Worst - Thessaloniki a few years ago but know they were working on it.
Most stupid airport is Cartagena in Colombia. Think I counted 7 separate bag checks before departure. The best one was our cases being taken off of one scanner, opened and checked, to then immediately join another queue where your case is scanned, opened and checked. I almost wished I had packed a few kilos of marching powder just to make it worth all the effort.
Ha - At Sharm the check in man tried to say our bag was overweight and charge us a fee. I said if your colleague standing next to the baggage scales took his foot off of it, it will probably be well under.
All flying is horrible, there are no good airports! Flying in to JFK is the absolute worst experience though. Horrendous queues to wait for surly immigration staff. Welcome to America.
Worst : have to agree with the earlier mention for Corfu , had a 4 hour delay there and there's nothing after security.
I don't like Dubai. I've been through Dubai well over a hundred times and hate the crowds and the distance between gates if you are changing flights, which can be like a 10-mile hike.
Well I too vote for LCY. The only airport I positively like. The staff seem to be friendlier than average; and I have never been stacked while landing there. I think they must come in at lower altitude than the LHR queue does. And you might do a final twirl around the Shard before landing.
All the others I've been to are varying degrees of shite, but I feel lucky to get through CDG with my luggage and without a whole load of hassle.
Actually.. Burgas (BG) supposedly in the EU, I arrived last year when England were playing Colombia. Had expected to watch the 2nd half at my buddy's gaff. Instead I listened to the whole 2nd half commentary while standing in the passport control queue. Colombia equalized just as I reached the desk.
Can't believe Luton hasn't come up yet. Only time I was there, it felt like I was in a queue for Jeremy Kyle show auditions rather than pre-flight security.
Best long haul - Heathrow T5 (ah those were the days) Worst long haul - Madrid (always have to go there if you want to go anywhere in the America’s & there’s always something wrong)
Best short haul - Cork (you can arrive 15mins before your flight & still get on) Worst short haul - Stanstead (I just can’t bear it)
Can't believe Luton hasn't come up yet. Only time I was there, it felt like I was in a queue for Jeremy Kyle show auditions rather than pre-flight security.
Best - Istanbul - Brand new, modern, spacious and plenty of options to shop, eat and drink (some of the shops are stunning).
Worst - London Stansted - Small, cramped, untidy and full of orange faced, squeaky voiced chavs from Essex. Plus you have to pay £5 just to drop someone off.
Can’t name a best really.... can’t beat Gatwick I guess. My god Luton is crap. Never ever would I go from there again even if it is 20 minutes away from me. Small. Cramped. Meh.
Best small airport Billund in Denmark. Best UK London City worst UK Belfast City for baggage charges for case that met the Fly-Be requirements at London City the day before, still had th Fly-be approved tags.
I echo the criticisms of JFK. A dreadful experience getting through security. Welcome to America. Yeah right! On the other hand, flying out west from Newark was a positive pleasure. Nice people and it all works. And it’s the only airport in the world that’s an anagram of wanker”.
I like London City a lot although the current expansion will probably take away its intimacy and ease of movement.
I’ve used a few airports in India although not for some years. Absolute sea of humanity. Never seen anything like it but once you get used to it it’s fun and a great place to visit.
Scariest airports I’ve landed at are Ferghana in Uzbekistan which has a terrifying approach through the mountains and Sumburgh in Shetland which has a short runway that sticks out into the sea. First time I landed there I was behind the wing and couldn’t see in front of me. I was convinced we were ditching.
Worst - UK - hands down, Manchester. Not even close. The worst airport I've ever been to outside of... Brunei. Absolute, total shithole
Couldn't agree more about Manchester, it gets worse by the week. I fly about 5 times a year to Nice and quite a few times to Faro mostly for work and although I only live a 15 minute drive from Manchester airport, for these trips I drive to Liverpool airport.
I can land at Liverpool, get through security then drive 40 minutes and be home quicker than had I landed in Manchester which is on my doorstep and it works just as well flying out. Far cheaper to fly from Liverpool too.
Best UK = Birmingham. Just right - not too busy friendly staff everything you need. Highly commended = London City. Easy in and away
Best = Singapore
Worst UK = Manchester, hands down, rude staff, shyte experience will never use it again. Lowly recommended = Cardiff. One cafe and that's it. Dismal from car park to take off.
Worst. JFK. Miami close with cavity searches by cold handed and over enthusiastic morons. Cuzco close for that death defying aspect.
