Airports have changed a lot over the years, both for better and worse. On the one hand, they have some unbelievable amenities that would have been unimaginable decades ago. On the other hand, many airports just haven’t grown efficiently, and don’t seem to consider the passenger experience.
In this post I thought it would be fun to talk a bit about the world’s best airports. I’ll share what I consider the best airports to be, and then I’d love to hear what OMAAT readers think.
In this post:
What makes an airport great?
The fundamental issue with deciding which airport is “best” is that airports serve different needs for different travelers at different times.
Passengers can have vastly different experiences, depending on whether they’re originating or connecting at an airport, how long they plan to spend at the airport, what terminal they’re departing from, if they have to change terminals, if they have lounge access, if they have to clear security or immigration, etc.
Let me give a few examples:
- If you’re flying Lufthansa first class and are originating at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), it might be the best airport in the world for you, thanks to the First Class Terminal; for everyone else, that’s definitely not the case
- There’s something to be said for airports that get you from the curb to the gate as quickly as possible; for example, Tampa Airport (TPA) is amazing for this, thanks to the way concourses are set up, and I can always get from the curbside to the gate within five minutes
- There are individual terminals in the United States that I find to be world class in terms of design, like Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles Airport (LAX), but they still don’t offer a great passenger experience in terms of security wait times and ease of getting between gates
- As an avgeek, I absolutely love the design of some of the terminals at Paris Airport (CDG), but that’s about the only thing I like about the airport (well other than the amazing Air France La Premiere Lounge)
My point with all this is simply to say that I don’t think there are any right or wrong answers as to what airports are the best. Everyone is looking for different things, so this all comes down to personal needs and preference. With that in mind…
My favorite airports in the world
I figured I’d share my three favorite airports in the world. I don’t think these airports will come as much of a surprise. All three airports are in Asia (including the Middle East). Let me share them in no particular order, with an explanation for why…
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) has been widely regarded as the world’s best airport for as long as I can remember, and that’s for good reason. The airport has endless amenities, from the world’s most impressive shopping mall, to great food and beverage outlets, to a butterfly garden, to a movie theater.
The airport is also spotlessly clean, and the public restrooms in the airport are as clean as virtually any bathrooms you’ll find in the world’s top first class lounges. For those with longer connections, the airport has several transit hotel options, and some solid lounges.
To be balanced, there are a couple of things I don’t love about the airport, though. First of all, while I understand the reason for it, I’m not a huge fan of security being at each individual gate, rather than centralized. It’s always nice to get security out of the way upon arriving at the airport, rather than right before boarding.
Second of all, while Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 are great, Terminal 2 definitely isn’t as impressive, and is actually quite outdated. Furthermore, getting between Terminal 4 and the other terminals isn’t particularly seamless.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world, and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is also one of my favorite airports. I love the architecture and the open-air feeling, I love the amazing plane spotting, and I find the airport to be easy to navigate.
As an aviation geek, the airport’s Sky Bridge has to offer one of the coolest plane spotting places anywhere. The bridge is 200 meters long, and is 28 meters above the ground, so you can see planes taxiing right underneath you.
Lastly, while this list isn’t necessarily about lounges, I do love the lounge options at this airport. For those of us with oneworld Emerald status, you can’t beat the selection of lounges, from Cathay Pacific’s The Pier First Lounge, to Cathay Pacific’s The Wing First Lounge.
Doha Hamad Airport (DOH)
Doha Hamad Airport (DOH) is now a world class hub, particularly thanks to the airport’s latest expansion. I actually think this might be my new favorite airport in the world now, when you factor everything in.
The airport is modern, has excellent lounges (from the Al Mourjan Garden Business Lounge to the Al Safwa First Lounge), has a beautiful garden area, has endless shopping and food and beverage outlets, and is really easy to connect at.
What sets Doha Hamad Airport apart from other major airports, though, is how the entire airport is one terminal. I think think this is highly underrated, especially for the average traveller. From the central security checkpoint, you should be able to get just about anywhere within 10-15 minutes, which isn’t the case at most major airports.
For example, try making a Concourse A to Concourse C connection at Dubai Airport (DXB). Despite the airport having a train system, it’s still basically a marathon. That’s the case at so many airports.
Other airports worth mentioning
While the above are my favorite airports, I’m not claiming they’re objectively the best airports in the world. They’re just my personal picks, based on my travel preferences and needs. I of course want to acknowledge that there are plenty of other great airports. Just to name a few:
- In Asia, Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) are also very well regarded, though don’t quite do it for me in the same way as the above
- I think Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH), Bahrain Airport (BAH), and Muscat Airport (MCT), are three great newly built airport hubs, though they’re on a much smaller scale than the above airports
- The new Istanbul Airport (IST) has an impressive terminal that I enjoy transiting, but perhaps the terminal is almost a bit too big?
