Great sports bar, wireless internet, and you should see the moving escalator.
Posted on 03/27/2014 1:04:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Skytrax has released the results of its annual World Airport Awards and, once again, Singapore's Changi Airport has taken the top spot. It's no surprise that Changi came out on top again. The international transit hub has incredible amenities, such as a butterfly garden, rooftop pool, movie theaters, hotels, spas, and showers — and even a four-story slide.
Skytrax based its rankings on 12.85 million customer nominations across 110 nationalities and included 410 airports worldwide. It incorporated passenger satisfaction across nearly 40 categories, including service and shopping and security and immigration.
All the airports commended last year made the 2014 list, but in a slightly different order.
10. London's Heathrow Airport
Yearly passengers: 69.4 million
Why it's awesome: Despite London Mayor Boris Johnson's concern that Heathrow gives visitors "a terrible impression of the U.K.," the overcrowded airport made it into Skytrax's top 10.
The third-busiest airport in the world in 2011, it took home the awards for Best Airport Shopping and Best Airport Terminal, for T5, which opened in 2008 after a $6.2 billion, 19-year design and construction process.
Heathrow's Skytrax review includes four or five out of five-star rankings for ease of use, flight information, public transport, security staff efficiency, and more
_____________________________________________
9. Vancouver International Airport
Yearly passengers: 18 million
Why it's awesome: The least busy airport in Skytrax's top 10, Vancouver International offers visitors a large collection of Pacific Northwest native art.
Skytrax named Vancouver International the Best Airport in North America for the fourth year in a row in 2013, a streak that justifies the $1.4 billion that the airport spent on a recent expansion. It also ranked top for staff.
Volunteers, known as green coat ambassadors, help travelers get to where they're going.
___________________________________
8. Zurich Airport
Yearly passengers: 24.8 million
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Yes. My wife and I fly there often from Miami to visit our daughter at Little Creek. It is a relief to get out of MIA and fly there.
I don’t care if it costs a little more, I fly into Fort Lauderdale, rather than Miami whenever it’s possible.
I bet LAX could make the bottom 10.
My favorite is Honolulu International Airport. They have expanded it since I was a kid in the ‘60’s, but the minute you get off the plane and feel the soft trade winds and the air fragrant with flowers, you know you are in paradise.
—
True
Changi is just amazing and they got the best airport in Europe right on the sublist (Schiphol). But how Heathrow and Zurich made a top ten list like this is beyond me. Except for the new Terminal 5 Heathrow is a dump, and having been through Zurich just last January it didn't strike me as anything special. There are several airports in the richer parts of the Middle East (Dubai for instance) that almost approach the standards set by Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong.
Same thing with JFK.
I despise both and avoid if at all possible.
Great sports bar, wireless internet, and you should see the moving escalator.
I fly to/from Reagan to either Tampa or Orlando several times a year. Reagan is small and not much there, but it used to be a (relatively) quick and not too unpleasant airport if handled a certain way (i.e. Terminal C). Since the AA/US Airways merger, though — not so much!
Never had any problems in Tampa; it is usually fast and efficient. Other than security, Orlando is usually nice as well, although I have had more delays from there than Tampa.
I have had good experiences at Phoenix as well. No complaints! I do like walking though. And I have never had any problems at DFW, although maybe it was because I always had plenty of time.
But I agree with the posters who said they’d rather pay more to avoid Miami — what a mess! And as far as Atlanta, well, isn’t it true that when somebody dies and goes to hell, on the way they have to change planes in Atlanta?
I believe they also won the coveted 2012 Idi Amin Award for Creative Use of Razor Wire.
I stopped flying a couple years ago, here you have all this security to intimidate the passengers and what happens?
The pilots kill everyone.
To me, smaller is better.
Dallas Luv Field (Southwest flies there) is great.
The Kansas City airport has great parking, especially if you’re picking somebody up. First hour is free, and its just a few steps from the terminal. (Unfortunately ‘improvements’ are about to be made).
Birmingham has great access to rental cars - you walk across the street on a covered walkway, into a parking garage with the rental companies in there. No walking in the rain, no billion degree cars.
Huh? Is my flight on time? Do I have to walk two miles to the car rental counter? WTH do I need a butterfly garden?
I was never impressed with Atlanta.
My worst experiences were always at Minneapolis-St. Paul International. I was snowed in there on my way back to Basic after Christmas Exodus, ate a hotdog at the USO and got violently ill for the next 24 hours. In fact, I didn’t eat a thing for three days after I got back to Basic. Gone through MSP 3-4 times...NEVER had a good experience. That one in the Army was the worst.
Well, not to mention the security checks.
Have we all become so immune to the TSA that we can't imagine that an American airport doesn't rank among the world's best?
Not sure that it’d win any awards, but I DO love the Charlotte, NC airport with its banks of white rocking chairs That ‘down home’ is kinda cool.
Nowadays, all the ‘fun’ stuff in the airports, better restaurants, better shops, etc., are all past the TSA checkpoints.
When I was traveling a lot I always flew into Singapore on Trans Pacific flights and then hopped off from there to where ever. Best place in SE Asia to get your bearings and start again.
I always told people that Singapore is a place an engineer can love. Order is the main theme.
Whut?
Canada stole Vancouver?
I really don’t care about an airport being exciting or interesting. Personally, I’m interested in spending as little time in an airport as possible. I’m more interested in getting out of the airport, preferably on time.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Not Vancouver, WA
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.