Worst Airport?

Am currently sat in JFK, having come over on VS 9 yesterday. First impressions of JFK is that, well, it's a bit of a poo hole.... am in T5, waiting for my jet blue flight to FL, and T5 is okay, but things are bad when Dunkin Donuts is the only place to get a latte

Thought I'd ask where people thought the worst Airport is.... I'll start with La Guardia!

A lot of US airports are bad in their concessions (SFO is one big exception here), but most importantly in their layout. They weren't designed to support proper security processes, and in some cases the layout for security transit is comically disastrous. EWR's Terminal A security line to get to the United gates is truly hard to describe, with lines/machines serially arranged along the corridor leading to the gates.

The trend in many places is for airports to now re-adjudicate concessions locally, to small businesses from the area. Thus in SFO your coffee comes from Peet's and Emporio Rulli, not so many Starbucks places. And all of the concessions for food come from restaurants in the area.

My East Coast friends swear by Dunkin' Donuts coffee - I simply swear AT it [:)]

WOrst airport ?

Is always the one I am stuck in at that particular time.

Failing that it has to be Livinstone in Zambia for me - yes it has a BA Lounge but apart from that it is a vile badly managed airport that lacks any social grace and only a cursory nod in the direction of security.

HG

Gambia, we were taken to the airport for the flight home 4 hours early and all sat in a room with no facilities except a man selling overpriced drinks whose prices increased as we all got thirstier. The toilet attendant wouldn't unlock the door until you tipped them.

We could see our cases on the runway and twice all passengers were told they had to walk out to identify them. The trouble was on each occasion you had to pass a guard who charged you an access fee onto the runway!

I understand that we were in a very poor country and people need to use their wits to survive, but my patience was severely tested that day.

For arrivals it has to be MIA the most disorganised arrivals hall ever and immigration takes ages.

For departures it would have to be Luxor. All the security machinery in the world but then they let airport workers walk around it all. Sort of defeats the object don't you think.

Miopyk[8D]

I'll vote for Miami airport - what a dump! I'll also say Lagos! [:$]

And my vote goes to MIA - Vile horrid hellhole.

[Scrooge]

This topic comes up a couple of times a year, frankly the vast majority of people have no idea when it comes to the worst airports, until you have traveled through Africa or Central America you really don't have a clue.

Try going to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, where the bathroom is a hole in the ground and there is no place to buy food or drink. San Jose Del Cabo in Mexico where they somehow manage to have wifi, but nothing else.

If you want to talk major airports, try San Juan in Puerto Rico, a place that needs to be leveled and may well do so on it's own.

And of course the DL terminals at JFK [:p]

Charles de Gaulle by a mile.

Although honorable mentions to LHR (not T5) and any airport in the USA especially LAX where I truly pity anyone without lounge access.

quote:Originally posted by centurionman
Although honorable mentions to LHR (not T5) and any airport in the USA especially LAX where I truly pity anyone without lounge access.


Too true. I add MIA as an example of an airport in the developed world but agree, you have to go to Africa, Asia or Siberia to really experience awful airports. The old BLR for example ...

I'd vote for Washington Dulles (IAD). Those Stupid buses, which wreck the process of 'first off, first at immigration' combined with the general chaos of the place. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up just remembering the place....

For immigration MIA is tough to beat.
IAD - ditto on the stupid buses.
The old SFO International was brilliant - on arrival, you waited for ever for your bags, then you went through Immigration! Fortunately that one got fixed with the new terminal.
As for Africa, Maun in Botswana ia actually not bad.

quote:

For departures it would have to be Luxor. All the security machinery in the world but then they let airport workers walk around it all. Sort of defeats the object don't you think.

Miopyk[8D]


Must agree with Myopyk,even the mention of it on here is enough to make me want to head back into therapy.We had a 6 hour delay there and there was a man out-side the foul smelling toilets selling toilet tissue for 1 egypian pound per sheet! These toilets could be smelt all over the airport. When we eventually arrived back in UK a whole container of our luggage had been sent to the wrong continent.[n]

quote:Originally posted by woggles
[quote]
We had a 6 hour delay there and there was a man out-side the foul smelling toilets selling toilet tissue for 1 egypian pound per sheet! These toilets could be smelt all over the airport. [n]


I still don't think anything will ever beat the 'toilets' in the old Lagos domestic terminal building. [:$][:$][:$][:$][:$]

HUY

GJ

I hate DXB so many bloody passport checks, massive long walks and the BA lounge is crap.

Yeah DXB certainly wasnt up there for all the right reason, however a special shout out for miami airport & immigration there too!

cheers

alex

[Neil]

I thought MIA was okay actually, immigration a breeze and the airport seemed decent enough in both domestic and international departures, much better than say JFK terminal 4 IMO.

quote:Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
HUY

GJ


HUY is a very nice airport, actually, GJ. I love the fact it is 20mins from home, I can arrived 40mins before a flight and be sat in departures less than 10mins after parking the car[y]

quote:Originally posted by Neil

quote:Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
HUY

GJ


HUY is a very nice airport, actually, GJ. I love the fact it is 20mins from home, I can arrived 40mins before a flight and be sat in departures less than 10mins after parking the car[y]


Neil, I can only apologize. The truth is, Scrooge broke in last night and forced me to type that. He's an odd, cold bugger...something between Vinnie Jones and Dame Edna.

At any rate, please give my best to the good people at HUY.

GJ