- Detroit Airport (DTW) and San Francisco Airport (SFO) are probably the two best in the United States, though Detroit Airport doesn’t excite me much, while San Francisco Airport has nice individual terminals, but connecting can be a pain
- While I wouldn’t call it world class, the new Terminal 2 at Panama City Airport (PTY) sets a new standard for the region
- In Europe, I tend to think the hubs in Northern Europe are probably most impressive, and I can’t really with a good conscience say much good about other airports on the continent
Bottom line
Airports have evolved a lot over the years, though as you’d expect, we’ve seen more improvements in some regions than others. Personally my favorite airports are in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Doha, though there are of course plenty of other great airports out there as well.
There’s never a right or wrong answer as to which airport is best, since it’s hard for an airport to be equally good for all travelers, as we’re all seeking different things. I think the above three airports strike a good balance, though.
What’s your favorite airport in the world?
USA Domestic, I give high regard to the new LGA, MCI (Kansas City), BNA (Nashville) and MSY (New Orleans). Brickbats to MIA and JFK
SIN, HKG and HND T3 are my favourites.
With regard to DOH being a single terminal, I thought it is rendered useless by the fact that remote bays can mean a long journey between plane and concourse.
On a recent arrival to DOH a week ago, even though we were seated at the extra legroom row next to the door on our A359, it took just over 40 minutes from engine spool down to the...
SIN, HKG and HND T3 are my favourites.
With regard to DOH being a single terminal, I thought it is rendered useless by the fact that remote bays can mean a long journey between plane and concourse.
On a recent arrival to DOH a week ago, even though we were seated at the extra legroom row next to the door on our A359, it took just over 40 minutes from engine spool down to the concourse. With aerobridges, we would have reached the terminal building in about 5 to 10 minutes in Economy and 4 minutes or so in First/Business after engine spool down.
Koh Samui (USM) is among the best for overall experience. JNB has the best shopping of any airport, as it has Exclusive Books.
I would say if you’re staying for a few hours Doha is my favorite. If you have a longer layover and spending enough time to go into Jewel or even spending the night I love Changi
For me, this list goes like this, weighted by contribution margin to the world's most profitable airline:
ATL - If you're a premium passenger willing to pay above average fares for premium service, why wouldn't you want to fly from the airport with the most destinations from the world's most profitable airline?
DTW - East coast premium passengers going to Asia will want to connect in this well-designed fortress hub.
SLC - A very...
For me, this list goes like this, weighted by contribution margin to the world's most profitable airline:
ATL - If you're a premium passenger willing to pay above average fares for premium service, why wouldn't you want to fly from the airport with the most destinations from the world's most profitable airline?
DTW - East coast premium passengers going to Asia will want to connect in this well-designed fortress hub.
SLC - A very profitable hub in a growing metropolis (other airlines WISH they could serve this area!). The very premium sky club even has a framed Delta balance sheet.
MSP - Premium midwestern customers would much rather fly from here than ORD. The only international destinations that matter are AMS/CDG/LHR/ICN, so United having more (unprofitable) routes a few hundred miles southeast is irrelevant.
SEA/JFK/BOS/LAX - The world's most profitable airline has invested lots of money in these competitive coastal hubs (SMART!). The amenities are great and keep getting better. They're lowest on my list because I'd rather fly from a hub that commands the highest margins; doing my part to fulfill Ed's strategic vision.
Honorable Mentions:
AMS/CDG/LHR - If the network of the world's most profitable airline isn't enough to get you to your European destination, its well-regarded (but less profitable) partners will get you where you need to go!
ICN/PVG - I see these airports as having a smaller role once the super-premium A350-1000s make their way into Delta's fleet. Who would choose any Asian airline over Delta?
MEX/YYC - I personally prefer MEX since AeroMexico is partially owned by Delta. Knowing I'm contributing to their already stellar profits makes any downsides disappear in my mind.
This looks like a lot of work put into this post just to be silly.
DTW is actually a great airport (for a domestic one). Still surprises the heck out of me, I remember the old terminal...
You forgot ATL, DTW, SLC, MSP, SEA, JFK, and BOS.
-Tim Dunn (probably)
You can't include Jewel in your assessment of SIN because it's landside and only accessible to those who can get through immigration, whether due to visa or time limitations. Do you love JFK because of shopping on 5th ??? The Jewel may be closer, but it's still quite a hike from some parts of the airport. You need to draw the line regarding what you can include, and the cleanest place to draw that line...
