Airports - Best and Worst

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@Morgan101 I haven't flown international. My sister does it often. In fact she and her husband are flying to Turkey one last time, next week. They have to tie up some loose ends before they can be fully released from their work there. They typically fly from Turkey to Frankfurt or Munich, then to the States. They have flown Turkey to Madrid to Toronto to Minneapolis too. I believe they went Instanbul>London Heathrow>Kennedy>Minneapolis once too. I would not be a fan of such flights...

I was fortunate when I flew international I was able to fly 1st class or Business class, and that really softens the blow. Larger seats, excellent food, and anything you want to drink anytime you want it makes a huge difference. I would imagine with all of the entertainment options available now it is much better. It is still a long long time to be couped up in an airplane.
 
I was thinking of the airports I have gone through originating from my current home airport, Denver. Not very many. We tend to drive for vacations rather than fly. Multiple trips to many of these, but I'm just trying to remember the unique itineraries not how many times I've flow any given itinerary. This is a fun memory game, although I think I am failing at it! I've probably forgotten a few.

DEN - KOA (Denver DIA - Kailua Kona)
DEN - SFO - KOA (Denver DIA - San Francisco - Kailua Kona)
DEN - AUS (Denver DIA - Austin)
DEN - PHX (Denver DIA - Phoenix)
DEN - BNA (Denver DIA - Nashville)
DEN - YEG (Denver DIA - Edmonton)
DEN - YCC (Denver DIA - Calgary)
DEN - PIT (Denver DIA - Pittsburgh)
DEN - DFW - SHV (Denver DIA - Dallas Ft. Worth - Shreveport)
DEN - SFO (Denver Stapleton - San Francisco)
DEN - ORD - EWR (Denver Stapleton - Chicago - Newark)
DEN - SEA (Denver Stapleton - Seattle)
DEN - ATL - SJU - CEKA (Denver Stapleton - Atlanta - San Juan - Charlotte Amalie)
DEN - DFW - AUS (Denver Stapleton - Dallas Ft. Worth - Austin)
DEN - DFW (Denver Stapleton - Dallas Ft. Worth)

Denver DIA, Kailua-Kona, Austin and Nashville are the only airports I can remember well enough to see a clear mental picture of them in my mind. None really stands out as a good or a bad airport to me - they're just ... well ... airports. Kailua Kona is unique in that it's an outdoor airport. Covered, but open on the sides. I guess it's cheaper to construct a building if you don't have to bother putting up walls. You walk out to the planes and climb ramps to get in - none of those extendable elevated jetways (or concourses, for that matter) (or food).

Memorable flights:

DEN - KOA That's a long time to sit on an airplane

KOA - SFO Not as long as the flight above, but when you're in the middle seat, at 3:00am - it sucks

ORD - DEN A night flight, supposed to be on a small plane, they substituted a 767 - there were like 15 of us passengers on that giant plane - really creepy!

DFW - DEN It was so hot in Dallas that the plane engines kept stalling out while we taxied - they had to bring out trucks with big fans to get the engines started again - twice! - I was a little worried about flying on that plane, but it worked fine after we got in the air (it was a 727)

SJU - CEKA It was a little puddle jumper, maybe 15 passengers max, overhead wing prop plane with the prop just outside my window - when they started it, oil splatted out of the engine and covered my window - I'm flying over the ocean in this???!!! We made it though. SJU is the only airport I've been in where there were rifle armed military guards posted throughout the airport.
 
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A side note, long flights. I always tried to book an aisle seat. Just being able to stretch out one leg was great. If not available I always got a seat at the emergency exit. They were usually empty. Again, the extra leg room was priceless. I was young and healthy, could open that emergency door if needed so didn’t mind the responsibility.

Dealing with a crappy airport was easier if I arrived relaxed instead stressed. Seat selection played a big part in that.
 
The problem with emergency aisles for me is that while you do have increased leg room, you don't have any space to stow your gear. I only have a small bag that I put under the seat in front of me - it carries a water bottle, my Kindle, a small 8" tablet, a power bank for recharging stuff, a pair of headphones, maybe a snack, etc. - but you cannot store even a little thing like that in an emergency row. You have to use the overhead bins which is a bit of a hassle if all's you want is a drink of water.

