I'm sure all of us have flown in and out of many, many airports over our lives. Some are fantastic experiences, some not so fantastic. So what airport is your absolute favorite to fly in and out of? It could be any airport with commercial service. Layovers don't count

Mine is EYW. Not only for the fun landing and take off, but also because it's so small and you still have to board and deplane from the tarmac. It doesn't seem like an airport where you can expect to fly there on a 737, but you can! It just adds so well to the island vibe.

Okay, your turn!

DCA - when take off/landing includes view of National Mall
Easter Island (IPC) - Something about a remote airport that gets 1 flight a day (787) boarding via stairs naturally

CPT - Almost always fantastic views and one of my favourite cities on earth
FTE, AYQ, KTM, VFA - Cute airports, usually decent operations, tarmac deboarding and fantastic views

DCA, SYD and JFK I obviously like the approaches but the airports themselves not too much although Sydney is alright.

LIH - love the views of the Kauai Lagoons golf course on approach and I feel very much "in Hawaii" as soon as I step outside the enclosed portion of the terminal into the open air baggage claim area. On departure, I've rarely encountered any lines to speak of at check-in or going through security and when it's time to take off, no push back needed - you roll right on out to the runway and hit the gas!

NUE. It's my home airport and I can get from entering the terminal to boarding the plane within five minutes if everything goes right. Short ways, fast security and not too much traffic. Yes, the airport is very small (4 million pax/year), but that is also one of the big advantages there. It has been awarded as best German airport ten times in a row by readers of the Business Traveler journal and I totally agree with that. The experience was flawless most times I took a flight from there.

conaly wrote:

NUE. It's my home airport and I can get from entering the terminal to boarding the plane within five minutes if everything goes right. Short ways, fast security and not too much traffic. Yes, the airport is very small (4 million pax/year), but that is also one of the big advantages there. It has been awarded as best German airport ten times in a row by readers of the Business Traveler journal and I totally agree with that. The experience was flawless most times I took a flight from there.

LOL your definition of a very small airport is 4 million pax per year? I find that entertaining, but now I want to look up NUE. Never heard of it.

Always love flying in and out of SMF. MDT is a sweet underserved little airport as well as BTR.

I enjoy EYW too, also Marathon Florida Keys Airport, MTH. Took a C172 up for a joyride and enjoyed walking around the airport and little museum they have there. I always enjoy flying in the Florida Keys. Other than that I would say PUJ for its extremely tropical feel and variety of different airlines from around the world. I also liked the quaintness of Grand Case (SFG) and St. Barts (SBH) as well as SXM for obvious reasons. My favorite large airport would probably be BCN, modern, lots of space, really easy to connect, both times I've been through BCN it has been a wonderful experience.

Definitely WLG as it’s a pretty small airport (by European standards) where I always had seamless travels. If you fly on planes with less than 70 seats you don’t have to go through security checks (which has nothing to do with WLG but it makes traveling through NZ even easier). The short runway and strong winds make take offs and landings quite interesting from time to time.

AMS airport is the best for connections and it has a planespotting terrace

I like LGA for the views of Manhattan on the way in and out but the experience on the ground is terrible. ZQN also has great views and EYW for the carrier landing is fun.

IND hands down. Ultra modern, no crowds, rental car return is literally at the airport entrance.
Scenery wise STL when you get the good route, MIA, LGA, LAX, SEA b/c you can see the mountains

SXM for one and only one reason

Lots of people are going to say DCA, and I agree

I have a pretty big list
CLT, DCA, DTW, DXB, ELH, FRA, IND, MUC, PDX, RDU, SIN, YVR, ZRH

Flying in to HAM via RW 23 was always a pleasure for me. I could see one of the subway stations that was nearby (U Fuhlsbüttel Nord) and the traffic over the Alsterkrug-/Langenhorner Chaussee during the night. The last time I landed in HAM 2 years ago, about 11 months before I left Hamburg to move back to Costa Rica, I landed via the Krohnstiegtunnel (which is the RW 15 approach), which is common during early morning arrivals considering it was around 07:00 hrs.