You can't include Jewel in your assessment of SIN because it's landside and only accessible to those who can get through immigration, whether due to visa or time limitations. Do you love JFK because of shopping on 5th ??? The Jewel may be closer, but it's still quite a hike from some parts of the airport. You need to draw the line regarding what you can include, and the cleanest place to draw that line is immigration, although ground transport facilities are certainly a factor also (except for transit passengers). Whole Doha has a "me too" poor man's copy of Jewel with its Orchard expansion, that is airside and therefore available to all. You should probably compare airports on the basis on non-lounge enabled economy passengers. Final point is airport rankings for departure, transit and arrival are likely to differ. Luggage handling promptness and immigration queue time for arriving passengers is a big downer at many airports, for example.
From general gestalt, and in no particular order:
LGB - can't beat the SoCal outdoor experience.
SIN - a destination as well as a transit hub
HKG - though transit security has always been a bit of a pain
LGA - much improved, though would love a subway connection
Our favourite Airport is easily Koh Samui in Thailand. It is served by only Bangkok Airways who I presume own the airport. So many nice outlets. You can sit under the tree shade outside with a drink before going through the last bit of Security. No where else in the world have I seen Cannon Ball trees. They are amazing
Haven’t been but it really does look nice in the videos I have seen
Regarding SIN (and KUL and a few others) that do security at each gate. One thing I have noticed is that in airports where arriving INTERNATIONAL passengers are not segregated from departing passengers this system seems to be in place.
I guess it must be some security requirement? Both Changi and KUL are of the few airports I have been to where arriving passengers from international destinations share the same space/facilities as departing passengers.
Yup, with this arrangement, I think arriving passengers from SQ can even use the SQ lounges as an arrival lounge
I do not judge airports by lounges, but by what is available out there to anyone who has to spend hours waiting and does not want to spend all the hours in a lounge. Things to do, shopping, eating, space, design... the latter is more important than we think, a dark, crammed, colourless airport can drain one's energy out quickly.
My favourites: 1. Changi 2. Haneda 3. Istanbul
Friendliest airport staff in Europe: Athens and...
I do not judge airports by lounges, but by what is available out there to anyone who has to spend hours waiting and does not want to spend all the hours in a lounge. Things to do, shopping, eating, space, design... the latter is more important than we think, a dark, crammed, colourless airport can drain one's energy out quickly.
My favourites: 1. Changi 2. Haneda 3. Istanbul
Friendliest airport staff in Europe: Athens and Chania
(genuinely friendly/helpful, not just "customer politeness")
Airport you want to leave as soon as possible: London City
HKG, exactly like AMS, is hugely overrated by people who have too much time on their hands and/or enjoy extremely long walks. Last time I flew from AMS the gate was over 20 minutes away from the lounge and I was walking rather briskly. I was on the correct side, too- having to cross passport control and/or security would add further distance and delay.
Imagine having to fly from these places every couple of weeks...
HKG, exactly like AMS, is hugely overrated by people who have too much time on their hands and/or enjoy extremely long walks. Last time I flew from AMS the gate was over 20 minutes away from the lounge and I was walking rather briskly. I was on the correct side, too- having to cross passport control and/or security would add further distance and delay.
Imagine having to fly from these places every couple of weeks or whatever. There's no lounge facility in the world that could compensate for that nonsense.
Are you a cripple? There are multiple lounges, so if your gate was “20 mins away from the lounge”, you either chose a distant lounge or you’re disabled.
Maybe ask for a wheelchair next time?
What a silly comment, I haven't seen many 'cripples' walking briskly.
There's only Lounge 52 for KL/Skyteam pax on the Schengen side, and a look at the screens within the lounge is all that you need to do in order to confirm that some gates are very far from it- they display the number of minutes needed to walk to the gate, and it was only thanks to that information that I arrived at the gate before it closed!
Have you checked out the new + or -, MSY Airport. I think it d make the list.
Last year, I transited JED and BAH, both new terminals and BAH was particularly delightful (human size). Next month, I've managed to route myself through AUH with a trip via DOH at the end of the year.
SIN is great to the extent that I think I prefer the main concourse to the lounge (used by Saudia)!
I really can't make sense of the dislike of security at the gate. It means you don't have to compete with 100 other flights for security capacity. In no other airport I can pull up (with carry-on only ofc) at the curb 20 minutes before my flight and still comfortably make the 10 minute cut-off. All SQ and other full-service airline flights close gate 10 minutes before departure - you show up, you get in,...
I really can't make sense of the dislike of security at the gate. It means you don't have to compete with 100 other flights for security capacity. In no other airport I can pull up (with carry-on only ofc) at the curb 20 minutes before my flight and still comfortably make the 10 minute cut-off. All SQ and other full-service airline flights close gate 10 minutes before departure - you show up, you get in, no wiat whatsoever. Even HK (my home airport for a decade), which is quite well staffed, has regularly 15 min waiting periods for security. Why is this better than 0 wait at the gate? Just why?