This is my airplane stow under seat bag: LA Police Gear MOLLE Bag

Or sometimes this: LA Police Gear Tactical Bail Out Gear Bag - Best Seller

Both fit under the seat in front of you and leave enough room for you to squeeze in your feet to either side of the bag. In the case of that second, larger bag the feet squeeze can get a little tight if the bag is stuffed full, but the first, smaller bag is an easy squeeze. The larger bag has the added bonus of keeping the water bottles on the outside in end pockets, meaning you don't have to lift the bag from its resting place to grab a water bottle (which would be stored on the inside of the smaller bag).
 
Moving east...

Oh, Denver...how I hate thee. This is one of the worst airports. If you're connecting there on United, be prepared to get a workout as you haul yourself and your luggage from one terminal to the next. The moving sidewalks help, but it's a long damn way between terminals. On the plus side, there are tons of restaurants and shops. But that does little to kill the pain of flying there. Weather can be a serious problem - I've had to miss work a couple times because of storms canceling flights. United was at least responsible enough to comp me meals and a room at a nice hotel. Last but not least, there's always the "Satan Horse" that welcomes you when you pull into the airport. That thing is just gross.
Oh come on! You are not a fan of Blucifer the red eyed blue mustang horse? Just Kidding! I've never heard of anyone who likes that statue. It is so bad, it fell and killed the sculptor who made it.

I know, not your favorite channel, but here is a story on NPR.
https://www.cpr.org/2019/11/04/ever...o-know-about-blucifer-the-demon-horse-of-dia/
 
Oh come on! You are not a fan of Blucifer the red eyed blue mustang horse? Just Kidding! I've never heard of anyone who likes that statue. It is so bad, it fell and killed the sculptor who made it.

I know, not your favorite channel, but here is a story on NPR.
https://www.cpr.org/2019/11/04/ever...o-know-about-blucifer-the-demon-horse-of-dia/
Yeah, that guy got what he deserved, as far as I'm concerned. The sicko made a statue with an anatomically correct, detailed equine butt hole and glowing red eyes. Who goes to the trouble of making a detailed butt hole?
 
Does anybody travel internationally?..

Si, Señor! :) Mostly Central and S America / Mehico / Caribbean.. Naught-yet been to Europe or AU, sadly.. (..And likely, now, never will :(

Best Airport 'down there'? El Salvador's St Romero (fka Comalapa) aka SAL. 👍 I - think - I passed thru GUA once (re-routed due to storms or something) but I recall very little, IIRC, it was after like some 36+ hr-straight work-gauntlet / the flights.. o_O MEX, I only have hazy memories of, as the travel was as a kid..

Also been to SCL (Chile), LIM (Peru - that was nice..) and UIO (Ecuador) is also quite nice - but the Old 'Mariscal Sucre' was often rather terrifying to land at, since the runways are short, and there's usually heavy fog and crazy-crosswinds / downdrafts, etc.. But Quito is a fascinating place to visit. :cool:

jd
 
So, when you get to DIA in Denver, Blucifer greets you. Tell me some kind of freak didn't make this thing...
Screenshot_20230321_200251_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20230321_200013_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20230321_200102_Chrome.jpg

The eyes and the hind end are nice touches, no?🙄
 
Some of us travel by air quite often, so I thought I'd start a thread about airports, where we can post our experiences and give other members some idea of what to expect when they fly to airports around the country. I'll start with some of the airports I like best.

Ontario Intl. Airport, Ontario CA - This is actually a great place to fly in and out of. It straddles the line between small and middle size airports. There aren't a lot of amenities - there are a couple sit down restaurants and bars, gift shops, coffee shops, and of course a Hudson News type of store. Security tends to be very quick, usually less than 15 minutes in my experience. Rental cars are on site and it's a very short shuttle ride to the rental car center. Most of the major rental companies are represented.

If you're going to the east side of L.A., this is the airport you want to be at. I-10 is only a few minutes to the North and there are other major roads nearby. There's a good selection of hotels near the airport too and it's a relatively safe area. If you are going into L.A. itself, or if you're going to the coastal towns to the north and south, you might as well go to LAX instead, because traffic can take hours to get from Ontario to L.A. All in all, I highly recommend Ontario Airport.
Hate the state but best Long Beach California worst where I live Northwest Arkansas XNA 3rd most expensive airport in country thank you Walmart lol
 
...Tell me some kind of freak didn't make this thing...

