Favorite Major U.S. Airport

[Mr. Smith]

Because the States and Presidents seem to be smashing hits, I figured I'd extend this same "Survivor" sort of thing to something a little more unorthodox.

That unorthodox thing being the great limbo outside the city...airports.

Because of things such as security, expensive and tacky goods, and often boring designs, they are an easy target and even those who have never flown ever have heard about that through the grapevine.

Which makes it more interesting to ask instead, which ones are the most tolerable. Which ones have the best laid out security, the best shops, aren't an inescapable labyrinth, and have the most tolerable management.

I am also keeping this to 32 American airports with passenger traffic exceeding 10 million (Hobby and Love are exceptions,included for respectable alternative hubs) because there are too many mid-size and regional airports and because the major international ones (sans Heathrow perhaps) are by and large painless.

16 choices tops, but if you've only ever used one or two of these that's okay. Regardless, the bottom ten fall out.

[Franzl]

Detroit is pretty tolerable. Nothing really special, but simple and easy to deal with, especially for entering the US.

[muon2]

Because the States and Presidents seem to be smashing hits, I figured I'd extend this same "Survivor" sort of thing to something a little more unorthodox.

So why not use the Survivor board rather than the Off Topic board? The Survivor board was set up for this type of elimination contest and Individual Politics certainly would fit for items like the state and president contests.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I've never been to any of them so I just voted for the cities I like

[politicallefty]

I've been in quite a few airports, but only a few for what I would consider to be a longer period of time (like 2+ hours). When I was nine (summer 1996), I remember being stuck in a delayed layover at TWA's hub in St. Louis for about four hours (around the time of the Atlanta Olympics). It was long and incredibly boring. More recently, a few years ago (2009, I think), I had a layover in O'Hare for about three hours. Obviously, an airport that size has plenty to keep you busy. The other noteworthy aspects of that airport were the very long taxi time for both landing and takeoff, and in the actually airport, there was a very cool tunnel with lots of neon lights that I'd never seen before (anyone that's been there will definitely know what I'm talking about).

So, as far as voting goes, I'm only going to vote for those I've been to and liked.

[Mr. Smith]

@muon: Then take it up with retromike, as for this, it's certainly okay here.

O'Hare seriously fails at that now, if it weren't for Los Angeles, it'd be the pits. Phoenix and the other Washington airport (National) are pretty lousy as well.

San Francisco I've never used as a connector, but it's easily one of the best around as long as one avoids 1 terminal. Go to the correct place, and you get a Yoga room. But fog literally screws everything up where delays are concerned.

Washington Dulles is hit-or-miss, I've never had  anything wrong with it, but it's remote and they still use  "mobile lounges" at parts and there are too many freaking stairs. Philadelphia is tolerable as long you don't need help. Also it's a pain trying to connect from regional to mainline. Still some of the best food though.

But Charlotte is absolutely fantastic, with an open atrium, great food options, short taxi times. Never seen a bad security line, and the employees take the tops. This is pretty much my go-to when I can't get a nonstop.

Also voted for Midway, Hobby, and Dallas- Love because they have decent enough connections to make them good alternates,which is a good thing in the case of O'Hare (which is also why Detroit is on here).

JFK's 5th Terminal left a decent enough impression

[politicus]

This is not a survivor... Torie is dumping stuff from the OT board where it doesn't belong.

[muon2]

This is not a survivor... Torie is dumping stuff from the OT board where it doesn't belong.

It's an elimination contest based on popular votes. It may not strictly be the Survivor rules, but it's a darn close variant.

[Mr. Smith]

Ya' know what, given how the polls are working, I think I'll fashion the next round as a proper survivor.