City Data's Favorite Airports (airline, cheaper, crowded, summer)

[flyonpa]

I like DEN (not stapleton), Good for both connections and O&D traffic. ABE is great for in/out time from parking lot to gate was 30min. When i lived there I could leave home 1h before my flight, and be at the gate 20min before the fligh.

[mikeyyc]

I like IAH, it's easy to get from terminal to terminal, tons of food, and the lines are rarely stupid. EWR sucks. DEN is nice, but it's way out in the boonies, and Terminal B Gate 16 is a long hike, even with people movers. TUL and OKC are nice, but really small. ORD can be good or a total PITA depending on the time of day.

[firebll31]

I like Dallas, possibly because it is the one I'm most familiar with. But the Skylink system is really quick and easy to use, there are lots of shopping areas and restaurants to spend a layover in and it is easy to find your way around.
My favorite airport was in Costa Rica. Thatched-roof, open-air, but with a restaurant and bar that served food on local pottery. Guy out front weaving hats out of palm fronds. Talk about atmosphere!

[MAK802]

I've been to airports in almost every state. My favorite is my home airport (SAN) because it's very easy to navigate and once you land, taxing takes under 5 minutes.

Since moving to San Diego, all our connections seem to be through ATL. I know a lot of people hate it, but we've had nothing but a positive experience there. The employees are always friendly and we've never had a flight delay, and we fly through there multiple times a month.

JFK is my favorite out of the NYC airports and we use that when we fly home to the East coast, even though EWR is much closer to our destination.

We recently flew into Reno and that was a pretty good airport. Very easy to navigate, no security lines on a Saturday afternoon from what we could see.

[mdlee3]

I'm probably a little biased since it's my home airport, but I really like IND. It's such a vast improvement over the old terminal. It's easy to navigate and generally doesn't have large crowds. The longest I've ever waited at security has been maybe 15 minutes tops and I don't even think it was that long. Some decent food both before and after security. Since it's my home airport, I don't go there for shopping unless I get there and know I've forgotten something so I'm not gonna comment on the shopping options other than saying that there are some options, but it would probably be considered typical airport shopping.

[NinaN]

I think DFW is good if you live there (b/c you go in through security very close to your gate and you get off very close to baggage claim). Not so good if you are transferring there because your next gate could be miles away, but the new train system has made it much better. Of course, smaller airports are better because everything is closer and easier. SMF if just fine, if only I could get a non-stop flight anywhere out of SMF!

Least favorite:
Miami - always crowded, restrooms not working, long lines when they are, construction that forces you to go back through security when changing planes.
Atlanta - because it takes an extra hour to return your rental car and can be very difficult to change planes, particularly if you are changing airlines too.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by jdhall1

I have been in about 12 airports, and I like JFK the most.

Eh ... Not impressed with my experience going through JFK last Tuesday ... The security line was the SLOWEST I've ever experienced and the food options were plain pathetic (at least the Delta domestic terminal). Also, they are using the new screening methods as this was the first time I was ever subjected to this technology ... Not happy but I was too tired and weary to opt out.

My favorite airport is DFW as I've never had a bad experience the three times I flew into and out of that airport. Security moves efficiently and they have neat shops and concessions to choose from. Also, I love the skylink tram and will ride it if I'm bored.

Out of my local area airports, I usually opt for LAX just because I can get more direct flights and have never dealt with any security delays or baggage check delays. Very efficient for an airport of its size.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by RadioSilence

Locals like Kansas City International (MCI), especially for arrivals, because we can step off the plane, walk out the door and catch a shuttle bus so quickly. For everyone else it sucks because of the lack of eating/shopping options, and rechecking through security if your connection is in a different terminal, or even a different gate.

Phoenix Skyharbor airport also requires folks to go through screening if their connections are in different terminals so to avoid that hassle, always use the same airline when connecting .... I do have to say that I have enjoyed the shops in that airport during my brief time waiting for my connections though ... Neat artsy stuff and yummy local snack items.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

I like IAH, it's easy to get from terminal to terminal, tons of food, and the lines are rarely stupid. EWR sucks. DEN is nice, but it's way out in the boonies, and Terminal B Gate 16 is a long hike, even with people movers. TUL and OKC are nice, but really small. ORD can be good or a total PITA depending on the time of day.

IAH's nice but HUGE ... I had a 4 hour layover and it was a confusing airport due to the fact that my gate was changed THREE times for my connecting flight. Then while I was waiting at the gate in which my flight departed from, the marque suddenly changed from displaying my destination to "Aqua Calientes" ... I had NO clue where THAT was but confirmed with the gate attendants and the flight crew that I was going to Louisiana. Out of curiosity, I looked up "Aqua Calientes" and discovered that it was in MEXICO! Had I mistakenly boarded a plane to "Aqua Calientes", I really would have been in HOT WATER (translation of "Aqua Calientes"). LOL!

[CharlotteNCRepublican]

JFK Airport, but I'm biased I lived near it for most of my life


LaGuardia is my least favorite...