Exactly, you just Know that thing is getting 'brought to Life' by dark forces, just-before / during the coming Great Tribulation, and running around wreaking havoc and terror.. o_O

I say... Kill it with Fire (and/or incendiary .50 cal).. Now. 😈 That is one 'Dead Horse' I would not mind seeing get 'beat' over and over..

jd
 
Airports are a place I hated.
I worked in airports and have seen them up close.
Everything is over priced. I was charged $5 for a bottle of Costco water. That was years ago so it's probably even more now.
All big airports suck. Chicago is probably the worst but Atlanta, DFW, and LAX are to be avoided if at all possible.
I flew out of Manila in the Philippines once and that place was unbelievable. We were not allowed inside until 2 hours prior to our flight so we sat outside on the sidewalk on out bags for 4 hours waiting to get in. If we had not sat on our bags they would have been stolen within minutes.
Maui was my favorite.
I don't fly now that I'm retired and I do not miss it.
I flew in and out of MSP so often the gate agent knew my name.
When you live in Seattle and the agent in MSP knows your name you have been flying way to much.
Military airport are a whole other topic.
 
I know that I have shared this in another thread. Denver International Airport has many conspiracy theories about it, including, that there is a bunker that was built underneath it that has room for 50,000 people (I think, could be more).

https://www.denver.org/blog/post/myths-denver-airport/
From lizard people and space aliens to secret underground bunkers and a cursed horse, Denver International Airport (DEN) has been a magnet for myths and legends since it opened in 1995.

Secret societies

One of the most pervasive legends about the airport is that it was built by members of a secret society. Which secret society? Well, that depends on who you ask, but believers variously point to the Freemasons (one of the world's oldest secular fraternal organizations, dating back to the stonemason lodges of the 14th century), the Illuminati (a short-lived Enlightenment-era secret society that some insist is still active) or the New World Order (an alleged cabal of global elites conspiring to overthrow existing governments and rule the world). Or perhaps all of the above, since the three groups are often said to be linked.

Conspiracy campaign at Denver International Airport
The most persuasive piece of “evidence” for this theory is a dedication capstone at the airport’s south entrance dated March 19, 1994. Sealed beneath the stone is a time capsule containing “messages and memorabilia to the people of Colorado in 2094.” The granite marker depicts the Square and Compasses symbol of the Freemasons and the names of two grand lodges and their grandmasters. While some have made much of this, airport officials say it’s only evidence of the generosity of the local Masonic lodges that crafted and laid the stone. After all, that’s what stonemasons do.

The capstone also makes mention of a group called the New World Airport Commission. Unlike the Freemasons, this group doesn’t actually exist, making its inclusion a little tougher to explain. And, as some like to point out, the name is suspiciously close to that of the so-called New World Order. But, according to a 2007 Westword article, the name is likely a reference to Czech composer Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony,” and the New World Airport Commission was simply a temporary commission created to arrange the new airport’s opening festivities.

And the time capsule? It’s supposedly filled with coins, a baseball from Coors Field , a pair of former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb’s sneakers (a nod to his famed "Sneaker Campaign," during which he campaigned door to door throughout the city), a few Black Hawk casino tokens, and other memorabilia. We’ll have to wait quite a few years to find out for sure — although some have already tried.

One popular theory is that the braille tablet above the dedication stone is actually a keypad and that if you touch the raised dots in the correct sequence, you’ll be able to open the time capsule. Even some current Masons seem to buy into the myth — one airport employee says she’s heard reports of Masons visiting the capstone and trying to swipe their Masonic membership cards near the time capsule, just in case.

Another related legend is that there are miles of underground tunnels and layer upon layer of secret buildings and bunkers beneath the airport, which the members of the aforementioned secret societies plan to use to ride out the coming apocalypse. Some claim there’s a tunnel that runs all the way from DEN to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is located 100 miles away near Colorado Springs.

Others suggest the underground lair may be home to something supernatural — like extraterrestrials or lizard people. After Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror film “Us” premiered, some even posited that the tunnels beneath the airport could house a community of murderous doppelgangers, ready to rise out from under the earth and take over the surface.

Although the airport acknowledges that there are several subterranean levels beneath the main terminal (including the trains that carry passengers to and from different concourses and a long-defunct automated baggage system), they say the tunnels only extend out to the perimeter of the airport, less than two miles.

