International Airports- Best and Worst.

[graxx]

Some airports are a joy to use. Others are sheer hell, despite the glossy bells and whistles of tax 'free' shopping and acres of marble.
This came to mind last week when we arrived at Dubai Airport at 4 in the morning, to get a connecting flight.
Now, Dubai is big. Huge. And is in fact three terminals set out along what seems like a 20 kilometre stretch.
When we came out of the aerobridge, groggy and tired, there was no help or information available on where our next flight was. The indicator board was no help, as our flight wasn't for 5 hours.
No information desks were manned.
We walked back and forward (looong way!) until we found one of their Business Lounges who informed us we were in the wrong terminal. Find Terminal A? The wayfinding is pretty bad and a lot more walking finally resulted in a clue to the train.
Really pathetic.
Apart from that the Business Lounge is run-down and dated. Showers are grubby, small, and long queues.
Big is not better.

 

[juddles]

Everything is opinion, and although I initially hated Dubai (because as you say, it is not obvious where to go), it does have some good points, depending how you travel.

I have travelled a bit, but I know of no other airport like DXB. I get to go to the F lounge, and that it is the size of many other entire airports is amazing to me.

 

[mannej]

DXB is definitely not the worst international airport out there.

 

[graxx]

DXB is definitely not the worst international airport out there.

No, you are right, but it is SO big, that it is really awful to use- particularly if you are connecting- which is what it is all about!
The size is it's biggest problem. I have had to cart luggage from one end to the other - a couple of years ago we got offloaded to a bus and dropped at the end of Terminal A. The journey to terminal C was a nightmare!
I think for their glitzy intentions and unlimited money they could quite a lot, lot better.

Other airports which have grown too big and are a bind to get a connecting flight are Hong Kong and Heathrow.

 

[Denali]

Transferring Int arrival to domestic departure at CDG was by more luck than smarts when we first did it so not a fan of CDG.

 

[downgraded]

I'd rate MEL international as one of the worst.
It should have had everything going for it, but it has low ceilings, is dark, you are forced by design to walk much further than necessary through and passed empty duty free shops.
Little natural light.
Arrivals is worse. They still don't seem to be able to unload more than one plane at a time, they've got smart gate but only half the kiosks they need, exit queues can be as bad as anywhere in the world, an exit reception area that's too small, forced to walk passed the no smoking areas full of smokers, rubbish public transport to/from the airport. Etc etc. No separation of foot traffic from vehicle traffic.

 

[jase05]

Transferring Int arrival to domestic departure at CDG was by more luck than smarts when we first did it so not a fan of CDG.

I still find CDG one of the worst fullstop

 

[GoldCanyon340]

HKG and SIN are my favourites. I rate HKG above SIN mainly for the 1980s carpet in the latter.

LHR arrivals can be soul draining if you're not on a UK/EU passport and you've landed after a few other aircraft, which is usually the case. SYD T1 arrivals is the pits.

 

[graxx]

HKG and SIN are my favourites. I rate HKG above SIN mainly for the 1980s carpet in the latter.

LHR arrivals can be soul draining if you're not on a UK/EU passport and you've landed after a few other aircraft, which is usually the case. SYD T1 arrivals is the pits.

Los Angeles? Horrible to transfer. San Francisco? Smaller and easier.

 

[TonyHancock]

My YTD list is MEL, SYD, HKG, SIN, LHR, ABZ, KUL, OSL, SCL, FRA, MUC, MEX, AKL, FRA, BRU, PVG, EWR, JFK, PHL and EMA.*

SYD is consistently the worst by a country mile for me, and then some. The utterly dire and somewhat comically named "Qantas Seamless Transfer" is the moist dreadful aspect.

SIN would be my favourite..but the security at the gate aspect is something I really don't like.

HKG edges it for me.

Last year HEL and NRT were my favourites purely because they offer excellent transfer experiences.

 

[Cossie]

Loathe Sydney, but poor old Tegel, what can you say, I believe it's meant to have been phased out by now, so it's in a no win situation until Brandenburg airport is finally open.

Pleasantly surprised by Palma airport, flew in on Vueling and out on Easyjet, no issues with either flight, when we landed it was at gate eighty something, which gives you an idea of how big the airport is.

 

[OZDUCK]

I prefer SIN over HKG because of the daggy carpet, it always make me smile to know that a group of people thought it was tasteful!

CDG was ok the couple of times we used it - but we were just straight arrival/departure with no transfer necessary. It also interesst me to see the concrete "brutalist achitecture" style.I also liked HEL for the experience they offered, we did leave the airport both times we arrived.

