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Original poster

What's the worst airport you've ever been to?

221 replies

foreverbasil · 20/05/2023 15:43

Inspired by the dismal destination thread...where is the worst airport?
I think Lisbon is a shocker for such a major city. A warehouse with insufficient seating and barely any cafes.
Also had a horrible experience at Heraklion where it was so badly organised people were crying, fighting and missing flights!

OP posts:
Icepinkeskimo · 21/05/2023 04:17

mathanxiety · 20/05/2023 21:10

Schipol is dire.

Why do you think that? I absolutely love it!

There is nothing that can prepare you for the horror of the absolute chaos and heat at Istanbul.

tobee · 21/05/2023 04:20

I haven't really been to many airports but Funchal was the funnest one to fly into 😱😱🫨

Anyone remember the old airport at Athens? That was like stepping back to the 1960s. Always had a slightly sinister feel. And there was no where open for food or drink (maybe because always late at night) except an old fashioned restaurant which I think was airside.

Anyway, spent many a night sleeping on the stone floor waiting for a hideously early plane home.

tobee · 21/05/2023 04:21

I wish I hadn't learnt about the Tunis poo pyramid from this thread though.

LaBellina · 21/05/2023 04:31

Hamburg. Unbelievably rude security staff, I will never use them again.

EconomyClassRockstar · 21/05/2023 04:38

Everyone saying Newark clearly haven’t flown from or to there lately. They upped their game. JFK is now the cesspit of the NYC airports.

bert3400 · 21/05/2023 04:40

Billy Terminal at Bordeaux....it's a tin shed absolutely shit...only for Ryan Air passengers . They have a nice proper terminal for Air France

marcopront · 21/05/2023 04:49

@Jellycatbat20

Nairobi. It might have improved recently but when I was there there was nowhere to even buy water after security.

When were you there?
I have been flying from Nairobi regularly for 20 years and have always been able to buy water.
Some of the shops haven't changed.

Ericaequites · 21/05/2023 05:08

As for Miami, it’s a Caribbean city in the United States with predictable levels of efficiency.

madeleine85 · 21/05/2023 05:10

Newark airport… I’m flying into there in two days. It’s more like aberdeen level than an international hub.

Also adding Paris Charles de gaulle to the list, not that it’s missing shops/restaurants. I think that It’s missing signs. It’s a maze. If you ever have to change terminals, best of luck to you. Do you like disappearing signs and da Vinci style puzzles. This is the airport for you 😂.

LunaTheCat · 21/05/2023 05:33

Manchester. T3. I arrive yearly from New Zealand. They want a pound coin for the trolleys … who the f- - k has a pound coin when you have flown 25 miserable hours from NZ? The airport seems to actively hate passengers.

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 21/05/2023 06:08

Logan (Boston) in the early 90’s - a nightmare to drive into and out of - a pizza vending machine, a hot drinks trolley, a duty free kiosk, and a frightening number of aborted landings viewed from the roof. And the rudeness towards Brit passengers by American Airlines staff………!

PupInAPram · 21/05/2023 06:11

Almaty in Kazakhstan 1994. Terrifying, mostly because of the men who worked there. Don't know what it's like now though.

Ninjama1 · 21/05/2023 06:32

LimitIsUp · 20/05/2023 16:43

Miami - rude, rude staff - jaw dropping lso and for no good reason. Also huge queue at immigration

All American airport staff are rude and obnoxious.

Ninjama1 · 21/05/2023 06:33

Ireallycantthinkofagoodone · 21/05/2023 06:08

Logan (Boston) in the early 90’s - a nightmare to drive into and out of - a pizza vending machine, a hot drinks trolley, a duty free kiosk, and a frightening number of aborted landings viewed from the roof. And the rudeness towards Brit passengers by American Airlines staff………!

American Airline staff still like that.

marcopront · 21/05/2023 06:43

madeleine85 · 21/05/2023 05:10

Newark airport… I’m flying into there in two days. It’s more like aberdeen level than an international hub.

Also adding Paris Charles de gaulle to the list, not that it’s missing shops/restaurants. I think that It’s missing signs. It’s a maze. If you ever have to change terminals, best of luck to you. Do you like disappearing signs and da Vinci style puzzles. This is the airport for you 😂.

