MetaChat - Airport reviews wanted

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26 January 2008

Airport reviews wanted We run a new blog dedicated to the word's airports. For years we've been frustrated by the poor quality of airport guides and thought that we would try and build a better one. Would anyone be interested in writing small reviews of any of thier favourite airports (and maybe supply an interesting pic)? →[More:]

What we would like is a 100 or so words telling us what's so great about your favourite airport? What tips can you offer other travellers? What inspires you? What is it missing? What is special about it? That kind of thing. You can see what we've done with our recWe run a new blog dedicated to the word's airports. For years we've been frustrated by the poor quality of airport guides and thought that we would try and build a better one. Would anyone be interested in writing small reviews of any of their favourite airports (and maybe supply an interesting pic)?

What we would like is a 100 or so words telling us what's so great about your favourite airport? What tips can you offer other travellers? What inspires you about it? What is it missing, perhaps? What is special about it? Where's the best place to go for a drink? That kind of thing. You can see what we've done with our recent review of Helsinki Vantaa (and would appreciate your feedback).

This is a non-profit venture and a community site. We hope you can get involved,ent review of Helsinki-Vantaa (and would apprciate your feedback).

This is a non-profit venture and a community site. We hope you can get involved,

post by: MrMerlot at: 07:03 | 23 comments

My favourite airports have lots of Monty Python.

posted by goo 26 January | 07:16

Mine have puppets.

posted by crush-onastick 26 January | 07:41

I love the following airports:

1) PDX, Portland, US - Free WiFi in every terminal, "business centers" with power ports that are perfect for killing time before a flight, light rail directly to the city center. The "Mexican" food chain store near Terminal C has power ports along the baseboards near the tables.

2) ZRH, Zurich, CH - Even the bathrooms are clean and very Swiss. There are little smoking booths around the airport.

3) BTS, Bratislava, SK - It's tiny and the passport control officer sits at a card table and the security people don't give a shit about anything and will make fun of you. But I think you can smoke just about everywhere and hey, it's better than flying into Warsaw.

I hate the following airports:

1) CVG, Cincinnati, US - There's American flag bunting all over the place. It's really gross and tacky.

2) CDG, Paris, FR - This airport is what I would imagine Satan would build if Satan existed and was an airport designer.

3) ATL, Atlanta, US - This is the only airport I've ever been physically threatened in. It's ugly, full of unhelpful employees, and making it even worse, there are a bunch of slack jawed American soldiers all over the place.

4) WAW, Warsaw, PL - The only things past passport control in the departure area are duty free shops. The seat to people wishing to sit ratio is roughly 1:10. The arrival hall feels a lot like like the Budapest train station. In a bad way.

posted by cmonkey 26 January | 07:46

Oh, I love Berlin Tegel for reasons I can't fully explain but probably have something to do with how you can buy beer at the newsstands and walk around getting loaded before your flight without getting hassled about it.

posted by cmonkey 26 January | 07:48

"Hitlers airport" Tempelhof in Berlin has closed. It was still the biggest (feeling) and somehow most futuristic (as in "Metropolis" futuristic) airport ever. *cries*

posted by dabitch 26 January | 07:49

big as in it felt this empty on any given day. That was the cool part.

posted by dabitch 26 January | 07:50

MrMerlot, did you get into the namesake before you made that post? ;)

cmonkey is the Airport King, I think. Not useful to you, MrMerlot, but when we first came to Greece (before the new improved Athens airport) it was... chaos. Utter, total, bewildering, screaming (literally) insanity. The high point was when our luggage was in the process of being routed to the wrong destination and my husband jumped onto the conveyor belt, riding along amid the jumble of boxes and suitcases to follow and retrieve it. I also remember crying at some point. Good times.

posted by taz 26 January | 08:33

I think Tempelhof is still open until October. And it is not quite Hitler's airport. I believe it was built in the 1920s

posted by MrMerlot 26 January | 09:13

That blog links to the Sleeping in Airports site where I found the greatest quote ever:

"I, who usually only travel first class, was TERRIFIED at the thought of it. But let me tell you, everything was great! I slept peacefully in a chair, wrapped in my mink. " (Rebecca Elizabeth Blankenship)

posted by octothorpe 26 January | 09:42

yeah it was built in 1923, which is why it's soo coool it even connected to the subway way back then - Hitler kinda 'stole' it for his purposes later making it uncool. Which is a shame because the building is awesome. Still open? I can't seem to find flights that go there anymore. Gaah!

