I used to “kind of” enjoy a 1 ½ hour layover at a major airport that had something interesting to see or do on the “airside”, but I’ve been over that for a long time.  I actually get a little nervous (and I’m known for not letting most things bug me,  I’m have very boisterous personality around people I know,  but not too many thing rattle me).  Airports most certainly do.  I think it’s the long lines, the grouchy airline staff (and I go out of my way to be pleasant to them, believe me), and the security hassles.  Once I reach the “airside” I calm down a little, but I’m still not happy until I’m safely ensconced in my seat on the plane.  Having said all of this, there are good airports and bad airports, and really miserable airports, so I’m going to share some of my thoughts on airports I’ve visited.  I’ve been in at least 100 different airports around North America, and the world. 

I’ve been in all the biggies like Atlanta Hartsfield, DFW and O’Hare.  I’ve also been in some very small airports like Lake Havasu City, or Elmira, NY (or Aswan, Egypt for that matter).   So here come some thoughts on the best and the worst I’ve experienced. 

First off, I should address the one I know best, which would be my home airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International.  PHX has 3 terminals, 2, 3, and 4 (Terminal 1 was torn down about 15 years ago, and they didn’t want to cause confusion by renumbering the existing terminals).  Probably 75% of my flights go out of the enormous Terminal 4, which is the home to the primary hub for USAir / America West.  It is also the busiest location for Southwest Airlines. It may come as a surprise to you if you don’t live in Phoenix, but PHX is the 5th busiest airport in the US, and the 9th busiest in the world, so it’s a very busy place.  Overall I like Terminal 4, it’s a very modern, attractive terminal with good places to eat (try the burro’s at Oaxaca in the 2nd floor food court, some of the best Mexican food in the city with the world’s best Mexican food.  Also they’re only $4.50 which is a bargain.)  My only beef with Terminal 4 is it is huge, probably ½ mile or more from one end to the other.  There are moving walkways, so it’s not so bad, but it’s a long way from the gate A-24 to gate D-24, and there are no moving walkways once you’re in the gate areas.  Terminal 3 and 2 are much smaller, and they’re fine, both have recently been remodeled, and have adequate food service at reasonable prices. Of the other mega-airports in the US, I would have to say my favorite is Atlanta.  Although it is huge in size, thanks to the central transit corridor with the people-movers, you can make most tight connections even if your going from the T-gates to the E-gates.  What I like best I about ATL is that there is lots to do while you’re waiting, and if you don’t like what’s available in your terminal, the others are a short ride away.  There is a wonderful food court in the D terminal, with a player full-grand piano, that plays the classics 24 hours a day.  There is also lots of shopping etc.  The “new” Denver International is very impressive, but a) it’s just too big, and confusing with no real transportation once your inside, and b) if you’re working in Denver, you have about a 40 mile drive out to the middle of nowhere to get there.  After driving for 30 miles from d/t Denver, you arrive at the exit for the airport (Pena Drive), and you find you still have 9 miles to go. I love the new International Terminal at JFK.  They wisely turned the operation over to a private vendor, and it’s like flying out of your local shopping mall.  Huge food court, lots of shops, plenty of time-killers in a place where you will always have lots of time to kill (International carriers normally require you arrive at least 3 hours early).  Orlando McCoy Jetport is usually the top-rated major airport in the US, and I can’t disagree.  Of course the proximity to Disneyworld doesn’t hurt.  Transportation from the terminals to the departure/arrival hall is via People Movers, and the informative voice is the same as the one you hear on the Monorail, trains and other transportation at Disneyworld.  There is also a large Disney Store in the lobby, as well as a store for Universal Studios, and Sea World.  They have a hotel right in the airport itself, which is very nice but very expensive. I’ve been in a number of airports in Mexico, and outside of Mexico City and Guadalajara, they are hard to tell apart.  They are all operated by the same quasi-governmental company, and they’re very Spartan, but usually clean.  Mexico City’s airport is chaotic; it’s right in the middle of the city and very busy.  Leaving Mexico City’s airport in a rental car is an adventure all its own.  The airport is located right in the middle of an ordinary neighborhood (there are homes right across the street from the terminal), so you have to drive through this neighborhood that is totally unmarked in order to get to the freeway or “Circuito Interior”.  Vancouver BC’s airport is very nice, although small for such a big city.  Overseas my favorites are London Gatwick, and Frankfurt International.   Gatwick is surprising small, and I was surprised to find out it is the world’s busiest single runway airport.  You have to wait for your flights in a huge central departure hall, but it’s reminiscent of being in Vegas, lots of neon, very festive setting.  Frankfurt is just the opposite, quiet, sort of subdued elegance and it’s very large and spread out.  Most of the Middle East airports I’ve visited have been a little rough, except for the airport in Amman Jordan, which is beautiful. 

