Worst Airport You've Been To?

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

I was there a few years ago, a horrible experience. The queue after security was hilarious, it was just a free for all to get out the door and on board.

Having flown in and out of Beauvais a fee times I'd usually agree it's a **** airport. However, the security did me a favour there a few years back.

Had been at the infamous match with the Thierry Henry handball. Flew alone and met friends there. Heavy night of drowning sorrows after match and I slept through alarm and missed bus to airport. €200 taxi fare and arrived ten minutes before takeoff. Could see passengers boarding from the security point. Guy was saying I was late and tough. At this point I must have looked miserable and pathetic so his supervisor waved me through before I started crying.

No chance Ryanair would have allowed me on back in the days you had to go to their checkin desk at the airport.

househero wrote: »

I dont get why people stand up when you have an assigned seat now, was your trip before the new changes?

several reasons:

1. Ryanair only guarantee the first 90 bags in overhead bins. If you're one of the last in the queue, there's a high chance you'll be forced to check in your bag which means potentially slow waiting times at destination because you have to wait on luggage... plus it can be inconvenient if you've got valuables and food / drinks etc... in that bag which you'd planned on keeping in the cabin.

2. Overhead bin space is always at a premium... quite often people boarding later don't get to store their bags in the bins directly above their heads which means the bag needs to go in front / behind you... which makes things awkward when getting off at the other end (when everyone stands up and nobody can move)... if you're sitting at the front but your bag is towards the back, good luck trying to swim against the tide of angry and impatient passengers trying to get out...

3. In most airports, there's very little seating available at departures gates... if people don't get a seat they think "**** it, if i'm gonna stand i may as well stand at the front of a queue and get on board the plane quicker and gain the above advantages".

Faro in Portugal. Madness all round, just nothing but queues and security. Never again I tells ye.

Old Bangkok airport (Don Mueang) was dirty and grimy, still operational but mostly used for domestic flights now. New one is such an improvement.

Teeside airport in the UK. Worst experience ever flying out of the place to get back to Dublin.

The pompous official at the luggage x-ray spent 15 minutes running the conveyor backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards then stopping it to take a closer look on the screen, before starting with the backwards and forwards again. Rinse and repeat numerous times whilst the few passengers for the flight get more and more agitated.

Eventually he was satisfied with the x-ray image of the contents and let it go.
All that farting around instead of just asking the owner of the luggage to open it for a look!

Kansas City "International" Airport. It looks like a rural airport, only one restroom with never ending queue. You can notice that after Sept 11 they just put a wall between the entrance and the gates to fit the security checks. Back in the day you basically walked straight ahead from the front door to the gate, less than 50 meters, now with a wall in the middle it's just a mess of people in line and waiting in small spaces all the time. Most gates don't have shops or food services.

The only pro is that you go through security pretty quick.

Carrickfinn airport in Donegal, smallest airport I've seen, basically a hut of a sort and tiny noisy aircraft.

My name is URL wrote: »

Ask them the simplest of questions and prepare for a rant about how busy the airport is and how shouting at people is the least they should expect. If they spent less time berating and arguing with anyone that dares ask them something they might get some work done.

You'd think they'd be proud of working for one of the world's best known and busiest airports like.. instead of resenting the fact that they do.

I was blown away by the ignorance when I first flew there.. and I'm not the politest of people myself. I just ignore it now and try not to interact with staff.

Honestly, they'd make AH seem more like the UN.

It definitely doesn't help to dispel the stereotype, but not all stereotypes are wrong anyway. The French aren't the most endearing of people at the best of times.

Been in France plenty and never had this issue. My one time in CDG I had to ask for directions or for information a few times. I only speak a very small bit of french so asked in french "excuse me, do you speak english ?" and got all the help I needed.

Same out and about in France. If I can't ask for something in French I just ask if they have english. Always tried first in french. Usually when they realise i'm crap at it they switch to english. Never had the slightest problem with rudeness.

I find if you make an effort to speak it they appreciate it rather than just wandering up and starting off in english.

Carnacalla wrote: »

May I ask what's Atlanta airport like? Largest in the world by passengers, I'd say it'd be a busy place!

Been through Atlanta a few times - always found it ok, huge airport but well serviced by rail between terminals, plenty of restaurants / shops etc to pass the time. Suffers from same issues as all US airports in terms of security queues / passport control.

Carnacalla wrote: »

That's all grand, but how many tourists don't have a word of French? My knowledge is limited to a -"Comman tu tappel" (clearly spelt wrong) that I learned in my 1x weekly French class while in 6th class in primary school!

I couldn't ask for anything at all in French and there are many like me.

Is it that hard to find out before you go to a foreign country how to ask "excuse me do you speak english" or how to say in the language "sorry I don't speak french/spanish/italian" or whatever ? I've been in more rural places in france where the locals had no english and a bit of pointing and charades usually got the job done without any rudeness or ignorance.

Lollipops23 wrote: »

Nice. It was terribly organised and the staff were awful.

Awfully Nice you mean.....