Best US Airports (restrictions, hotel, busiest, airlines)

[metroplex2003]

After flying to several airports across the country, I must say that DFW Int'l has the best set up. This airport does not have an official main terminal as most of the older airports in the country. The way the airport is set up (with the exception of International Terminal D) is that every 5-8 gates has its own baggage claim and ticket counter. Just outside security are the baggage claim and ticket counter for 5-8 gates. You can actually get from your gate to your parking garage within 3-5 minutes depending on how fast you walk.

The airport is designed with 4 semicircular terminals with gates on one side and different check in points on the outside. So if you know what gate your client is being picked up at, you can drive to within 3-5 min. walk of your client and pick up the client. International Terminal D (the 5th terminal) is the only exception, which is in a U-shaped configuration and has more of a main terminal type feel to it.

www.dfwairport.com

Also DFW has the longest and fastest high speed rail that connects the terminals all within security. THis is very impressive. It's called sky link

Finally, DFW Int'l terminal D is amazing. It has really has impressed several international visitors.

But overall, DFW ranks in terms of efficiently getting passengers to and from the terminals. When I fly next week, I can look up what gate I'll be departing from and drop myself off right at the gate area without having to weave through a main terminal and stand in line.

The main purpose of this design is to reduce traffic around terminals and not create bottlenecks or traffic jams.

HIghly recommend using DFW Airport at some point in the future.

Having said that, this thread is supposed to be about the best U.S. airports:

So I've been to most major ones in the country. I tend to base my rankings on amount of retail in the airport, ease of getting in and out of the airport, user friendly services, etc. This rankings only apply to cities with 1.5 million or more people and is considered a major airport of the MSA rather than a secondary airport.

DFW airport facts: 2nd largest airport in the world, 3rd busiest in US, 6th busiest in world. Headquartered to the world's largest carrier: American Airlines.
DFW offers service non stop to Asia, Europe, and South America by various international carriers.
DFW can expand up to 13 terminals from 5.
DFW airport area alone is larger than the island of Manhattan (NYC, NY).


Best Airports:
Rankings: City:
1) DFW Int'l Dallas/Ft. Worth
2) KC Int'l Kansas City (similar in design to DFW)
3) Orlando Int'l Orlando, FL
4) Denver Int'l Denver
5) Minneapolis/St. Paul Int'l Minneapolis/St. Paul
6) Atlanta Hartsfield Atlanta
7) Seattle/TAcoma Seattle
8) Houston Bush Houston, TX
9) Washington Reagan Washington D.C.
10) Pittsburgh Int'l Pittsburgh, PA

Worst Airports:
Rankings: City:
1) LAX Los Angeles
2) SFO San Francisco
3) Lambert St. Louis St. Louis, MO
4) Cincinatti/N. Kentucky Cincinatti, OH
5) Miami Int'l Miami, FL
6) Las Vegas Mc Carran Int'l (too much bottleneck) Las Vegas
7) Boston Logan Boston
8) Philadelphia Int'l Philadelphia
9) Memphis Int'l Memphis
10) Cleveland Hopkins CLeveland

Not included on lists:
Chicago O'Hare Int'l
Detroit which gets high marks for the new Northwest World Gateway
Phoenix Sky Harbor
Milwaukee Gen'l Mitchell
Indianapolis Int'l
San Antonio
Salt Lake City
Charlotte-Douglas
Nashville
Raleigh-Durham

Out of these cities, only Detroit, Chicago, and Phoenix have a major U.S. carrier(s) hubbed there.

[beowulf7]

Out of curiosity, where's that best/worst airport list from? In other words, who was that survey conducted by? I now live near DFW Airport and am trying to get used to it. I still have no idea what's the diff. between the north and south entrances from the highway.

[BlueWillowPlate]

DFW was the one airport that has made me miss a flight, in all my years of flying.
I was *not* happy. Because of the faraway location our connection, we simply could not get to our gate until just as the plane was taxiing away.
But this was some 8-9 years ago. I imagine this was before the speed rail?

Interestingly, I have had more than one good experience with five of the Worst airports listed: Memphis, LAX, and SFO, Logan and Philadelphia.
Have had okay experiences with a couple of the airports not listed, OHare (why is it not listed? Isn't it very, very busy?) Phoenix and Salt Lake.

[middle-of-nowhere]

My favorite airport so far is Washington-National. It's very convenient, and just another stop in the DC Metro system. It has also been my best experience with regards to little to no weather delays.

I also love the new Northwest World Gateway Terminal in Detroit... probably the best US airport to connect at when coming from an international flight. They really thought about the international traveler.

[Billiam]

My favorite airport is regan. i went to it for the first time in april and thought it was incredibly nice! It was kind of convinient being kind of small and the runway was directly across from DC, so there were great views! And the airport seemed very fancy!

[beowulf7]

I liked Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport when I first went there in 2001. It's really long w/ all the moving sidewalks, which looks cool. And speaking of looks, they've got nice scenery in the airport (i.e. cute females!).

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by beowulf7

Out of curiosity, where's that best/worst airport list from? In other words, who was that survey conducted by? I now live near DFW Airport and am trying to get used to it. I still have no idea what's the diff. between the north and south entrances from the highway.

I love DFW, check out your map and you can see clearly what the difference is. There is a logic to DFW and I miss it terribly. I love living in Orlando but the airport is a joke here.

I used to go to DFW from Fort Worth so I always choose the South entrance, if your going from Grapevine then you would choose the North entrance.

[beowulf7]

Originally Posted by Lisa_from_Debary

I love DFW, check out your map and you can see clearly what the difference is. There is a logic to DFW and I miss it terribly. I love living in Orlando but the airport is a joke here.

I used to go to DFW from Fort Worth so I always choose the South entrance, if your going from Grapevine then you would choose the North entrance.

Thanks, I did do a Google Maps on it and figured it out. I went to Grapevine (Gaylord Texan hotel) after dropping someone off to check it out and went out the north entrance.

For most people in the D/FW area, the south entrance is the one you want to take. If you live north of Rt. 183 (e.g. Denton, Plano, etc.), then you want to take the north entrance.

[goodvedderbest]

I'm a big fan of Denver's airport, but its location leaves a lot to be desired. Talk about middle of nowhere.

[ontheroad]

Well, I'd rank DFW and Pittsburgh at the bottom of the heap, not the top. Like another poster I missed a flight, my only one, at DFW on Christmas Day; and Pittsburgh Airport is run as if we were in a war-zone, the most rigid restrictions of any of the airports I've flew into or out of and consistently rude.

Having lots of shopping and fancy walkways doesn't rank highly imo, but service.