I initially thought that gate security seemed wasteful but, like immigration, the process is smooth and fast.
Totally agree. Wish more airpts wd do it that way!
Amsterdam used to have it.
Totally agree with this too. I love the setup at Changi. Check-in, then a very quick passport check and you're through airside. It just feels to me so much quicker and then you know that so long as you're in the queue at the gate security they'll let you board the flight.
Changi and Hong Kong are both fantastic airports. They excel in different ways.
Ben, sorry to say but I completely disagree with your take on DOH. The new extension has confusing and circuitous circulation, and at night suffers from awful, glaring lighting (unlike the original part). The new lounge looks cheap and crude, a different league (for the worse) compared to the original Al Mourjan lounge in terms of design.
I actually feel almost exactly the same about Bradley: the original terminal is, as you say, gorgeous design-wise,...
Ben, sorry to say but I completely disagree with your take on DOH. The new extension has confusing and circuitous circulation, and at night suffers from awful, glaring lighting (unlike the original part). The new lounge looks cheap and crude, a different league (for the worse) compared to the original Al Mourjan lounge in terms of design.
I actually feel almost exactly the same about Bradley: the original terminal is, as you say, gorgeous design-wise, but the new satellite has the same cheap and crude feel as the DOH extension.
For me, the most beautiful airport terminal in the world is AMM, which probably few readers here have seen. A real gem design-wise (Norman Foster's best airport project IMHO) and super-easy to navigate. Of course, it is easy to do that with a small airport, but so many of them get it wrong anyway.
Ben,
Please do a post on your least favorite airports. Perhaps top five least favorite with reasoning as to why and what they can do better in your opinion. That would be an awesome read
In fairness, I like Singapore. But that airport? Heck no.
From cold Kaya Toast, to the decrepit Marhaba lounge, to the C- priority pass lounges, to the fact it's somehow at least 40 out of Singapore (despite being a small island), to the fact that Mall isn't even connected to the airport... I can't figure out why Singapore earns a spot on this list.
Personal airport favorites by region:
North America: Vancouver (YVR)
Asia: Singapore Changi; Tokyo Haneda (International Terminal)
Europe: Stockholm (Arlanda)
Honorable Mentions: Zurich, Munich, Minneapolis
(never travelled through a Middle Eastern hub, so that's why those are absent!)
No love for YVR? It has a stream and giant aquarium running through the international pier, a waterfall as you enter the immigration processing hall. It has some of those wow factor features that you usually only see in Asia and the middle east. Also a direct train to downtown which is also not all that common in North America among the top 50 busiest airports. Great APAC connectivity too that makes Vancouver punch above...
No love for YVR? It has a stream and giant aquarium running through the international pier, a waterfall as you enter the immigration processing hall. It has some of those wow factor features that you usually only see in Asia and the middle east. Also a direct train to downtown which is also not all that common in North America among the top 50 busiest airports. Great APAC connectivity too that makes Vancouver punch above its weight on the West Coast of North America.
Ben. Have you flown out of T4 at Changi? They do security after passport control so no security check at the gate. Great improvement and I hope Changi moves toward this in other terminals.
Challenging, especially between hub v non-hub airports, great terminals v bad overall airport design, small city v big city...but here it goes, based on overall experiences:
NAM - YYC, new MCI, DCA, new LGA, DFW for major hub (the Skytrain saves it from being a disaster); AUS, YOW worth honorable mention
SAM - uh, none for the list...but if I had to choose one, then SCL; SDU honorable mention, but that's just for sentimental reasons
...Challenging, especially between hub v non-hub airports, great terminals v bad overall airport design, small city v big city...but here it goes, based on overall experiences:
NAM - YYC, new MCI, DCA, new LGA, DFW for major hub (the Skytrain saves it from being a disaster); AUS, YOW worth honorable mention
SAM - uh, none for the list...but if I had to choose one, then SCL; SDU honorable mention, but that's just for sentimental reasons
EUR - ZRH; ATH honorable mention, just for sentimental reasons again
MEA - DOH, CPT; VFA honorable mention, because it's quirky and ease of use, aside from the turtle paced passport control
ASIA - KUL, SIN, HND (though I'm probably the only person in existence that prefers NRT), BNE (despite the split Intl and Domestic operations, though that will be sorta solved with the next stage of terminal development), AKL (ditto BNE); MEL, BKK, HKG honorable mentions; never been to India...yet...
ANTARCTICA - Whatever blue ice field I hope to be able to land on someday....
Best "Taco Bell" sized airports (or small size) - SBA, IGA, USM, JNX, ZQN...and many others
So MIA didn't make the list? Haha.
