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Forget about the hardware -- although it is a very fair comparison -- airports in Asia are far advanced even in terms of management.
In Singapore, they now do security checks at every gate separately. Therefore, not all passengers are bunched together at one check point, where those rushing to the gate can be waiting behind those having 3 hours to spare.
in US are a war zone now. Definitely not an enjoyment any more to be there. Quite sad.
MCI used to be like that after 9/11. It was horrible. Connecting passengers had to do it again if that was their transfer city.
I disagree with the statement in bold. On a normal day sitting in a line for 10-45 minutes on a crazy day--3 hours??? I have never known a 3 hour wait.
Some are, some aren't. The newer ones in big cities tend to be better. The older ones and those in smaller cities tend to be crappy and chaotic.
Beijing's airport was a cluster, IMHO. It seemed like only one customs agent knew how to process me as a transfer passenger (waived visa for 72 hours), and their security went through my bag 3x. Plus, no water bottles (even sealed purchased post-security) allowed on US bound flights.
That being said, the rest I've been to have been great -- Toyko Narita, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Hue, Chiang Mai.
Hong Kong's was probably the best I've ever been too - food was cheap, lots of help, large yet easy signs to read etc.
The more other airports I pass through, the more I appreciate the ATL, which I used to hate. Yeah, it's still too huge and prone to delays during summer thunderstorm season, but it's common airside 'sterile' area and spine and ribs concourse layout just makes sense, even when you're stumbling around jet-lagged, and there are actually decent food options there for not an insane price.
That's my hometown airport, and one of the best I've ever used. Easy to navigate, one very large secure area, and lots of food choices. Security can get insanely backed up, but it usually moves pretty fast. And ever since I got pre-check I have been able to breeze through security every time.
My biggest gripe about it used to be that international arrivals had to re-clear security just to get out of the airport. But they fixed that issue when they opened Concourse F. It's still a very long walk for an international arrival at E1 (or E37) to C&I in the intl. terminal, but at least you don't have to go back through security just to get out of the airport. But they still lack easy transportation (i.e.: train) between the non-secure sides of domestic and international terminals.
Beijing's airport was a cluster, IMHO. It seemed like only one customs agent knew how to process me as a transfer passenger (waived visa for 72 hours), and their security went through my bag 3x. Plus, no water bottles (even sealed purchased post-security) allowed on US bound flights.
I'm not a fan of Beijing's airport either - it screams BIG and new but the "software" isn't commiserate with efficiency.
T3 is just huge and takes time to traverse with the people mover trams. Chinese airports have an interesting particular security check with the remote power supplies for handphones - they have to state the power rating on the unit or they're forbidden - and they do check 'em.
To be fair, the water bottle prohibition is likely to be a US government requirement that isn't something the Chinese government initiated. It's not unusual for US bound flights from other nations to require extra security checks (and time) compared with flights to other nations.
I'm not a fan of Beijing's airport either - it screams BIG and new but the "software" isn't commiserate with efficiency.
T3 is just huge and takes time to traverse with the people mover trams. Chinese airports have an interesting particular security check with the remote power supplies for handphones - they have to state the power rating on the unit or they're forbidden - and they do check 'em.
To be fair, the water bottle prohibition is likely to be a US government requirement that isn't something the Chinese government initiated. It's not unusual for US bound flights from other nations to require extra security checks (and time) compared with flights to other nations.
I have no experience with Beijing's airport but I don't really like Shanghai Pudong Airport.
Given that it's relatively new, it could be better.
You are allowed to bring bottled water onboard for domestic flights in China. The restriction only applies to international flights from China. I don't know the reason, though.
Beijing's airport was a cluster, IMHO. It seemed like only one customs agent knew how to process me as a transfer passenger (waived visa for 72 hours), and their security went through my bag 3x. Plus, no water bottles (even sealed purchased post-security) allowed on US bound flights.
That being said, the rest I've been to have been great -- Toyko Narita, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Hue, Chiang Mai.
Hong Kong's was probably the best I've ever been too - food was cheap, lots of help, large yet easy signs to read etc.
I hate airports in Thailand in general. Some of them require two levels of security check, but neither is really effective. The immigration at Bangkok was a disaster. What bothers me most is the passport control(long lines) when you leave Thailand. Why do they go lengths to triple check my passport when I'm leaving?
Narita is a very old airport, but I'm fine with it. Decent food selection, a lot of duty-free stores, fairly easy to navigate.
The more other airports I pass through, the more I appreciate the ATL, which I used to hate. Yeah, it's still too huge and prone to delays during summer thunderstorm season, but it's common airside 'sterile' area and spine and ribs concourse layout just makes sense, even when you're stumbling around jet-lagged, and there are actually decent food options there for not an insane price.
I only connected at ATL once, but I definitely love the food options!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The Singapore airport terminals were built in 1981, 1990, and 2008, well after 9/11. Two more are coming. Most major U.S. airports were built long before that, and many are landlocked so no room to expand. It's hard to retrofit in a way that would accommodate gate TSA. Ours was built in 1944, and is currently growing at the rate of 8-13% each year. It's really not possible to do such a major remodel and change while serving so many passengers every day, unless there is land available to build on. Things like freeways, rivers, bays, hotels, and homes are in the way.
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