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Resource Realness: Airports

Regardless of where you might by flying to, it is likely you will be spending some time in the airport. This can span from an hour to several, if the layover is long enough you might even be able to leave the airport and see another new city for a small amount of time.

Therefore, it is important to consider which airports you will be traveling through when planning your trip. Now, you might not always be able to tailor your travels to include the best possible airports but it is an important factor to consider because it makes a significant difference in how your experience unfolds.

Below is a brief reflection on which elements make the biggest difference for me when spending time in an airport. This is followed by a list of the various airports I have been to separated into Best, OK, and Worst.

Image featured above: Hamad airport in Doha, Qatar

My Quality Measures:

In my opinion, one of the most important elements I judge an airport on is whether or not it has water filling stations to fill a reusable water bottle. This is critical because water is a free service for the people, when someone has taken the time to make systems such as this with quality then it reflects a more serious consideration of the actual experience and wellbeing of the people who use this space. Also, a feature like this is important because staying hydrated keeps you healthy while saving money (and the environment) because it saves you from having to purchase a new bottle of water every time you go through security.

Another important feature is the size, availability, and quality of bathrooms. This is vital, especially when getting off of a long flight. I extra appreciate large bathrooms that give you a lot of space to take your time. I often will change my clothes or just take some extra moments to myself while in the bathroom since when you are traveling you often don’t have a lot of private space just to yourself. This is why I really appreciated the bathrooms in the Iceland airport, they were so futuristic and each was like its own private room with its own sink and everything. It even gave you the extra privacy of having the walls go all the way to the floor, I was in heaven haha On the flip side, when landing in LA I found there were painfully small and few bathrooms that each had lines stretching out for what felt like miles! I ended up holding it until I got to my Airbnb I was so against waiting to fit into that small, old bathroom.

One feature that has been growing in importance is the availability of outlets and charging stations. In this day and age… outlets should really be lining every wall and at every seat that physically exists in the airport. However, in some, it can be impossible to find anything at all. Some have attempted to resolve this issue, like LAX where they have installed small charging stations here and there throughout the airport to offer something to the millions of people who travel through here each year. This is a noble effort, unfortunately, it just doesn’t cut it… When I came to my gate at LAX, a large and bleak looking circular room with florescent lights and too few seats, I saw one singular charging station that had been placed in the middle of the floor and had people slung around it, clinging to it like animals around a watering hole. Thank goodness I had my own backup energy and didn’t need to join the struggle.

In addition, the overall atmosphere, cleanliness, and style of the airport is important because it just makes a difference in how you feel when you are there. In a fresh and modern airport I sit at my gate, on my laptop, and feel like such a badass, so worldly and cool haha To me this also shows the country and the people in charge of this process care about the passengers who actually use it. After all, the airport is the first presentation a city has on the people who travel there, sometimes its the only impression, and definitely a place you want to feel safe in.

Best

-Portland International Airport. Portland, Oregon

Water filling stations, well organized, not too big and no long walks, easy to get to and from with the MAX and good location in relation to town, nice modern look with a lot of local touches like art and food trucks actually inside where you can get fresh and delicious food!

-Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Amsterdam, Netherlands

This place was so great it hurt, it had train access, water, food, outlets and the best security process I have ever been through.

-Vienna International Airport. Vienna, Austria

Has a great baggage claim area and the CAT train is easy, cheap, and perfect for getting into town.

-Keflavík International Airport. Reykjavík, Iceland

Really impressive and modern for a small airport on a cold, small island. Amazing food options and seating areas here…with outlets!

-Hamad International Airport. Doha, Qatar

A beautiful place that is so modern and has great style. There is a monorail that runs inside with like a loft style design, its a simple airport to manage, and they have Apple computer and TV stations where you can spend time while waiting for your flight.

-Narita International Airport. Tokyo, Japan

The only place Ive ever paid to go into a lounge and it was magnificent. Food, booze, papers, comfy chairs… and the airport was clean, easy and straightforward.

Only Ok

-Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Seattle, Wa

Lack of water filling stations and outlets. Has some nice newer features, shops and food options but isnt organized as well as it could be.

-Heathrow International Airport. London, England

Too big, I felt like I walked miles when I was trying to get around here. Also, I found the directions too vauge about how to get to places around the airport.

-Abu Dhabi International Airport. Abu Dhabi, UAE

Has some beautiful spaces and good food options but bathrooms were small and run down and definitley a lack of water.

The Worst

-LAX. Los Angeles, California

Old and rundown, only a few outlet stands and not enough seats. Bathrooms too small, run down, and always busy. No water stations. Just too big and busy.

-Thira National Airport. Santorini, Greece

I didnt expect anything too extravagent here, it is a small island, but there were hardly enough seats for the few gates they have. I sat on the floor for about half an hour waiting for the flight before me to leave and space to free up. Generally a bit run down, no water, and definitley no power stations.

-Charles De Gaulle. Paris, France

This is the worst airport to get to, it took me over an hour, then it was so massive I had to be really prepared to know exactly where I needed to be dropped off by the taxi. Then, turned out I got it wrong and had to spend half an hour walking to the right gate! Leave PLENTY of time when you go through here.

-Denver International Airport. Denver, Colorado

The most intense security I have ever been through. They had dogs sniffing me, they went through my bag, and they made me throw out things I had taken through two other airports! I asked if they were on high alert and they just told me it was a regular Monday… It also felt very small there and is a tent style which is, interesting.

 
 
 

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