They also insist that you’re much more likely to meet mundane office workers than billionaires in ceremonial robes, since some of the underground levels host work and office spaces. And they’re adamant that any purported evidence of space aliens is just graffiti from mischievous employees, some of whom have been known to don lizard masks to prank unsuspecting coworkers and members of the media.
 
https://www.westword.com/news/dia-conspiracies-take-off-5095058

DIA Conspiracies Take Off​

JARED JACANG MAHER AUGUST 30, 2007 4:00AM
"Have you ever been through the Denver airport? It's strange. It's one of the busiest, but I'm telling you, it's weird. There's a firestorm of people talking about this thing."
Especially on June 11, when George Noory devotes all four hours of Coast to Coast, his nationally syndicated talk-radio program dedicated to the "paranormal, extraterrestrial and other topics typically overlooked by more mainstream media outlets," to a discussion of Denver International Airport. Broadcast on more than 500 affiliate stations, including KHOW, the popular overnight show is the 60 Minutes of conspiracy theories, often with self-educated experts expounding on such subjects as the occult, psychic visions, crop circles, Skull and Bones and apocalyptic predictions. And almost all of these conspiracies intersect at DIA.

For the show this night, a special line is set up for listeners in Colorado. Susan from Denver finds it strange that so many contractors were dismissed during the airport's construction, and speculates that this was a tactic to prevent workers from understanding the true scope of the project, allowing planners to build a facility six stories underground "without anyone questioning it." Chris from Indianapolis has heard that the tunnels below DIA were constructed as a kind of Noah's Ark so that five million people could escape the coming earth change; shaken and earnest, he asks how someone might go about getting on the list.

"Well, you first need a lot of money," replies guest expert Jay Weidner. "And then you need a lot of influence."
Weidner, a filmmaker and freelance journalist, is on Noory's show to promote 2012: The Odyssey, a new documentary that connects Weidner's previous work uncovering the secrets of ancient alchemy with a growing interest in the year 2012 as a historical "end date" for the world as we know it, a kind of new-age Armageddon. Some conspiracy buffs predict this end/beginning nexus will generate a telepathic wave of harmony throughout humanity; others see signs that 2012 will be fraught with fire and warfare. The date comes from the ancient Mayan calendar, which marks a day in December five years from now as the conclusion of the 5th Sun. Weidner has found evidence in monuments built by alchemists and Freemasons that they were not only aware of this Mayan prophecy but have been secretly preparing for 2012 for generations. His film examines a 150-year-old cross in France, a Stonehenge-like structure in Georgia and Masonic connections in Washington, D.C. It concludes at DIA, where Weidner shows the capstone located in the terminal's Great Hall — a name that's no accident, since Masonic temples call their main meeting rooms by the same name. Engraved in the marble facade is a coffee-cup-sized icon of a square and compass, symbols of the Masonic order, with the words "New World Airport Commission." Weidner associates this with the New World Order, an autonomous behind-the-scenes government that manipulates global events and communications.
"And my feeling is that the Denver airport is some kind of cathedral to these guys, a cathedral to the world that they're making," Weidner tells the listening audience.
The airport holds more clues. "These murals, which are shown in the film, are a story," Weidner continues.


"Like a message?" Noory asks. "Are they trying to tell us something? Or are they trying to [rub] it in our face?"

Weidner explains that some high-level factions in Masonic society may be using the murals to alert the general population to the earth-shattering political and environmental changes in store for 2012. Either that, or those factions are amazingly arrogant. Because for Weidner and other conspiracy experts, the symbolism is as explicit as a manifesto.
One mural features three women in coffins surrounded by endangered animals, including a Quetzal bird, named after the Mayan god Quetzalcoatl, in a glass cage — an "extinction message," Weidner says. The next panel shows children of the world gathered around a "gigantic psychedelic plant of some kind. And they're all extolling that all the races are going to live together in a world of peace."
"It's like the one-world government bylaws," says Noory.
But the peace doesn't last. Another mural depicts a Gestapo-like figure "knifing the dove of peace with his bayonet," surrounded by crushed cities and starving citizens. Considered in the context of other curiosities captured in his documentary, Weidner concludes that these DIA murals reveal that 2012 will be a time of intense military oppression.
"To put it bluntly," he says, putting it bluntly, "It's going to be a real nail-biter."


Back in 1994, Leo Tanguma was working in his studio in the Lakeside Mall when a van full of people pulled up.
----------------
This is page one of the article. There are seven more pages online to go. The Westword is known to do very in depth stories. It is a pretty liberal newspaper that gets published every two weeks and is found free in many places around the Front Range, but probably mostly in Denver. They have stories about all kinds of topics. DIA Conspiracies Take Off
 
So, I have been to O'Hare many times. Usually it was to make a connection. Security sucks there most of the time. Give yourself no less than 90 minutes before your flight. More is better. Once past security, the place is a freaking maze. It can feel like youre going in circles to get from your arrival gate to your departure gate.