Interestingly, before that arrival on RW 15, all departures and landings I remember as a passenger in HAM were RW 23. Then came that approach to RW 15 on UA and about 11 months later departure via RW 33 on KL. As far as the terminal is concerned, it's very easy and straightforward. The terminal denominations only matter for the check-in and baggage claim, as to reach the gates, you go through a central security check in the connector between T1 and T2.

As far as my current hometown airport is concerned (SYQ), I've never flown from there. That said, I can see a lot of departures coming from SJO. Departing SJO via RW 07 gives you a great view of the city if you fly straight towards the South (e.g. to Panama). If you depart for a different destination, like to Europe or the US, you will be involved in a sharp right turn, where the best view is from the right wing. Unfortunately, as far as landings are concerned, I've never had the pleasure of landing on RW 25 and enjoying that visual approach that IB banned its pilots to make due to prior incidents. The terminal itself has improved a lot from the late 1990s until today. Only problem is when exit passport control has a system outage, that can cause a long line that can go all the way to curbside.

Lukla what a view

DCA and BOS for me.

DCA for the river visual and Natl Mall as well as the inside of the terminal. Also, going on the shuttle buses between terminals offered some amazing up-close views. Unfortunately I haven't flown into DCA since 2009. Would like to again some day!

Flying over the harbor in and out of BOS is always fun. I even had a Runway 27 departure this summer and got to fly over the city. Logan is also one of my favorite airports to spot at!

BOS- My home airport. Approaches/takeoffs can vary from an amazing view of downtown Boston to the massive amount of islands in the harbor. Also, a plane spotting paradise with an ever-increasing amount of airlines flying there, and a massive variety of planes from the tiny Cessna 402 to A380. Flying out during the winter is also cool when everything is covered in snow(except the delays).

LGAviation wrote:

CPT - Almost always fantastic views and one of my favourite cities on earth

I second that. And add JNB, alone for the food court with reasonable prices. And both are a breeze to get through.

GSO used to be my favorite because I could leave the house 30 minutes before boarding and make it with time to spare.

ryan78 wrote:

I enjoy EYW too, also Marathon Florida Keys Airport, MTH. Took a C172 up for a joyride and enjoyed walking around the airport and little museum they have there. I always enjoy flying in the Florida Keys. Other than that I would say PUJ for its extremely tropical feel and variety of different airlines from around the world. I also liked the quaintness of Grand Case (SFG) and St. Barts (SBH) as well as SXM for obvious reasons. My favorite large airport would probably be BCN, modern, lots of space, really easy to connect, both times I've been through BCN it has been a wonderful experience.

You know if DL still ran their ATL-MTH flights I would have given it a try. Would have been a cool experience. MTH is smaller than EYW terminal wise, but the runway is very slightly longer for now.

JFK and LGA are very exciting, have good views, and good variety.

I like SFO for its parallel takeoffs and landings, the views, and the generally good weather and lack of turbulence.

I'd have put PDX at the top but being so near to mountains and in such a rainy area, it often has pretty "adventurous" landings. If you get it on a good day, though, it's beautiful and the airport itself is like a small-town airport, even though it's in a reasonably big city.

LAS also has a particularly striking approach and takeoff, though I don't remember much about the airport itself. (I've only flown into/out of it once.)

I live very near JFK and fly in and out of it all the time, and I'm surprised to see it on anybody's list of favorites!

AMS including a polderbaan taxi, great value for money

spacecadet wrote:

I live very near JFK and fly in and out of it all the time, and I'm surprised to see it on anybody's list of favorites!

I live very near JFK too. If the 380 takes off on 13R they buzz over my house at very low altitudes. Quite the thrill. I fly in and out of JFK all the time, LGA too, but they're my home airports. Don't need to be my favorites.

Flanker7 wrote:

AMS including a polderbaan taxi, great value for money

It's all a con, I'm sure last time I flew out of AMS they taxied to LBA then took off and flew a circuit.

Fred

LAX for me, especially when coming from the North as you get fantastic views of the whole LA basin and the mountains. Also flying in from the East makes you realize how huge this city is. Lastly, it also means that I am finally home again!

Burbank.. My LAX flight was delayed from SFO by 5 hours! and I was rushed to the Burbank flight. Like stepping back in time. It was sunny, warm, no jet ways and a short stroll to the rental car building. Plus Hollywood was only a 15 minute drive.

