Guest Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 The Great White Elephant known as Narita International Airport gets my vote for most incovenient! Is this land of arguably the best public transport system in the world, why couldn't they build a bullet train to access the joint? By the time you leave home/work, take train, bus or car, check in, wait, wait a bit more and line up to take off, it's six hours from the time you left to you actually lift off! Koh Samui is the perfect model of a tropical island airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UAL875 Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 I am with you on Narita. Seems like it is never the ?happy destination? for me, even as a resident of Tokyo. When someone mentions Narita, I immediately think LONG FLIGHT - one that is anywhere from 7 ? 14 hours. Or even worse ? the place of layover between two flights of said lengths. And as Roppongi-san points out, it can be treacherous to get into Tokyo proper from its faraway location. I will not even go into detail how, despite the fantastic network of rails and busses we have here, last Sunday night I was forced to take a local train home because of piss-poor scheduling. But something I have been wondering about ? and maybe some of the board members can help me out here ? is that regardless of how ?early? my flight appears to be arriving NRT (several times >1 hour ahead of schedule as announced by the pilot), the plane is forced to circle and circle and circle so that it lands at its scheduled time. I used to think it was because NRT had only one runway but it still happens today. Is this another example of Japanese Flexibility? That is, ?the plane must land at its scheduled slot because we, the good standing workers of Japan Inc., can not think individually and deviate from the schedule even if it means making hundreds of folks happy?. Any insight? Honorable mention for worst is Charlotte, North Carolina. Always seemed final approach had me whiteknuckling. Too windy, too many squalls, and too many lightening storms for my taste. Oh, and LAX is a shithole. As far as the best, I like Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Denver, and Pittsburgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samak Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Says jp1: Worst ...saigon, Shanghai are you talking about the new Pudong airport in Shanghai. The old airport is out of use for international flights since about one year. i think since end of last year as i still arrived on the old Hongqiao airport in october last year from Thailand. i agree that Pudong is much better, however has increased travelling time and i also had to queue for over a hour at immigration when i arrived the last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALHOLK Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Hi! I take it from the other replies that no one has been to the airport in Sofia. This airport is in it's own league. I can't be described it ahs to be seen. regards ALHOLK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsab Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Best airports for me: Singapore, Amsterdam and Orlando Worst airports: Boston and Colombo. Boston was just in renovation when I flew there last time (March 2002 from and to Ireland), but it was the worst I have ever seen... they didn't even have a duty free shop (not one shop), or some bookshop...the only thing in the departure hall was...you guess it...a McDonals... Sri Lankan Airline is a great Airline to fly with...if there would not be Colombo Airport. The most boring and probably even dirtiest Airport I have seen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALHOLK Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Hi! Sri Lankan Airline is a great Airline to fly with...if there would not be Colombo Airport. Balkan Air would be one of the worst even if they didn't go anywhere near Sofia. regards ALHOLK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Hi PvtDick, haven't been to Athens for at least 5 years. Thanks for the update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 Hi ALHOLK, yep, been there, and yep, you're right, it's very Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 >Koh Samui is the perfect model of a tropical island airport. Built and owned by BKK Airways. They just opened a new one in Trat - flying to Koh Chang will be via Trat. Did not fly, just drove past and stopped to have a look. Beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SingaporeSteve Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 As someone who spends far to much of his life in these damn places, I have some observations: The absolute worst is Delhi or Mumbai - they are both as bad as each other. Business class lounge in Delhi is busier than the main terminal. Not far behind in my opinion would come Terminal 3 at Heathrow, an absolute s**t hole, desperately in need of massive upgrading due to the idiots who thought that delaying Heathrow expansion for about 8 years was ever going to be successfull. Sorry - I get mighty p*****d when I see the damage that has done to the UK economy. So much connection traffic goes over Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris which used to go over London. As for terminal 4, the BA intercontinental hub, single airbridges were built as the terminal was designed for short haul not long haul flights!!! 3rd place is joint Beijing/Tokyo Narita. Beijing for hopeless immigration and customs when u leave and Tokyo for hopeless Immigration primarily when u leave (unless you do it in town, which is great) and purposely slow trains so as not to put the limo bus out of business(and apparently thats the true reason). Best airport has to be Singapore Changi and for me its far better than HKG which has crap immigration both in and out as well as being physically too big. Changi is the best overall experience and great for people running late, which cannot be said of HKG. Other notable 'nice' airports would be Helsinki, Sydney, Gatwick and the one on Tioman island of the coast of Malaysia. US airports are all bland but fairly efficient cattle movers. If you dont expect to much, generally they deliver. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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