What makes a good airport and what's your favourite?

[aikman]

1. Affordable & convenient transport to get to it like a train
2. Budget accommodation options (which notably SIN doesn't have)
3. Compact size (I don't want to take a subway and walk 10 kms just to get to my gate)

 

[antycbr]

Add to this good plane spotting including from a lounge.

I quite enjoyed EWR UA lounge with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

Fortress hubs in the US make you realise how vast the US aviation system is with a sea of AA/UA/DL tails but somewhere like LHR for unusual airlines you don’t see often anywhere else.

 

[million_thanas1968]

What makes a good airport in my opinion is efficiency and size. As a creature of habit I really appreciate being able breeze through customs and immigration, go to the lounge and board with minimal human interaction.

For departures I have to say I like an airport that doesn't require long walks to the gate, such as MEL. Most of my AKL flights have departed from the furthest gates and I really do not appreciate that.

For arrivals I think HKG takes the cake. My personal best was a 14 minutes from deplaning to being in the car - this was flying in economy with 2 checked luggages!

Overall holistically HKG has a really smooth departure experience with their new facial recognition scanners at boarding, it makes the travel experience much smoother. I've been to a few airports in Vietnam that have long bus rides for both arrivals and departures, which I will have to say is a bit more effort that I would like. Having to take shoes off at security is also a mild inconvenience I don't appreciate.

As someone that flies half frequently I treat flying like taking the bus, the more efficient and simple the process is, the more convenient it is.

 

[Himeno]

Obviously any place with e-gates goes up the rankings. CHP recently had just 3 manual booths for hundreds departing!

The first time I arrived at MAD, there was a single immigration booth right as you left the jetbridge. Everyone was processed, by one agent, right as you left the aircraft.
Took longer to get off the aircraft than it did to collect bags.

 

[Himeno]

More airports that cared about baggage would be good.

 

[Denali]

Not having to walk a mini marathon to get to or from my gate. Install more people travellers or have a golf cart station to zoom us old farts around. Amsterdam airport was like reliving the Lord of the Rings fellowship where they took on a very long adventure across various realms.

Having an option to avoid the duty free sections. The hot and bright lights annoy the frig out of me every. single. time.

Car pickup just outside the door. Dont make me exit the building, cross the road, hike to a carpark. I pay a lot of $$$ for a driver service (not uber or taxi) and I would like my driver & car right out front the door. My Sydney driver is great, I text him when we get our bags and we arrange to meet so I avoid the carpark hike

 

[andye]

The airport that made me smile this year was LGW

Wouldnt fulfil many of the criteria mentioned (except hotel right on airport) but everyone there seemed excited to be going away on holiday, Bucks, Hens whatever. I was returning home after a funeral so probably appreciated the positive vibe

 

[offshore171]

The airport that made me smile this year was LGW

Wouldnt fulfil many of the criteria mentioned (except hotel right on airport) but everyone there seemed excited to be going away on holiday, Bucks, Hens whatever.

Now do Luton

 

[GDSman]

Obviously any place with e-gates goes up the rankings. CHP recently had just 3 manual booths for hundreds departing!

I forgot that point. Arriving into YVR recently and it felt like there were hundreds of eGates and, oh joy, each one had a pole with a red or green light making it very easy to spot availability from a distance (compared to the Aus eGates they were fantastic).