At Charles de Gaule signs that point downwards by stairs but indicate somewhere at the top of the stairs.

SpareHeirOverThere · 21/05/2023 06:49

Of all the dozens and dozens of airports I've been through, the only one I would actively avoid in future is JFK.

I have had plenty of bad experiences at other airports - late night delays, insane lines at immigration, rude staff - but often that stuff is down to bad luck on a particular day.

JFK just sucks. Depressing architecture, lacking in facilities, badly organised. Even the smoothest trip is diminished by passing through JFK. And yes, the staff are shocking rude.

Miami Intl on a good day is a lovely, bright airport with great food.

JFK has no good days.

PurBal · 21/05/2023 07:04

I was also there in 1999 and was going to say the same thing @AdoraBell
More recently Islamabad, Pakistan.

TravellingSpoon · 21/05/2023 07:08

I hate flying back into Stansted because I hate being packed into those shitty trains.

Hurghada Airport was not great. So many checkpoints and filling it pointless paperwork that noone seemed to care about.

Moscow Airport stressed me out, as the gates were mixed in with all the shops so nowhere to wait, and there didn't seem to be a logic to the numbers. And passport control was an absolute free-for-all where a huge crowd just waved their passports and were picked at random..

Grapefruitsquash · 21/05/2023 07:10

New Delhi. We were offloaded off a Swissair flight (this was years ago) from Hong Kong to Zurich. We didn't have an Indian visa so shouldn't have been accepted in the first place (airline staff travelling subload). We had to stay in the departure lounge as no visa to enter India or we would have found a hotel. Swissair said they'd put us on the next flight 24 hours later. No restaurant or cafe to get anything to eat or drink. People lying on floors and chairs everywhere. Toilets filthy and disgusting.
Thankfully the Lufthansa Station Manager took pity on us and put us on their Frankfurt flight so we were only there a couple of hours.

Chasingsquirrels · 21/05/2023 07:25

NannyOggsWhiskyStash · 20/05/2023 22:44

@Chasingsquirrels I am intrigued, what were you doing in Papua New Guinea, and how was it there?

Working, on a fixed term contract with one of the accountancy firms.
I went over to Popendetta a number of times as we audited the Oil Palm Plantation and got to know their accountant quite well, he sorted me the ride in the jump seat.
20+ years ago now, the airport might have improved!

Went to Lihir Island once to stock take at the gold mine.
And leisure trips to Madang & Rabaul.

When we first arrived at Port Moresby it was into the old airport, they were building a new one and it opened a short time later - very nice.
On arrival, having travelled 24 hours London-HK (old airport - wow landing)-Manilla-POM, we had to queue for immigration on the tarmac in 30°c equatorial heat as there wasn't room for a plane-load in the terminal building.

ItsJustASimpleLine · 21/05/2023 07:27

CDG so slow, rude staff and generally no sense of urgency. Also once through security it's very difficult to find anything to eat but thankfully it's not been much of a concern since even arriving 3hrs early we've had to run for the plane each time!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 21/05/2023 07:37

Sharm el Sheikh

At arrivals they took our passports and wouldn’t give them back. We did eventually get them back, but after a long wait. We collected our luggage and took it to the coach, man lifted our bags onto the coach and demanded money.

Departures was far worse. Blue fog everywhere people were smoking, I refused to use the toilet. It was grim. No food or shops, just a low ceiling building I was very glad to get out of. Never been back.

KimberleyClark · 21/05/2023 07:44

Charles de Gaulle. Dreadful sprawling maze of a place with rubbish signage.

Ninjama1 · 21/05/2023 07:55

The old Bangkok airport with those massive metal spittoons and lines of sex travellers.

mrschocolatte · 21/05/2023 08:04

Doha. Not the worst in terms of facilities but for attitude to women. I used to smoke and about 18 years ago we had to stop there on our way from London to Bangkok. I went to the smoking area which was full of only men and I swear they literally growled when I waltzed in and lit up my Marlborough light. They stared at me with such hostility, I took 3 drags and hightailed it out of there. I’ve never forgotten how that felt and actively avoid any flight that involves a stop there even though I quit soon after that incident.