Read earlier today that regular lines for Immigration were 6 hours!
Third world pit of corruption.
Has Ben actually been to Changi Terminal 2 lately? No. He hasn't. Because if he did, he'd know it's now beautifully refurbished and looks 100% brand new inside. I now prefer it to T3 (SQ's home and long haul terminal), which was my previous favourite on regular transits from NZ to Europe.
Good article, but glaring mistakes like this make you wonder what other mistakes/omissions Ben is making about other airports and passing them off as informed opinion???
sheesh who peed in your cheerios today
Great article as always but I have to be honest and mention that I’m getting tired of the excessive advertising and pop ups. Other than that keep up the excellent work
Thankfully no one, that I noticed, nominated Dubai. Miami and Paris CDG should be demolished and started again.
The most important thing about an airport is its percentage of on time departures. A few years ago I read somewhere that the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) airport had the highest percentage. It also has a great Texas barbecue restaurant but that is not all that important.
Changi is one of my home airports and I enjoy arriving and leaving from it, and plentiful clean toilets..But local food options inside security are very sad. T3 food court (public) has decent stalls though. What I appreciate about any airport is when the staff reduce stress levels and Montreal stands out as a major airport with kind, chilled out staff. Changi too. Worst airport staff - Berlin, Frankfurt, Heathrow, CDG.
In South America, BOG is by far the best airport. Efficient, nice facilities, plenty decent airport hotels nearby.
True, it is a fantastic airport for the region, in my honest opinion.
From the past year that I have been to, these (medium or big sized) are on my list (besides the ones you’ve already mentioned):
International: MAD, HEL, BKK, HND, ZRH, RAK
N America: DEN, IAD, YVR, SEA
Kuala Lumpur 2nd globally
DFW 1st domestically
I think MAD T4 is a fantastic airport. Great public transit connections, cheap uber, beautiful design. Also, I'm surprised MUC doesn't get a call out. To me the airport is a destination in itself.
MAD T4 is not too bad but getting to other terminals is a pain. The buses used for the link are simply unfit for airport pax with baggage!
Apparently AENA is committed to spend some €1.5 billion on integrating T1-T2-T3 (although T1 and T2 are already integrated airside). T1 landside is just hideous, T2 is a little less awful.
T4 is great but only for Schengen flights - the rest go from T4S for which you need 30 minutes [on a good day] from check in to gate.
I hope you're doing an article about your worst airports, too.
I look forward to reading that.
I often visit ICN, and I've gotta say that literally every single staff I've seen at ICN were hostile and not so attentive. They simply have no interest in their works, and don't want to be there. Not to mention how they don't have a...
I often visit ICN, and I've gotta say that literally every single staff I've seen at ICN were hostile and not so attentive. They simply have no interest in their works, and don't want to be there. Not to mention how they don't have a priority lane for premium class passengers at security check (they only allow disabled/elderly people and pregnant women to access it) and in general has nothing really outstanding. It's just an average airport at best.
Completely agree. The only abjectly rude people I've ever encountered in East Asia have been workers at ICN. It's pretty crazy considering how nice Koreans are otherwise, IME.
@Santos exactly... I was blown by how kind an employee of McDonald's at medium-sized Korean city was, just get disappointed at Korea's international gateway. If you're flying in/out to Seoul, look for flights to/from Gimpo Airport (GMP) instead if possible. Not sure about how friendly the staff could be, but it's almost twice closer to the downtown and has way less passengers, though they only have flights to some cities of Japan, China and Taiwan....
@Santos exactly... I was blown by how kind an employee of McDonald's at medium-sized Korean city was, just get disappointed at Korea's international gateway. If you're flying in/out to Seoul, look for flights to/from Gimpo Airport (GMP) instead if possible. Not sure about how friendly the staff could be, but it's almost twice closer to the downtown and has way less passengers, though they only have flights to some cities of Japan, China and Taiwan.
@BenjaminGuttery I didn't expect such thing to happen at MAD. Not helping you at all? That's... just insane. Baggage problem, however is somewhat expected - not only Iberia, but also most of major European carriers seem to have that problems.
I found the exact same issue at Madrid. No one would help me (and I speak fairly passable Spanish being from Texas). Dismissive, won't help with directions, immigration, questions, I mean literally anything. They just scoff and point, and then when I got to Geneva, my bags had been left in Madrid. The airport staff said Iberia is notorious for this.
I fly domestically. What I look for:
1. PreCheck lanes that are adequately staffed. (ATL and MIA are the worst, DFW for it's size tends to be the best)
2. Short walks to the gate
3. No "mall concept." I have zero desire to shop for a suit at an airport
4. A decent AC and in the absence of an AC clean bathrooms
Interesting at one point at CRW last week (Charleston, WV) I was the only passenger in the terminal. A nice little airport. Ditto MRY.