Oh, there are so many, this could go on forever, but I’ll try to keep it short.  In the incredibly ugly division, there is Detroit Wayne.  It’s the perfect hub location for the worst airline in the US, Northwest.  The airport is old, and coming apart.  Dirty bathrooms, peeling paint, lousy, expensive food, blah, blah.  St. Louis is not far behind, particularly since American acquired TWA.  I particularly dislike that St. Louis has smoking rooms that appear to have no ventilation, and are right off the main corridors.  As much as I hate smoking, I don’t hate smokers, and I have no problem with providing somewhere for them to smoke once inside the airside.  What I don’t like is that STL has these rooms where you have no choice but walk by these stinky, ugly rooms.  I haven’t been in all of the terminals in JFK, but I have spent some time in Terminals 1-2 which are the Delta terminals and they are awful.  Everything is old, and the building is impossible to navigate.  The waiting area for the last flight I took

out of there from JFK to PHX on a 767 (which is a big plane, seats almost 300 people) was off by itself, and very small, maybe enough room for 40 people to sit and no other gate close by.  I do like the new monorail system that they have to get from terminal to terminal, but the hotel shuttle area is a disaster.  You have to take the monorail to the end of the line, where you wait in an uncovered abandoned parking lot, no seating, no protection from the elements (this was in November, below freezing and record winds).  This is also where you pick up rental cars, and the rental car company’s don’t like you getting warm, or using their bathrooms if you aren’t renting a car from them. (I just show them my frequent user card from whatever company it is, that usually will get them to leave me alone).  La Guardia is too small, and too old.  But it’s so close to mid-town that I can live with that.  I like Newark fine,  and I often work downtown in Manhattan instead of mid-town,  and if I’m staying at one of my favorite hotels in the world,  the Downtown New York Embassy Suites,  I fly into Newark.  The new monorail is so much nicer than the old one, and it takes your right to the train station for a quick ride to either the Jersey City PATH station for downtown or to Penn Station for Mid-town.  The worst major airport in the US has to be Seattle-Tacoma.  It’s actually marginally attractive, and well-kept.  They have a good food court, and an interesting shopping area, although the shopping area is before security.  But the airport itself is a mess.  You’re always guaranteed of having a nice long wait in some line.  Their security situation is a mess, typically the wait time is at least an hour.  About 4 years ago, I had an early flight going out on Alaska, and I decided to move from my downtown hotel to an airport hotel so I could get to the airport nice and early, in order to avoid the lines.  I arrived @ 5a for an 8:30a flight.  When I arrived @ 5a, the security wrapped all around the ticketing lobby, and out the door.  Suffice it to say, I missed my flight, BY 3 HOURS!  It took over 6 hours to get through security.  It’s much better there now, but it’s still a big hassle.  Once you’re beyond security, it can be a very long walk to your gate, and there are no moving walkways.  There is an underground subway system, but it always seems to be under construction, and it’s not real convenient anyway.  It’s a shame, because flying in and out of Seattle can be a real treat.  You often can see Mt. Rainer jutting out from above the clouds,  and one of the primary approaches fly right over downtown Seattle and the Puget sound,  which is just stunningly beautiful.  Internationally, I haven’t experienced a genuinely horrible airport, although the airports in Egypt are not great by US standards, but not as bad as one would expect.  Cairo’s domestic terminal is a little rough, but bearable.  Their International terminal is fair, except the area for the daily flight to JFK on EgyptAir, which is a very nice area.  They may hate us, but they understand where the money comes from.  Heathrow is just too darn busy and big, Inter-terminal connections

can be a nightmare, but it’s a very nice airport overall.  I’d much rather fly into Gatwick.