Lanzarote Airport (ACE) is quite impressive when approaching from the north. Beautiful volcano landscape!

I went to HKG recently and loved it. Tons of cool widebodies to see. EGE is fun to fly into and boarding 757s with stairs is always cool.

Mine was BLK. Good old Blackpool. Unfortunately no scheduled flights there at the moment but that backtrack and then rocket ship 737 departure over the Shore was fantastic, with the Tower off to your right.

My home airport of ATH is always a pleasure to go through and for Europe I 'd say TXL. It has that 70s/80s vibe to it. AMS and ZRH as far as modern airports are concerded. T2 at LHR is also growing on me

I like DCA for the views (as many have pointed out). I like MDW for the convenience. I like MEM because the DL club and gate agents are great. MEM crew recognize frequent fliers with a hug.

BUR for me as well. Short security, boarding from both front and back of plane, and super short taxi from landing to gate. Also a fun takeoff and turn. I once took 5 minutes from wheels on runway to at my car across from the terminal (not a joke).

Internationally, it's hard to beat AMS.

GMZ, Canary Islands - my home airport for a year. Two (usually empty) flights a day, a beautiful marble-clad terminal, €1 café con leche from a real espresso machine and a runway akin to an aircraft carrier's on the cliffs above the Atlantic.

Granted, little to no spotting potential but who's complaining when you can go from cabin to car in under two minutes?

LHR -- I still don't get why people hate the airport, also you can't fault the views of London on approach.
SIN -- No contest
CPH -- Nice airport with short security and lot's of shops.
DEN -- The only nice US airport I've been to.

I love flying out of SFO, though I maybe a bit biased as that is my home airport, lol...
My favorite airport flying out of, that isn't a home airport for me, is Daytona Beach! Seeing the speedway on approach from the west or departures to the west is always fun!

SFO - great views upon takeoff or landing on clear days; perfect terminal layout (circle); home airport
IND - one of the few decent-sized U.S. airports built from the ground up after 9/11
DEN - good amenities and views; well laid out for expansion to 200m passengers/year if necessary
KEF - amazing mid-sized hub; great views; good amenities; drawback is expensive food (hot breakfast buffet cost me $24 because everything is imported in Iceland)
AMS - easy to use; convenient; good amenities
SXF - good because it feels so austere, as if I were flying into the Cold War; poor amenities

Carp12c wrote:

I love flying out of SFO, though I maybe a bit biased as that is my home airport, lol...
My favorite airport flying out of, that isn't a home airport for me, is Daytona Beach! Seeing the speedway on approach from the west or departures to the west is always fun!

Ah yes, Daytona Beach! Not just the Speedway but landing from the west gives you a great beach view on the way in. You basically overfly the entire town. It's also a very convenient little airport.

Will echo the DCA supporters, esp in regards to the river approach. Also a big fan of SFO as the views of the city and surrounding area can be spectacular.

Big fan of SAN as well. Always a cool approach sitting in the left side of the plane being below the buildings.

Finally SBA I find to be wonderful. Cool architecture, curb to plane in less than 5 min.

evank516 wrote:

Carp12c wrote:

I love flying out of SFO, though I maybe a bit biased as that is my home airport, lol...
My favorite airport flying out of, that isn't a home airport for me, is Daytona Beach! Seeing the speedway on approach from the west or departures to the west is always fun!

Ah yes, Daytona Beach! Not just the Speedway but landing from the west gives you a great beach view on the way in. You basically overfly the entire town. It's also a very convenient little airport.

You can't see the beach when you're landing from the West, unless you're in the cockpit of a 172 or any other training aircraft there, so I believe you mean from the East. And a very convenient airport it is, especially for the ERAU people... I'm assuming you're an ERAU student?

Carp12c wrote:

evank516 wrote:

Carp12c wrote:

I love flying out of SFO, though I maybe a bit biased as that is my home airport, lol...
My favorite airport flying out of, that isn't a home airport for me, is Daytona Beach! Seeing the speedway on approach from the west or departures to the west is always fun!

Ah yes, Daytona Beach! Not just the Speedway but landing from the west gives you a great beach view on the way in. You basically overfly the entire town. It's also a very convenient little airport.