Best: Based on my limited experience I'd say US airports are better than European ones. I guess most of them have more space to play with which generally makes for a better experience, though their officials are a tad too official for my liking.
Worst: Napoli because there's a higher chance that you've flown with the worlds shittiest airline, Alitalia. Your luggage will be elsewhere and you'll be stuck in the shithole that is Naples.
UK: Generally speaking the small ones (City and Southend) are better than the big ones. Any airport that has one of those crappy 'win this car' promotions going on has got its priorities all wrong.
Worst - UK - hands down, Manchester. Not even close. The worst airport I've ever been to outside of... Brunei. Absolute, total shithole
Couldn't agree more about Manchester, it gets worse by the week. I fly about 5 times a year to Nice and quite a few times to Faro mostly for work and although I only live a 15 minute drive from Manchester airport, for these trips I drive to Liverpool airport.
I can land at Liverpool, get through security then drive 40 minutes and be home quicker than had I landed in Manchester which is on my doorstep and it works just as well flying out. Far cheaper to fly from Liverpool too.
You get a better class of passenger at Liverpool airport!
Comments
Worst - Thessaloniki a few years ago but know they were working on it.
Most stupid airport is Cartagena in Colombia. Think I counted 7 separate bag checks before departure. The best one was our cases being taken off of one scanner, opened and checked, to then immediately join another queue where your case is scanned, opened and checked. I almost wished I had packed a few kilos of marching powder just to make it worth all the effort.
Best small airport - Gladstone, Brisbane
Worst airport - Lagos, Nigeria
Worst - The old terminal at Sharm El Sheikh
Worst: Berlin Schoenfeld
Worst : have to agree with the earlier mention for Corfu , had a 4 hour delay there and there's nothing after security.
I said if your colleague standing next to the baggage scales took his foot off of it, it will probably be well under.
Worse.. Heathrow unless prepared to use a lounge.
Flying in to JFK is the absolute worst experience though. Horrendous queues to wait for surly immigration staff. Welcome to America.
All the others I've been to are varying degrees of shite, but I feel lucky to get through CDG with my luggage and without a whole load of hassle.
Actually.. Burgas (BG) supposedly in the EU, I arrived last year when England were playing Colombia. Had expected to watch the 2nd half at my buddy's gaff. Instead I listened to the whole 2nd half commentary while standing in the passport control queue. Colombia equalized just as I reached the desk.
Worst - Malpensa T2 is awful, whereas T1 is space age.
Two of the guys at work who travel all the time both said Charles de Gaulle is near the top of any list for crapness.
Best - Charlotte in the States. Bright and airy. Rocking chairs everywhere. Definitely has a deep south feel.
Worst - Lots of them. San Juan in Puerto Rico springs to mind. But, that was a few years ago so could have been spruced up a bit.
Worst long haul - Madrid (always have to go there if you want to go anywhere in the America’s & there’s always something wrong)
Best short haul - Cork (you can arrive 15mins before your flight & still get on)
Worst short haul - Stanstead (I just can’t bear it)
Best - Istanbul - Brand new, modern, spacious and plenty of options to shop, eat and drink (some of the shops are stunning).
Worst - London Stansted - Small, cramped, untidy and full of orange faced, squeaky voiced chavs from Essex. Plus you have to pay £5 just to drop someone off.
Millwall fans idea of a holiday is to hook their home on the back of their car and head down to the Isle of Sheppey.
They combine the holiday with a visit to HMP Swaleside to see family.
I can land at Liverpool, get through security then drive 40 minutes and be home quicker than had I landed in Manchester which is on my doorstep and it works just as well flying out. Far cheaper to fly from Liverpool too.
Highly commended = London City. Easy in and away
Best = Singapore
Worst UK = Manchester, hands down, rude staff, shyte experience will never use it again.
Lowly recommended = Cardiff. One cafe and that's it. Dismal from car park to take off.
Worst. JFK. Miami close with cavity searches by cold handed and over enthusiastic morons. Cuzco close for that death defying aspect.
Worst: Napoli because there's a higher chance that you've flown with the worlds shittiest airline, Alitalia. Your luggage will be elsewhere and you'll be stuck in the shithole that is Naples.
UK: Generally speaking the small ones (City and Southend) are better than the big ones. Any airport that has one of those crappy 'win this car' promotions going on has got its priorities all wrong.
Luton horrific for many reasons. A huge disappointment was Berlin - absolutely bugger all there