I took a red eye from Vegas to O'Hare a few weeks ago. We landed about 5AM Central time. The Hudson News stores and the McDonalds restaurants were already open, which was nice. I could get a bottle of water and an Egg McMuffin combo and a coffee right away while I waited for my connection to Des Moines.
One thing about O'Hare is that there are little gates off to the side for the little connecting flights that only have 60 or 70 people on them. These gates have nowhere to plug your phone in, and for some reason they're drafty. If you're on one of the little planes for a short flight, be prepared for that. I was wearing a hoodie and I was still freezing...

Edit: O'Hare can be a real problem in the winter. If the weather isn't clear, be prepared for winter storm delays, or delays to de-ice the plane at the very least. It happens a lot.
 
So, I have been to O'Hare I was wearing a hoodie and I was still freezing...

Edit: O'Hare can be a real problem in the winter. If the weather isn't clear, be prepared for winter storm delays, or delays to de-ice the plane at the very least. It happens a lot.
Way back when… it was a $40 cab ride from Great Lakes Naval training command to O’Hare. Besides school my other job was company yeoman (clerk). Because of my job I knew when guys were going on leave/transferring, did their paperwork… I knew if they needed a ride to the airport on friday evening too!

I ran an unofficial taxi service out of my office, just me and my old F-100. I charged $20 a person. In summer I’ve taken as many as 6. While dropping off I’d sometimes see guys transferring in. Others would need a ride back from O’hare on Sunday night. On a good weekend I could clear more than a week’s pay in just 2 trips to the airport. My boss? He needed a ride once… 🤣🤣

But back to the op… ohare was the worst for delays. I was on a flight leaving, we backed away from the gate, got in line. Then someone noticed we had a flat tire. Yes, I can honestly say I had a flight delayed because of a flat tire… how screwed up is that? Took them 2 hours to change it!!! Of course I missed my connection at my other favorite airport… Atlanta! Going through O’hare and Atlanta in the same day should be outlawed!! Cruel and unusual…..

Ohare is the coldest in the lower 48. Buffalo's airport was toasty in comparison.
 
DFW - DEN It was so hot in Dallas that the plane engines kept stalling out while we taxied - they had to bring out trucks with big fans to get the engines started again - twice! - I was a little worried about flying on that plane, but it worked fine after we got in the air (it was a 727)
Being an 'engine guy' I never knew that jet engines could backfire.
Yes they can!:oops:
Pretty sure it was at DFW, but we were in a long line of planes taxiing. The exhaust from the ones in front of you goes straight into the engines of the planes behind them.
Not very comforting to see giant orange fireballs, accompanied by loud booms, coming out of the engines of the plane you are about to takeoff on!gaah
 
I have a lot of anxiety flying.
Some good airports (international) are Glasgow, Reykjavik, Costa Rica and Johannesburg.
Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) is good if you get the VIP pass.
Botswana (Gabarone) was a small little airport that was easy to get in/out of
Dublin, Heathrow --> complete disasters
Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are cattle calls and terrible if you check luggage, otherwise its ok. The scammers once you get through security are very annoying.

I loathe Seattle airport. Portland is much better in terms of TSA. Spokane used to be great but they've definitely outgrown their space and need a bigger terminal/TSA line.
Sacramento is efficient. Reno is so/so.
Oakland, SF, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Atlanta, New Orleans --> awful.
Newark is our preferred to fly into when we go to NY, the rest are terrible.
LAX also awful --> much prefer John Wayne/Ontario or Burbank.
Bozeman is small and needs to be bigger.
Miami is terrible.

That's all I can think of right now.
 
Bozeman MT airport is busy since the surrounding smaller airports are crazy expensive for flights. Plus the fact bozeman is one of the fastest growing citys anywhere.
I definately wouldn't encourage anyone to fly to montana, it's so difficult to keep the cattle off the airports and driving you stand the chance of buffalo stampedes knocking your car off the road.
 
Someone shared this on Nextdoor Neighbor. I have no idea if it is true or now.

" I just happened to see that Stapleton Airport, Denver's airport prior to DIA, served approx. 1.5 million passengers per year. When DIA was being proposed, the flack from all corridors, regarding it's unnecessary construction, was indeed great! DIA currently serves 69 million passengers per year! Unnecessary, indeed! Thank you, Frederico Peña, and all the land owners who profited. Capitalism at work, works!"
 

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