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Best and Worst Airports

While the Venice boat thing is cool. That walk to the boat is insanely long. Also they forced me to enter the airport and pay for a covid test to be allowed to enter the airport. I didnt need a test for my flight but I needed it to enter the airport. But I had to enter the airport to take the test.

One of the weirdest airport experiences I have been through at an airport. What's the point to test me if I have already wandered around the airport to take the test?
 
I've travelled a LOT so have seen the best and worst.

Worst:
  • Chicago O'Hare. Awful airport, hard to get around especially when your connection is in another terminal, also when I drop my bag back off (arriving internationally, departing domestically) back on the connecting flight belt, I expect it to make it onto the flight.
  • Dubai, overnight. Nothing really open besides a McDonald's with too many people in it. Smoke pouring out of the smokers lounge. Hardly the world class experience they make it out to be. Also, never book a last minute trip to Parc Asterix when half asleep in the terminal, because you'll end up booking the hostel you had open in another tab (scrolling through, realised it was a hostel, was supposed to close it) instead of the proper hotel, which does not make for a nice extension to your honeymoon.
  • Doha: 7 hour connection when you can't even grab a beer. And nothing's open. So much Uno was played.
  • London Stansted, post-pandemic. The Camden pub is a shadow of its former self, security queues upon landing are 40min-1hour and it just doesn't 'work' anymore. Sad, used to be my airport of choice.
  • LAX. Just kind of sucks, really.

Best:
  • Bergerac. It's a shed, you land, walk off the plane, pick up your bag and leave. Also, wine and cheese.
  • Stansted, pre-pandemic. The Camden pub was always awesome, and our first port off call after clearing security which was rarely more than a few minutes for us. Also, once landed from a trip with my partner, swapped bags (had another packed in the car) and left for a work trip, but with a 5 hour wait in the terminal. Played Planet Coaster in the Wetherspoons and one of the employees there got told off my his manager (also his wife!) because he himself was a big planco guy and wanted to show me his park screenshots whilst he toured mine. He only served me for about an hour.
  • Seattle SeaTac. I've heard horror stories about this airport, but always had a smooth experience.
  • Washington Dulles. I went scouting for Die Hard 2 locations. Turns out I was connecting in totally the wrong terminal, but had one of the best **** pizzas ever.
Honourable Mentions:

  • Never get a flight scheduled to land on the most distant runway at Denver International. I swear the taxi from the runway was over half an hour.
  • I bought Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic whilst waiting at Manchester Airport. Was flying to Auckland via Hong Kong and demonstrated to my manager at the time that flying Premium from MAN, plus the train, was cheaper than flying Economy from LHR or LGW. Should have left a change of shoes in my hand luggage though, I travelled directly from Thorpe Park and my trainers absolutely hummed from getting wet on Tidal Wave. Basically, my memory of MAN is sitting with skinky shoes playing some good ol' RCT.
  • Dropped my wife off at Southend Airport, then went credit whoring in Southend itself. Rage took my chain-ride record from Big Thunder Mountain at DLP. 8 times in a row.
  • Slept, hung-over, overnight at Tokyo Narita because I missed my flight. Only cost me £60 and they upgraded me to premium. Nice.
 
Tonkso said:
Oh, good shout on that one, should have added the boat ride to my honourable mentions. Got the coach to Venice because I didn't realise you could do the boat. Definitely got the boat back though.
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The boat is a cool gimick but unless you get a private boat the common boats are really bad. Barely any views, hot and uncomfortable. Plus the walk to the boat, especially with luggage is awfull. The bus and then a vaporetto in Venice is a much more conveneient and comfortable option.
 
Tonkso said:
I've travelled a LOT so have seen the best and worst.

Worst:
  • Chicago O'Hare. Awful airport, hard to get around especially when your connection is in another terminal, also when I drop my bag back off (arriving internationally, departing domestically) back on the connecting flight belt, I expect it to make it onto the flight.
Click to expand...
AGREED!

Rant incoming:

I just came back from the states to which i had the misfortune of connecting at O'Hare and oh my has it sparked a whole new level of hatred for that airport.
Immigration took a hour and 1/2.. This to me is whoely not okay, most airports get you done 5-20 minutes and then you can move on. 90 minutes to get through immigration is honestly hilariously bad. By the time i made it to the baggage reclaim everyones cases were all put in a pile as they unloaded all the cases onto the belt like 30 minutes before anybody even made it via security. The pile was out of the way and i had to actively ask multiple staff about where the hell my luggage was.

The airport is hard to navigate yes, but the main thing here that pisses me off is that the staff are AWFUL. I politely asked for directions at points, and many staff members called me out for being stupid when asking for help. This was multiple staff, i felt so pissed off that i was being so rudely treated for simply asking a quick question to airport staff. In other airports usually the people are always happy to answer questions and make you feel welcome in their airports. O'hare staff are some of the worst human beings i have had the misfortune of having to deal with and i hope they all lose their jobs. I work at an airport and the abuse they dish out to people is just some cruel (this obviously does not include all staff, but the majority are horrid).

Another thing i saw is when i get my customs form checked, i waited for two minutes. Two members of staff where chatting about the customer in front hurling insults all inches from me. They were roasting this poor guy who had a stutter that was in front of me, i felt disgusted.

In security for my connecting i also witnessed a bit of a racial problem IMO. This could be a coincidence but all the people people screened were people from Hispanic, Indian, or Black heritage. It was very suspicious that the only people being screened were non-white. To me i did feel a hint of racism.

If i had to do O'Hare i guess i would, but i have to admit what a mess of a airport. It is truly an embarrassment of an airport and an embarrassment to the US.
In all my travels around other US airports and most of Europe, no airport sticks out as bad as O'Hare. If it was not such a big connecting hub i would avoid the place like the plague.

On the upside i flew back direct from Nashville airport. Nashville could of done with some more seating areas but it was a nice airport and the warmness of the staff really felt so welcoming and awesome after the tragedy of the staff in Chicago.
 
Best is by far MCO in orlando...most major parks have shops, lines are short, and the views are awesome

Worst is Nashville...every time I go to the south that thing is under construction
 
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