The place that I was surprised as being so poor was Dublin. The terminal where we arrived was decorated in 1950's Eastern Bloc style and the Immigration staff were under-strength and overworked. Outwards was a bit better but still not particularly good.

A nice "little' airport was Halifax Stanfield NS. We only used the domestic side but the building seemed to be very "fit for function.And every staff member we interacted with was pleasant. Toronto Airport on the other handwas just a big machine that seemed to work but was not very memorable or inviting.

 

[Forg]

I've not travelled that much, but I struggle with SIN because you have to go through so many checkpoints & pull all your gear outta your bag so many times. Those with shoes or belts that need removing must dislike it even more?

I mean it's not the worst, but I think I'd prefer either SYD or MEL.

Neither TPE or GTW are particularly flash .... BRU isn't a lot better (although I'm now editing this post from a pleasant-enough overpriced café overlooking the tarmac with a Leffe Rituel in-hand so I've elevated it somewhat more than when I typed the rest of this post earlier ) ... given that a lot of people complain about LHR being a PITA (maybe for transiting?), I was amazed at how quickly & easily I was sitting around waiting for a flight, they're super-streamlined.

 

[HockeyMonkey]

This year I've experienced quite a few airports AMS, AUS, BNE, CDG, CMB, CPH, DFW, DXB, GVA, HAM, HKG, LAX, LHR, MEL, MLE, MUC, ORD, SEA, SIN, STR, SYD, USM, ZRH

MEL and DXB have a great F experience which leads to forgiveness on a lot of other issues.

CDG passport control was a nightmare when exiting. Some countries couldn't care less when you are leaving (eg USA), however I nearly missed a flight out of CDG as there was only 1-2 officers examining passports out of CDG

Nearly missed a connection in DFW because Skylink was not running and the bus replacements were tiny, refusing to take more than about 20 passengers at a time.

Don't mind TBIT/LAX at all, particularly with the interconnects.

LHR passport control incoming sucks for non EU citizens but I don't mind it for departures.

ZRH is nice and modern

Biggest shambles of all time I can recall was JTR, but willing to forgive that one given the location

 

[juddles]

I think it is a bit hard to nominate hated and favorites, because the experience at any particular one can be different. There are airports I love departing from (SCL) but dislike arriving at.

Also, when you become familiar with the quirks of each one, many times they become better, as you have learnt the layout and some "tricks".

 

[Pushka]

Split International airport in Croatia. Hands down the worst airport ever. Their security screeners do the most invasive public pat downs ever, worse than India where at least they separate the males from females when pat downs are done. Few chairs. No direct entry to planes - buses everywhere. Huge toilet queues. We wondered why people had stopped the down escalator and were sitting on it. We found out there was no space to even stand upstairs. It is at best, a small domestic airport in any other country. Yet it’s incredibly busy with the popularity of the Croatian Coast.

 

[craven morehead]

HKG & SIN for me are good , TXL is just plain woeful

 

[Lemon_Party]

I do like SIN, even with the at gate security scan and the krisflyer gold lounges...
DXB is awful, I'm sure the F lounge is just lovely, but if you are in economy there's nowhere to sit, the toilets are always a state and with big queues and the whole place just feels like the worlds longest cramped corridor.
I haven't had much fun at PEK immigration, and PVG is a really depressing airport departures hall if you don't have lounge access; there's very few options for food/drink airside.

 

[Forg]

DXB is awful, I'm sure the F lounge is just lovely, but if you are in economy there's nowhere to sit, the toilets are always a state and with big queues and the whole place just feels like the worlds longest cramped corridor.

Surely that earns points for being reflective of the local culture?!

OK after the poast yesterday, awaiting a flight to LHR in BRU, I’m leaning towards SYD being the worst airport to depart from if you’re not J or F. This whole return LHR-BRU-LHR trip I didn’t queue for more than 5 minutes ... Sydney International I’ve lined-up just for security for over an hour previously (which was BAD because we’d specifically gone early to catch the JQ 788 to Melbourne & utilise the F lounge - it was eating into relaxey daytime F lounge usage time dagnabbit!).

 

[OATEK]

Loathe Sydney, but poor old Tegel, what can you say, I believe it's meant to have been phased out by now, so it's in a no win situation until Brandenburg airport is finally open.

Pleasantly surprised by Palma airport, flew in on Vueling and out on Easyjet, no issues with either flight, when we landed it was at gate eighty something, which gives you an idea of how big the airport is.

Passed through TXL today on way to ARN - still woeful. I also like HEL for transfers, although immigration can be officious. Hong Kong my favourite.