Airports you've never left! (Well... only transited through!)

[ShaneN]

International - MIA and BKK. In Australia, CNS and GOV (Gove), on a trip from DRW to TSV. My only trip to Cairns so far was to the airport. Also KTR (Katherine), although I have been there by car a number of time while living in the Territory.

For those who have only transitted at DFW and ORD in particular, you are missing something. Both Dallas and Fort Worth are well worth a visit, while Chicago is one of the great cities, particularly for world class architecture.

 

[Cocitus23]

I suspect that many of you have other airports that you could have mentioned, but have overlooked. For me the exercise was easy, because for some crazy reason I keep a list of every airport I have ever used, and I have the ones which I have only transitted. My full list consists of 180 airports (#181, DOH, coming up in May). Of those 180, 24 are marked as "Transited only". They are:

Region	Country/State	City/Town	IATA Code
Asia	Burma	Rangoon	RGN
Australia	Western Australia	Derby	DRB
Australia	Western Australia	Kalgoorlie	KGI
Australia	Western Australia	Mt Newman	ZNE
Canada	Manitoba	Winnipeg	YWG
Canada	Newfoundland	Schefferville	YKL
Canada	Quebec	Rouyn - Noranda	YUY
Canada	Saskatchewan	Saskatoon	YXE
Europe	Norway	Bergen	BGO
Europe	Norway	Stavanger	SVG
Europe	Russia	Chita	HTA
Europe	Russia	Omsk	OMS
Europe	Sweden	Stockholm	ARN
Pacific	Chile	Easter Island	IPC
Pacific	Philippines	Baguio	BAG
Pacific	Philippines	Cebu	CEB
Pacific	Philippines	Vigan	VGN
Pacific	PNG	Daru	DAU
Pacific	PNG	Lae	LAE
Pacific	Solomons	Munda	MUA
Sth America	Argentina	Buenos Airtes	EZE
USA	Florida	Miami	MIA
USA	Kentucky	Cincinnati	CVG
USA	Pennsylvania	Harrisburg	MDT

 

[Katie]

The old Bangkok airport in 92/93 on the way to /fromFRA on LH.

I've transitted DFW many times, and only left it twice, bit I still left it to go to Dallas.

Until last year, ORD.

Does going from plane in FRA to trains to another city count? I've never been into Frankfurt city proper.

HKG.

Transited TSV a few times as a UM, mostly sitting in the Australian Airlines staff room.

 

[pmk]

This last post got me thinking. Generally I like to visit most places for at least a day or two and thought there would be none that I had not at least visited once but after reading post above realised that when I was working in the Pacific and SE Asia there were lots of airports where I transitted.

I don't keep records and hard to remember and hard to actually spell the airport names but some places included:

Tonga en route to Samoa
Nauru en route to Kiribati
Marshall Islands (unscheduled to pickup some official) en route to Kiribati
Tahiti (medical emergency) on board DFW-BRI
Flights from Denpasar to Flores and West Timor (both Indonesia) invariably stopped at some interim destination and I cannot even remember the various place names. Flying regional Indonesian airlines ten years ago was an adventure in itself!!
La Paz to Santiago, transit in Iquique

I am sure there were plenty of others I have missed both scheduled and often unscheduled stops especially when flying various regional airlines in SE Asia

 

[D747]

FRA, SIN, ICN, MBJ (sadly), ANU.

 

[Timba-Jet]

Only a few, where possible I try to make the most of transit points even if it is just a quick day visit to see the city.
ORD
LIM - must must do Peru one day!
GRU
DFW
JNB

 

[MEL_Traveller]

ORD. Must be coming up to 40-50 transits through there - and I've never been to Chicago city.

 

[serfty]

The old Bangkok airport in 92/93 on the way to /fromFRA on LH.
...

Oh yes, the old BKK, now DMG.

 

[Skyring]

I have seriously lost count of how many times I've transmitted SYD. I've actually left the airport twice, both times coming home from cheap international flights ex NZ. Tuesday will mark the very first time, in nearly fifty years of SYD transits, that I've left the airport after a domestic flight.

 

[tuapekastar]

I have seriously lost count of how many times I've transmitted SYD. I've actually left the airport twice, both times coming home from cheap international flights ex NZ. Tuesday will mark the very first time, in nearly fifty years of SYD transits, that I've left the airport after a domestic flight.

I'm sure you can be charged for that!

 

[BadgerBoi]

IST and AUH are the only two I can think of. There are a couple that I wish I'd never bothered leaving...

 

[Paddy55]

Forgot SEA with Drewbles!

+ HNL a long time ago

 

[oz_mark]

A few:

LAX
old Kuala Lumpur airport (now Subang)
Kota Kinabula
Bander Seri Begawan

 

[Hvr]

ORD. Must be coming up to 40-50 transits through there - and I've never been to Chicago city.

You're missing a great city, well worth your time to explore.

Another one for me I've just remembered is PNH, was flying from REP to SIN with a very quick stop over.

 

[JohnK]

In Australia, CNS and GOV (Gove), on a trip from DRW to TSV.

I think GOV is one I left off my list. How could I forget?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You're missing a great city, well worth your time to explore.

Another one for me I've just remembered is PNH, was flying from REP to SIN with a very quick stop over.

I know! I want to go! Just never had the opportunity. My friends live just on 300 miles outside Chicago - so I connect through ORD to get to them, but it's too far to drive from their place back. One day I'll take the time to stop on one of my flights.

 

[ShaneN]

I think GOV is one I left off my list. How could I forget?

mmm Gove airport is unforgettable

 

[ShaneN]

You're missing a great city, well worth your time to explore.

+1 Chicago is a great city. I am back for my second visit in 2 years in May.

 

[anat0l]

If we only count airports which I have never stepped outside the airport grounds, then here is the list. Some of them include airports where I've stepped out of airside (i.e. crossed immigration / sterile area), but did not leave the airport grounds (or even the airport buildings themselves).

• ABX
• ASP
• BKK
• BOS
• CHC
• ICN
• MKY
• OSL
• PEK
• TSV
• ZRH

There's a handful where I've left the airport grounds, but haven't got very far:

• JNB - Short leash here: basically get shuttle transport to nearby airport hotel, then picked up the next morning by supervisor for 3 hour drive to study site. Also managed a quick sojourn to a nearby casino with another AFF member on the way back (which I conveniently didn't add to my travel risk assessment, but the transport was via registered shuttle).
• IAH - went to nearby airport hotel for function, then out the next day
• PHX - left airport grounds for function, then out after about three hours
• TLS - same as PHX
• KUL - I have left the airport for Kuala Lumpur in the old days when KUL was at Subang (now SXB). In the new era with KUL at Sepang, only been outside to airport hotels (once it required a drive, another time it was the Pan Pacific), otherwise always transit without leaving airside.

As for airports which I have had a transit experience as well as an experience of leaving the airport for the city / town before, there are plenty of those...

 

[Major]

mmm Gove airport is unforgettable

Well I forgot it. An Ansett DC9 flight from DRW-SYD via GOV & CNS about 1987