The smallest domestic terminal I’ve been to is LNY (Lana’i, Hawaii). The arrivals and departures board is manual (you put in each letter and number by hand) and it was completely empty. They don’t even bother to update anymore. No staff in the airport; they were all at home for lunch and arrived about 5 minutes before the plane arrived (Cessna Caravan). Quaint, little airport.
I can't believe I am writing this. But Newark Terminal A is actually nice, modern and convenient. Still can't believe I wrote that. Any thoughts?
I actually liked the new LGA better than the EWR
Can someone explain to me how Americans can spend a small fortune on refurbishing terminals but surface access is atrocious? I'll swear that at Jamacia station, the brief for the Airtrain to JFK was to make the connection with the subway as unpleasant and customer-hostile as possible. Of course, JFK should have a direct subway connection to Manhattan, but that's another story........
Agreed, Terminal A at EWR is an absolute disaster in that regard (even by NYC airport standards). Bus from Terminal A to Terminal B, to then get on the Airtrain, to then get on the NJ Transit.
I thought ZRH is among the best in EU. CPH is not bad IMO as a major hub.
In Asia, both TYO airports, ICN and TPE are tops on my list.
SIN is a given. No other has beaten it. New IST is nice but it is too big.
SEA, my home airport, w the exception of new concourse N, is a horrible dump.
TPE? Are you serious? The airport is somewhat outdated and lacks natural light.
Logged in just to say, I love so many things about Taiwan, but TPE airport just ain't one of them.
Maybe Bob has access to the Eva Garden lounge. :P
I do appreciate airports with a strong design aesthetic, an airport you could identify in one glance (even if the travel experience there is suboptimal). You mention CDG, but I would also add MAD, MEX, and IAD to the list.
MEX?... what are you talking about?
It might sound weird but the one think I dislike about Changi - nearly the whole place is carpeted. It makes wheeling bags long distances just that little bit more a PITA :-)
Also, there can be frustrating long lines at passport control too at certain points during the day. They have tried to give more and more passengers access to e-gates but their system does not seem to be very good. I travel to...
It might sound weird but the one think I dislike about Changi - nearly the whole place is carpeted. It makes wheeling bags long distances just that little bit more a PITA :-)
Also, there can be frustrating long lines at passport control too at certain points during the day. They have tried to give more and more passengers access to e-gates but their system does not seem to be very good. I travel to SIN monthly and I would say at least 25% of passengers eligible to use the gates (by nationality) are 'rejected' by the automated system and even though I get through the gates ok the system does take a long time to process me each time.
Need to add my second home airport, the new terminal on Gibraltar, sitting outside on the terrace with the rock in the foreground never grows old. Oh and the cheap bottles of single malt too!
It is beautiful, but it’s also a smaller airport than the ones listed
We visited Gibraltar over New Years, definitely a cool place to visit. I even told my brother-in-law to move there.
In the past decade Indian airports of Mumbai and Bangalore are the most beautiful.
While never understood why Hong Kong and Zurich are always rated in Top 5
Because ‘beautlful’ doesn’t matter to many of us. We look for functionality, transit etc. that matter a lot.
Ben, terminal 2 at SIN has been redone and has been greatly improved. I’d say it is actually the best terminal now.
Contenders to me are
SFO, SEA, YXS Prince George BC Canada, SIN, TPE, MUC.
For looking at, IAD and CDG terminal 1.
Some small airports are no nonsense and quick, like Fort Wayne, Indiana and Nome Alaska.
For some, easy and cheap parking is good. Others want frequent and widespread air service. Architectural beauty and/or function is another criteria. Distance to the city is another. Crime is a factor, which makes Oakland terrible even if it is renamed San Francisco.
CDG T1 ? Seriously?
“Crime is a factor, which makes Oakland terrible even if it is renamed San Francisco.”
Is crime rampant at OAK? I’ve never been robbed or murdered coming or going to/from OAK.
Your focus seems to be on connecting flights so I have no idea how Doha can make it into the top 3, it wouldn't be top 25 based on how horrendous connecting flights are. The airport is small, the number of gates does not serve the number of flights so you end up with a ton of flights requiring buses and parked very, very, very far away from the terminal.
I would love to...
Your focus seems to be on connecting flights so I have no idea how Doha can make it into the top 3, it wouldn't be top 25 based on how horrendous connecting flights are. The airport is small, the number of gates does not serve the number of flights so you end up with a ton of flights requiring buses and parked very, very, very far away from the terminal.
I would love to use QA but the thought of connecting through Doha again is just too stressful.
And that connection lineup.. the sheer number of people waiting at an ungodly hour of the morning.
