one for Kuala Lumpur is pretty neat, fast, comfy and reliable.

[Facepalm]

i've seen enough

we need to copy this airline from vietnam


http://oi68.tinypic.com/1z6447r.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Lxs9Jpt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m8nipoi.jpg


http://www.maxim.com/maxim-man/bikini-airline-vietnam-first-woman-billionaire-2016-3

Brah...http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12559557&postcount=11

[Lebowsky]

You should look at the Asian airports topping these lists. They are all fabulous and well organised. Incheon, Narita, Hong Kong, Kansai. But they are all like an hour trip from the city.

I remember at Incheon they had some dank tourism stuff. They had actual historical reenactments with dozens of actors, fancy expos, etcetera. But it doesn't matter much when you are a budget traveler and you have to ride the transit bus for 2 hours to get to downtown Seoul. I'd rather have a couple hours back.
KLIA is also one of the best in the region, if not for the 2+ hour immigration queue.

[Lebowsky]

As for express trains for distant airports, I gotta say the one for Kuala Lumpur is pretty neat, fast, comfy and reliable.
Yup, and it's just 11 EUR.