Letters to the Editor
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DFW
I'm not sure when the person who wrote in about DFW actually was at the airport, but the annoying one-way "SkytrAAin" has long since been replaced by "Skylink" which has 4 trains running, 2 in each direction to take passengers to different terminals. The trains are much larger, and more comfortable than the old system, and buzz you to your terminal quickly. I will agree the "triple horseshoe" (now five-horseshoes including Terminal E and the opening of Terminal D) design is annoying, at least you don't have a mile hike to get to your gate from the ticket counter like you do at ORD's United terminal A. The new Terminal D (International flights) is open, airy, very modern with artwork scattered here and there to linger over, and features the most parking of any terminal at DFW. A vast improvement over it's older siblings.
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How about most improved?
Idea for your next "ask the readers" column Patrick --- what are the world's "most improved" airports?
I nominate Beijing's Capital Airport for that one. Used to be a push'n'shove scratch'n'sniff nightmare, but is now not bad at all.
And that's even before the entirely new Olympic terminal opens next year...
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IAD takes the cake
I have been through a lot of airports over the years, but there is only one that I truly hate, and that is the Washington Dulles International Airport. It is the only airport where having arrived 3 hours before a flight, I made it to the gate by barely a hairsbreadth in the end. Likewise, getting from and to IAD is more of a random game of chance than resembling anything that you can plan for. I-66, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Constitution Avenue, US-29, I-495, it does not matter, half of the time you will get stuck in a traffic snarl straight from hell. I do not know what the DC and VA state governments have been smoking, but the fact that there, even today, still is no rail link to IAD is unforgivable. Even Milan Malpensa, which used to be as inaccessible as IAD, has cleaned up its act with a high speed rail link.
The Air France terminals at Paris CDG are actually quite nice. As long as you are flying Air France, this airport is not so bad. CAI, BOM and LHR are madhouses, but I don't hate them like I hate IAD. BWI might not look like much, but usually is very efficient and easily accessible. Copenhagen looks gorgeous, but has a horribly understaffed SAS transfer desk and forces you to run like hell over long distances on foot if you are unlucky.
I second the vote for Amsterdam Schiphol.
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Anon - BDL is less than 20 miles from Springfield not 50
While I agree that Bradley is no looker, it is located a few miles off of Interstate-91 and it is roughly halfway between Springfield and Hartford which themselves are only 25 miles apart. It is probably 17-20 miles to Springfield and less to Hartford. Given that both metro areas are on the small side (1.1 mil for Hartford and .6 mil for Springfield), it was actually pretty smart to put the airport between them.
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DFW defense
I work at DFW airport. The old tram was in fact dismal at best. Now, however, passengers can enjoy one of the best inter-terminal transit systems around. The skylink system operates inside security, moving passengers from one terminal to any other in less than 10 minutes. Even if there are rare problems with the system, it's never more than 20 minutes. The airport has its problems, but inter-terminal transit is no longer one of them.
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Wow, I've been to an awful lot of these places
It's amazing how many of the domestic airports mentioned in the article or the letters I've had occasion to visit, and yet one of my absolute favorites isn't there.
But first, a quick tick off of some of the others:
DCA - With no luggage, you can get from your gate to your car in 8 minutes if you're parked in daily parking. Yes, the terminal is very nice and it has some excellent art. Also, the old terminal (built during the Depression) is a classic, too. And no locals call it Reagan unless they're die-hard Republicans.
IAD - I'm surprised nobody mentioned the parking, all of which is further from the terminal than you'd like, particularly if you're used to DCA.
BWI - Worst. parking. ever. And the shuttles are infrequent, to boot.
Houston and Phoenix - my nominees for the "you'll wear out your shoes" award, since nothing is close to anything. Minneapolis, not mentioned by anyone, is an honorable mention in this category. And where was Hartsfield?
LAX - One of those conglomerations of terminals that don't really go together; actually a lot like JFK.
O'Hare - There is at least one decent restaurant - the Wolfgang Puck place.
Kona - Very pretty, and a nice approach. Really bad food, though.
DFW - One of my least favorite. The old AA TRAAM was essentially useless unless you were going from one end of the terminal to the other.
Okay, now here's my favorite airport that was omitted: Palm Springs. It's a lovely setting, with outdoor gates and mountain views. Even better, and especially fitting, it has a putting green right in the middle of the airport, for those who couldn't get enough golf while they were in town.
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Suvannaphum, Bangkok?!
Oh please has the author of this article actually ever been to Bangkok's 'new' international airport? I think not...
Suvannaphum has been an unmitigated disaster since it opened it's doors prematurely last September, here are some of the faults that you won't find in any pr blurb reprint: cracked runways and taxiways, poor ventilation, cramped lounges, long check-in queues, lack of toilets, agressive taxi touts, dark corridors (female employees have complained of poor nighttime security), duty free shops that encroach on public space and block signage... etc etc
Try travelling through the older Hong Kong or Singapore airports and then try Suvannaphum, there really is no comparison.
Suvannaphum should have been a modern and user-friendly 21st century airport but unfortunately it has fallen foul of years of political meddling, corruption and the use of too many designers, architects and engineers. From the outside it looks great, from the inside it falls flat on its face.