Give the new airport in Abu Dhabi another visit, it's fantastic compared to Doha
Big fan of MUC. Good connections to the city, great airport hotel (Hilton), enough shops, decent lounges and reasonable efficiency.
Lucky you gotta visit the new Terminal 2 in Bengaluru International Airport. Best airport I’ve been to (even T1 is p good) and even my Lufthansa flight attendant said she thinks its better than Changi and before she thought Changi was the best airport.
https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/gallery-bengaluru-airports-new-t2-terminal-garden
Yes it is beautiful, but that doesn’t cut it out for being great. There are other factors that need to be considered.
While Changi is my home airport, and I’m incredibly fortunate to call it my home, I feel that much of the glamour comes from expensive shops and luxury boutiques, which I’m not a fan of. I’m more biased towards two airports in my home country, India: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda Airport (BLR) — whose Terminal 2 won the Prix Versailles’ Special Prize for an Interior from the UNESCO in December 2023 — and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj...
While Changi is my home airport, and I’m incredibly fortunate to call it my home, I feel that much of the glamour comes from expensive shops and luxury boutiques, which I’m not a fan of. I’m more biased towards two airports in my home country, India: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda Airport (BLR) — whose Terminal 2 won the Prix Versailles’ Special Prize for an Interior from the UNESCO in December 2023 — and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM), both of which (only the respective T2s, not the T1s) I feel combine glamorus aesthetics with modern Indian design and affordable prices.
Must also agree that HKG is on a whole different level when it comes to planespotting opportunities, and the Sky Deck and Intervals Bar are a unique experience in the world.
And another thing: Terminal 2 is the most recently renovated and redesigned section of Changi, and it looks in a completely different league compared to the rest of the place. Terminal 1 is in fact the most outdated. You’ve gotta update that, Ben.
Agree with the BLR! I just came cross some YouTube videos of the new Bengaluru T2 couple days ago and I was shocked by just how beautiful the terminal is.
BOM, seriously?? Pigeons fly and bird drops at so many places. No transit system either! Even DEL T3 is far better, although it doesn’t count “nice airport” to me
Since you seem to focus on connecting traffic, my favorite airport is Helsinki (HEL). It’s obviously not a big as your top picks, but it is still a Oneworld hub. Connections are easy, shops are plentiful (including some special shop with Finnish design articles) and lounge are good.
The design of the main check-in area of HEL is elegant. I was staring at the ceiling during most of the time
And as someone mentioned public transit below (yay!), I will give HEL high marks for that too. The escalator route up from the train station really gives you an indication of how deeply they dug that tunnel.
Thank you! This would be the only airport worth mentioning among the European ones... Navigating through HEL is a breeze. Not to be on the top list of world airports, but definitely a great airport to make connections.
Well in that case SFO is definitely on the list of the best for you. B.A.R.T. can take you from just about anywhere in the Bay Area to SFO no problem. I currently live in a Suburb of Portland and while there's public transport from Portland to PDX your choices from the Burbs are absolutely 0. One of my many disappointments as a traveler out of PDX.
The most important criterion to me is how easy it is to get to the airport via good public transit (cheap, fast, and confortable). So airports with a quick subway train to the city center score huge points. I live in DC and it's so easy to use Metro to get to the two primary airports (not BWI though) and I hate going to cities where there isn't a good train option. Sadly, that includes...
The most important criterion to me is how easy it is to get to the airport via good public transit (cheap, fast, and confortable). So airports with a quick subway train to the city center score huge points. I live in DC and it's so easy to use Metro to get to the two primary airports (not BWI though) and I hate going to cities where there isn't a good train option. Sadly, that includes most of the US (and even New York). Can't be a good airport if it doesn't have a good transit connection, unless I see it as only a transit hub and not a destination.
Easy to use the Metro to get to Dulles from dc?
lol. It goes there but I don’t think anyone calls that an easy ride from the city ;)
Dca, sure
If you can make it to DCA from DC, how is the Silver Line to IAD difficult other than just the distance?
Well in that case SFO is definitely on the list of the best for you. B.A.R.T. can take you from just about anywhere in the Bay Area to SFO no problem. I currently live in a Suburb of Portland and while there's public transport from Portland to PDX your choices from the Burbs are absolutely 0. One of my many disappointments as a traveler out of PDX.
My rubric for airport quality includes:
...- How much time I spend there (less is better)
- How long it takes to get there (less is better).
- Availability of transit connectivity (train beats subway beats light rail beats bus beats nothing), including whether these connections run early, late, and often enough to be useful.
- Can I get an iced tea and a sandwich (considering opening hours and price point)
My rubric for airport quality includes:
- How much time I spend there (less is better)
- How long it takes to get there (less is better).
