Ethos83

So much for the auld alliance...

littlejimmy

Doha is cack, as is Tripoli. T3 at Heathrow is pretty horrible. Teesside (or Durham Tees Valley) is a few sheds with ideas above its station and ridiculously officious officials (Kafka airport was modelled on it).

Good ones...I like Schipol, other than having to do security at the actual gate. I like the new one at Hong Kong, and T5 at Heathrow is quite nice.

Autonomy

I think I need to add to this - I, it seems unusually, really like airports. I love the feeling of being out of touch for a few hours. Even with BBs and whatever it still feels like a mini holiday.

Cheap gadgets - check
wifi (sometimes) - check
silly twats to look at - check
beer for breakfast (sometimes) - check

I could go on - I like them in general....

Bijilo123

I agree with Bahat about Alexandria - particularly if the experience is enhanced by the hotel forgetting to book a taxi and then getting a smelly criminal to effect the contrct.

...but worse is Aktau in Kazakstahn.

Best is CLK - and is it really 12 yrs old!!

For aerobatics try Narsarssuaq in Greenland - apparantly the pilots need a special license - but the one who drove me there was obviously pissed..

co durham boy

CLK is 12 years old , i worked on the airfield / apron construction in the 90's opened in 98 , just after we handed it back to the Tiddly Winks..!

Tillybean

I think I must be odd because I quite like Heathrow - T3 was empty when I flew back a couple of weeks ago and I snagged a good bargain for a very nice watch in the Duty Free.

I love Koh Samui - only because of the palm beach hut arrivals/departure lounge!

Hong Kong is an amazing airport, found Singapore just too big and I hate Dubai - you seem to land in RAK and then have to taxi and walk to Dubai. Give me Abu Dhabi any day.

Used to love travelling internally in Turkey when they refused to load luggage onto the plane until you had identified it on the tarmac at which point someone then hoofted your bag into the hold. So delicate!

Glasgow usually has a few surprises as the cross-winds can be strong. Had a couple of aborted landings there due to hairy weather.

I really like the dirt tracks in Africa that double as a road and as a landing strip. Teeny planes where they weigh you up to balance out the plane and you fly so low that you almost feel you could just jump out.

My dad used to always talk about the old airport in Hong Kong and the approach was always fun - flying between the buildings and hoping that the pilot had it right so you didnt slip off the end and into the water!

norsk

Best airports - T5 Heathrow, Gardermoen (Oslo)
Worst airports - Jomo Kenyatta (Nairobi), Rhodes Airport, CDG

Worst experience is taking off from Hammerfest Airport in tiny propeller plane. No cockpit, just a curtain! Anyway, this airport was known for a bit of cross wind during winter, and that day there was plenty. As soon as the wheels left the ground the plane was shifted about 200m to the left. Luckily not many trees that far north! I'm not religious but I prayed for the duration of the flight.

Oyibopeppeh

The worst "airport" must be the old terminal in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The place was filthy, rarely any light, never any AC and it resembled a cow shed.

On arrival they'd check your yellow fever card and if you didn't have one, threaten to shoot you up with a dirty spike or pay a fine that went in the goon's pocket.

They'd chuck your baggage in a caged off space and you'd have to dash another idiot to pass your bags through the hole in the wire to you.

At customs there was always the same short-arsed twat wearing a football shirt, invariably pissed out his head, who'd rifle through your possessions, looking for stuff to confiscate so he could collect a dash.

Departing was just as bad, you were unofficially not allowed to take any CFA out of this f***** up country and they'd take you to a shabby booth and make you turn out your pockets, take off your shoes etc.

Then it was on to the waiting room, where they'd lock the doors until the flight was ready for boarding (invariably it was late). Thankfully there was not much to burn if there ever was a fire.

I've never been back to the place...

Dubaidog

[QUOTE=Bijilo123;8803069]

...but worse is Aktau in Kazakstahn.

Always thought Atyrau was worse - basically just two wooden porter cabins - no interior decor - just bare plywood, only big enough to hold half of the passengers on a Scat flight (think WW II era soviet prop plane). - 20 deg outside while you unload your own luggage...and those charming Kazak customs folk...lovely! Understand they finally built a proper terminal now though.

Best: Denpasar, Bali - arriving means I'm officially on holiday!