Detroit: As a terminal point, I detest Detroit, which is sad, because I used to love the old DTW. It all started when they replaced the Davey Terminal with McNamara. That didn’t really bother me too much, because I usually used the Smith, which housed my preferred airlines. Last year, though, the Smith was replaced with North, which is really very similar to the McNamara, except still conveniently located versus the McNamara.
The problem is, they’ve completely and utterly screwed up the pedestrian traffic flow for getting in and out of the airport. For departures, you arrive on the ground level, take an escalator up to the third floor, cross a bridge, take another escalator down to the second floor, and then check in. For arrivals, you deplane on the second floor, pick up your checked items on the ground floor, take an escalator up to the third floor, cross the bridge, and then take an escalator back down to the ground floor.
The old Smith, by comparison, worked flawlessly: get dropped off, enter the building, go up a flight, and then leave. Or for arrivals, go down a flight, get your luggage, cross the road, and get into your shuttle/taxi/ride/whatever.
Dallas: I only ever change planes here. I love Dallas. It’s super easy and fast to get around. The Traain (or whatever they renamed it to) is super fast, and there are plenty of them. There are multiple full-service restaurants for long layovers. The aisles are wide. Security is fast (if you go outside to smoke, or arrive internationally, you have to go through security even if just changing planes).
Houston: I used to have a higher opinion of Houston, but recently I changed planes in the international terminal and was dumbstruck by how old and icky this (part of the) airport was. Immediately upon arrival I thought “third world / banana republic.” The corridor was a narrow, laminate building. The only full-service restaurant was a Chili’s; the only other options were yucky food-court-type places). Security was quick, though. On the outgoing trip, though, we changed terminals from the yucky international terminal to one of the other terminals – don’t remember which. The trains were slooooow and there were very few of them, and when they showed up, they were tiny little things with only two cars that could only handle a few passengers! The departure terminal, though, was much more modern. I didn’t have time to investigate full-service food options, but I imagine they were there because although modern, it felt like a shopping mall. Much more so than other airports. I don’t really want to go through Houston again.
Chicago Midway: I’ve used this as a terminal point. Tiny airport that’s too small for the number of people that it serves. I’ve always felt ueber-crowded here. The driving route in and out is questionable, although I’ve never had any problems.
Chigago O’Hare: Not too bad. I don’t remember having located any trains/trams etc., and it sucked having to run full speed to not miss my plane change between the international terminal and the national terminal. Oh, yeah, I think I recall some dorky, little shuttle thing that took us a couple hundred meters across a taxiway.
Mexico City Juarez: Terminal 2 is awesome, modern, state of the art. Problem is all of the baggage is handled through terminal 1, so the big international carriers prefer terminal 1, which is the older, more decrepit terminal. There’s only one train on one track connecting them; it yo-yos back and forth. It’s small and slow. Terminal 1 is also crowded for the airplanes. On more than one occasion I’ve had to deplane onto a shuttle which docks at the jetway, and vice versa.
Leon Bajio (Mexico): I love this airport! I’ve watched it grow up since it was only a few years old. It’s small, but plenty spacious and modern. If you arrive or depart on a full-sized craft, you use the jetway like normal, although I usually come and go on puddle-jumpers so we get the little, mobile stairway. It only has one full-service restaurant, but because it’s a terminal point and not a transfer hub, I don’t really have a need to eat there too often.
Atlanta: The last time I was forced to go through Atlanta, the experience sucked, but I don’t remember too many details of the airport per se.
Cincinnati: Don’t recall any problems there.
Frankfurt: I used to maintain one of their approach NDB’s, so I have a special fondness for Frankfurt. Well, it was our NDB, but they used it for certain approach patterns. Absolutely friggin’ huge airport.
Amsterdam: Loved it, and the airport was super-easy to get around, too. Getting to the rental cars (and back) was an illogical, not-well-marked path, but easy enough if you’re not stupid.
Duesseldorf: Seemed very easy to navigate as a terminal point.
Las Vegas: It’s been a few years, but it seemed kind of old and run down, and getting to the car rental return seemed a lot more painful than it should have.
San Diego: I’ve never actually been in the airport, but damn!, that final approach looks trecherous. Good thing they no longer have to depend on an ATC telling them they’re on course and glidepath.
(Obviously, if I’d had a bomb I would have sunk the schooner with it.) It was the first real lighted mirror I’d seen in a week, and it was not pretty.