- Availability of transit connectivity (train beats subway beats light rail beats bus beats nothing), including whether these connections run early, late, and often enough to be useful.
- Can I get an iced tea and a sandwich (considering opening hours and price point)
I really couldn't care less about it having an indoor waterfall or a fancy lounge or whatever... those things are nice if I'm stuck there due to, say, KE being incapable of operating a flight on time. But I'd rather be not at the airport in the first place.
I would be interested (as I'm sure other OMAAT readers are) in some form of your flying stats. It would be cool if you would publish for example the airport, airplane type or airline you've flown the most. Maybe you could release a post detailing this, or make a yearly post towards the end of the year. I'd be interested to see this.
For example, I use an online flight record tracker called openflights.org and it automatically compiles all this data for me.
I'm not sure why DFW is never in these lists, at least Terminal D, or maybe the new "Piers" at C or A. Very modern and beautiful/relaxing design with "light trees" and video walls. I get that most heavy travelers either don't like 1) The Weather 2) AA in general or 3) the size/shape of the terminals and walking for connections (they have the SkyLink that even stops multiple times at each Terminal so you...
I'm not sure why DFW is never in these lists, at least Terminal D, or maybe the new "Piers" at C or A. Very modern and beautiful/relaxing design with "light trees" and video walls. I get that most heavy travelers either don't like 1) The Weather 2) AA in general or 3) the size/shape of the terminals and walking for connections (they have the SkyLink that even stops multiple times at each Terminal so you don't "have" to walk...). But it's still an impressive airport with many lounges and amenities, now even the light rail comes to the airport from both Dallas & Fort Worth.
Middle America flyover country is mocked for lack of self awareness. Everything non-coastal in this country is sh*t. Flying from DFW to NYC is like traveling forward in time 50 years and seeing the IQ ceiling raised by 30 points.
Except Dallas Love is better than LaGuardia and Houston Intercontinental is better than Newark.
Tell me you've never been to New York without telling me you've never been.....
LOL, I go to NYC a dozen times a year. Before during and after the new terminals at LGA and renovations at JFK. I'm actually very well traveled, internationally and domestically. I'll admit, maybe it's because DFW is my home airport and therefore I'm very familiar with its layout. However, making fun of me by saying "I've never been to NYC" or that I'm a stupid "Middle America flyover country" person is not only rude,...
LOL, I go to NYC a dozen times a year. Before during and after the new terminals at LGA and renovations at JFK. I'm actually very well traveled, internationally and domestically. I'll admit, maybe it's because DFW is my home airport and therefore I'm very familiar with its layout. However, making fun of me by saying "I've never been to NYC" or that I'm a stupid "Middle America flyover country" person is not only rude, it doesn't say anything about why y'all don't "like" DFW whatsoever.
Slow down, there @Ben. Reply was to "BigLaw", not to you, but looks like posted in wrong spot. No offense or argument to you or your opinion at all.
Big law must live in the most middle of America if self awareness is the tell for stupidity
What an idiotic poster
DFW IS NOT GREAT.
If the airport concessions are unsuitable for vast numbers of people without lounge access then it shouldn't be on the list. Many non-U.S. airports look great and have nice lounges, but when every food option is, for example, noodles or pizza hut, that's not very functional. The best airports are the ones that have what one needs. There's better places to spend ones free time than in airport lounges.
Best airports in America are those served by just one airline on regional jets, and the ticket counter agent is the same as the gate agent.
I'll see this, and raise you one airline on regional not-jets. (Flight experience may vary, but this article is about airports, not flights.)
Like the one at Urbana Champaign? Lol
I did enjoy my time though, every agent knew me, and it’s so easy to get in and out.
Glad you called out TPA. I love how easy it is. Splitting my year between ORD and TPA is definitely a case study on contrasts.
Why are you splitting your time in two bad cities? Live at least half the year in NYC or SEA/SFO/LAX. When you do, you’ll feel like every other city in America is 50 years behind.
I flew out of Singapore for the first time last month, and the security did puzzle me, was a tad confused on there was no security until getting to the gate.
And Istanbul is wayyyy too big. Had a flight get a lightning strike (well, two strikes actually) after takeoff and had to return, sorting out food vouchers and a new gate was hard work.
The best airport to me is one like DCA. I want to get in and out as fast as possible.
Condolences to your wife.
Agreed about Changi, though having everything carpeted is a pita. While I do appreciate how it helps reduce the noise/ cacophony of sound, pulling or pushing carryon luggage through what feels like sand is not ideal.
If you ever do a worst list, please be sure to include CDG.
In terms of USA. I agree with you on DTW, but SFO doesn't seem anything special. Perhaps as a Delta flyer I miss out?