Of the 47 Largest Airports Detroit is labeled the worst (with Charlotte coming in 3rd) and RDU the 14th Best. I would have flipped the Detroit and RDU airports in this list if it was truly based on how miserable the airport is. The criteria they used were late flights and load factor, I would have thought that Newark would have been the worst. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/070530/30travel.largetable.htm
I hate O'Hare in Chicago...hate it, hate it, hate it. I end up going through there several times a year on my way to and from Irvine,CA... and I dread it each time.:-(
Best I have been thru is Pittsburgh and Minneapolis , both were like you were in a mall. Worst is Detroit, always under construction and just seemed dirty. Of course my best and worse is based on appearance and food more than anything.
I am convinced that to get to Hell you'll have a layover in Dallas-Fort Worth. That place was designed as a tribute to aggravation.
The airport in Brussels is one of the cleanest I have seen. Gatwick in London was ok, easy to navigate (it seemed to us). LAX is just too busy!!!, Sacramento and John Wayne are my favorite, they are like RDU.. small and efficient!! Happy Travels!!
Mark, did you fly into the new terminal in the last 6 years? They tore down the old "Terminal C" which had to be one of the worst terminals ever. They still have the old Smith Terminal (United, American, and Southwest) which are still armpits. And more comments on the worst airports which others here flagged: http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/06/15/askthepilot236/index1.html
You have my vote for Atlanta airport as one of the worst. I don't really have a favorite but I kind of like the Portland Maine airport...(I know you all are saying...WHAT??) It may not have alot of good food or alot of flights for that matter...but if they change your gate you don't have a problem because there are only 10 (it says 1-11 but gate 1 got closed off when they installed the security check.) All the gates are right next to each other (unlike Altanta who changed our gate at the last second and we had to drag my daughter and myself (pregnant at the time and crazy with Morning sickness) and my hubby down the stairs, on the train, back up the stairs and like 3 miles of hall to get to our new gate in time. There is never a line at the portland airport either...that being said...since we will need to send my oldest to Oregon regularly I am glad of the larger airport in NC as it will give us more choices on airlines and will be cheaper too.
Pittsburgh is wonderful. Philli isn't too bad, but they have the mysterious gate C-4 (or is it C14). I followed all the signs to C terminal and the sign says "All C gates." I start and go to C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, etc. There was no C4. I found another sign that said C4 was to the left - not in the C terminal. I followed that sign and it just led out of the security area. I asked an airport employee and C4 was in the D terminal. That by itself excludes them from being among the best airports. Atlanta - the airport itself is wonderful. But the flights are always delayed due to poor weather. Other than that, the airport is nice. Denver is a wonderful airport. It's a pretty good hike into Denver from the airport but it's a nice layout.
I think they are all miserable. I hate to fly. Something about not being in control. Maybe I should get my pilot's license? :mrgreen:
Flying now remionds me of being on a Greyhound bus with wings. I was at an air show and they had a Piedmont Airlines DC-3, that you could walk thru. So nice compared to today. Plenty of leg room, not cramped at all.