posted by dabitch 26 January | 10:56

Is this post for real?

posted by youngergirl44 26 January | 11:12

Airports are funny. There's all this architecture and planning, and in the end, it's still just an airport. I don't know that I've actually liked any airports I've been in, just different levels of hate. I hated Houston's airport. The little train that goes between terminals is a joke. It's like a train you'd find at a kiddie park. I do kind of like Denver's new airport. The terminals are large and have great moving sidewalks. For as busy as it is I don't feel so hemmed in. Plus it's kind of pretty when you drive up to it. Chicago's O'hare Airport's terminals make me claustrophobic. It's ALWAYS busy there, and I feel like a sardine in them.

One of the funnier airports I've been in is in La Ceiba Honduras. Cracked me up that they had these digital clocks showing the time in 3 time zones, and the minutes were off by like 10. Most informal place I've been is the airstrip on Guanaja, Honduras. No terminals, no security. Just some guy reads off your names and you get in. Unless he can't pronounce your name, then he goes "Ai yi yi, just get in". hahahah

posted by eekacat 26 January | 11:13

Oh God, yes, taz, the old Athens airport was hell on earth. I've been through it a few times, the very, very worst time being the day when our flight arrived at the same time as Yasser Arafat's. Imagine the old Athens airport and a high security/terror alert. Not. Fun.

The major UK airports are pretty crappy - huge crowded warehouses miles from civilisation.

The nicest airport I've visited is Charlotte, NC. It's designed with a central hub, which is atrium-style, lots of natural light coming in, where there are restaurants and shops, rocking chairs everywhere, plenty of power outlets, quiet areas with desk space and outlets to use laptops, and there's even a masseuse and a man playing a white grand piano.

JFK is pretty crummy, even the brand new American Airlines terminal. In the public area (before you go through security) they've removed all the seating except for two tiny uncomfortable benches so there's nowhere to sit except on the floor.

posted by essexjan 26 January | 11:28

LAX really isn't that bad (great pick-up/drop-off/parking), Houston is horrible, Dallas isn't much better. STL is alright, but the pick-up/drop-off area is difficult to navigate unless you've done it a bunch.

They have definitely changed the Charlotte airport for the better essexjan, that's not how i remember it 10 years ago...

posted by Schyler523 26 January | 11:42

It looks fairly new, Schyler, and is quite pleasant, as airports go..

posted by essexjan 26 January | 12:26

My favorite airports...

Ko Samui, Thailand

Tamarindo, Costa Rica

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Best garden: Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok

The gloomiest airport: Sheremetyevo, Moscow

I don't mind DFW's D terminal. For incoming international flights, it ain't too shabby. The passport control area is the size of a football field an no lines. Ready to handle a few incoming A380s at the same time. The rest of DFW is sprawl gone all wrong.

My home airport, AUS is a nice little airport. No long lines at security. A place to sit. Not a ton of power plugs, but they exist. Free wifi at Amy's Ice Cream. All of the restaurants and shops are local businesses so no Starbucks or McDonalds. Live music. It can be a bitch to get to since all of the freeways turn into congested roads with lots of stoplights and dumbass drivers getting into wrecks.

posted by birdherder 26 January | 12:52

What youngergirl said. This might make more sense in Metafilter Projects.

posted by box 26 January | 13:02

I love the Pittsburg, PA airport. But I haven't been there in years so I can't say much more.

posted by Claudia_SF 26 January | 13:40

Pittsburgh International would be a great airport if it actually had any flights going in or out. USAir has cut so much service that at least half of the gates are closed now.

posted by octothorpe 26 January | 13:50

Thanks for all your tips so far. And thanks to box for directing me to Metafilter projects ...

posted by MrMerlot 26 January | 14:29

Half the gates are closed? Now that sounds like my kind of airport. I bet you can always find a parking space, too.

posted by box 26 January | 15:31

Yea, you can get a parking space but try to find a non-stop flight to anywhere but Houston or Philly. Not being a hub anymore means that flying anywhere takes forever because you have to go through a bigger city first.

posted by octothorpe 26 January | 18:19

I thought metafilter projects were for completed projects?

posted by dabitch 27 January | 14:40

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