You can't see the beach when you're landing from the West, unless you're in the cockpit of a 172 or any other training aircraft there, so I believe you mean from the East. And a very convenient airport it is, especially for the ERAU people... I'm assuming you're an ERAU student?

Whoops, sorry I meant landing TO the west. I should know this considering I fly to DAB 2-3 times per year

Definitely Cardiff Airport! Landing on runway 30 on a clear day gives a lovely view of the city as you approach along the Bristol channel!

BritTraveller wrote:

LHR -- I still don't get why people hate the airport, also you can't fault the views of London on approach.
SIN -- No contest
CPH -- Nice airport with short security and lot's of shops.
DEN -- The only nice US airport I've been to.

LHR: Spent 3 years in the UK Jan85-Jan88...frequent visits to LHR when Queens Building was open...awesome. Arrived LHR twice in daylight '17 and yes, the views of London were spectacular. I adore the U.K. and cherished my time living there.

SIN: Several trips late 16, early 17 and now early 18...great airport, even after nonstop from SFO with a 30+ minute hold before landing on the recent flight.

DEN: Thanks for recognizing this airport for what it has become. My step-father hauled loads of construction material in the early 1990's during construction. I was at Stapleton the night it closed, and at DIA the morning shortly after it opened. You can read my account of Stapleton's final scheduled departure (CO 34 to LGW) here: Stapleton's Final Departure

Incidentally, I was also at Stapleton the day Western Airlines inaugurated DEN-LGW service with DC-10-30 N821L in April 1981.

Over the years I have been to DIA numerous times, especially the 18 months beginning mid-2016. I am glad more international traffic is coming into Denver and giving travelers more variety of nonstop destinations.

SFO is one of my favorites to fly into for the port-side views inbound to the 28s. LAX as well on a clear day...like others have said, the LA Basin is spectacular.

For a large airport, it'd be DTW. LAS is good if I'm flying out of D or E.

Favorite airports to fly in and out of. I love flying into ORD, especially if the approach skirts the lakefront and downtown. Now that I have moved away from ORD and haven't been into it too much anymore, it is a big nostalgia for me, a lot of memories. I flew into ORD in December for the first time in a long time and we got that approach and I had a big smile on my face (then when I got my bag and went outside for the rental car transfer, the smile left quickly when I walked into -4F temps.

For visuals, favorite airport to fly into is ZQN, especially if you come in between the mountains and make that banking left turn to the runway. Amazing scenery.

Favorite airport to fly out of, LAX. Because that tells me that I am no longer in the hellhole known as LAX. If I can manage it, I'll never transfer through LAX again and will gladly take the longer flight to DFW back to the US.

csturdiv wrote:

Favorite airports to fly in and out of. I love flying into ORD, especially if the approach skirts the lakefront and downtown. Now that I have moved away from ORD and haven't been into it too much anymore, it is a big nostalgia for me, a lot of memories. I flew into ORD in December for the first time in a long time and we got that approach and I had a big smile on my face (then when I got my bag and went outside for the rental car transfer, the smile left quickly when I walked into -4F temps.

For visuals, favorite airport to fly into is ZQN, especially if you come in between the mountains and make that banking left turn to the runway. Amazing scenery.

Favorite airport to fly out of, LAX. Because that tells me that I am no longer in the hellhole known as LAX. If I can manage it, I'll never transfer through LAX again and will gladly take the longer flight to DFW back to the US.

That approach into ORD is definitely nice! I did that last year after a hefty delay out of JFK. Great city views!

LHR is one of my absolute favorites. It may be kind of a pain in the ass to deal with, but if you sit in the starboard side in a window seat, and land on one of the 27’s, it’s spectacular. Such amazing views of an amazing city! Plus, the variety of aircraft and airlines is really something. How many other airports will you see an American Airlines plane next to an Iran Air plane?

AKL is also a really pleasant experience. Beautiful views, friendly staff, and a really simple transit, whether you’re connecting, or O&D.

Even though I am from there, I’ll throw DEN in as well, since it’s typically a pleasant experience. It’s far from the city, but a great airport overall!

I haven't flown to many airports more than once. I do like my hometown airport (KAUS), as well as flying /into/ Denver for when I go skiing, however the lines are always really long.... DFW's always nice when connecting since riding the train gives one a good view of all the aircraft.