The Best and Worst Airports in the World according to Jack's Flight Club
Akasha Loucks
In theory, airports are meant to be neutral, liminal spaces, designed to efficiently get you to where you need to go. But for many travellers, that “Welcome” sign plastered above the terminal somehow always translates as “Prepare to suffer.”
So we asked the Jack's Flight Club community one simple question: “What are the best and worst airports you've passed through?”
Your answers piled up like the immigration line at JFK. And what came back was anything but neutral.
Some of you reflected on your most dreamy layovers and magical landings. Meanwhile, others relived hideous tales of crushing crowds, hours stuck on the tarmac, and being crammed like sardines in the “holding pen of doom”.
And the frantic sprint across terminals to reach an impossible connection? Raise a hand if you’ve been personally victimized by Charles de Gaulle’s broken escalators.
Once we sifted through the stories, patterns emerged. Very clear ones…
The Favourite Child (unsurprisingly)
Changi Airport, Singapore
We wouldn’t be surprised if, among Singapore Airport’s lush greenery, there exists a cavernous golden hall lined floor to ceiling with Skytrax awards.
With little context—which, let’s admit, is hardly necessary—members praised Changi's gargantuan attractions and impeccable service again and again. Besides the dreamscape of butterfly gardens, steel domes, and valleys, here’s what you can expect while transiting through the World’s Best.
The runner-up
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
With Changi stealing the top spot, it's hardly surprising that the very airport to inspire its original design also goes down well: Amsterdam Schiphol.
The easy navigation, "cool" staff, excellent shops, and efficient transfers left most of you feeling pretty good about one of Europe's busiest hubs.
Fondness over Flashiness
Not every airport people spoke of fondly was flawless. Some didn’t win on speed, design, or serenity. Instead, they earned your points for something far less measurable: showing up at the right moment.
Chicago O’ Hare kept coming up here, which surprised us. No one claimed it was the calmest or the most efficient. But several of you spoke about ORD with something close to fondness. A soft spot. A sense of gratitude that lingered long after the journey ended.
“I have a huge soft spot for Chicago O’Hare because I discovered the play area for my feral 18-month-old EXACTLY when it needed to be there.”
"Chicago O'Hare, because I have such good memories of travelling to/from it."
What the best airports get right
Interestingly, the Jack's Community's most beloved airports often weren’t the biggest or flashiest. But they do share a few things in common:
A calm atmosphere
No surprise, the Nordics have got it down to a fine art:
“Helsinki is gorgeous, airy with those cool Nordic vibes and a Moomin cafe”
“Oslo is so cosy, all muffled in wood.”
And in the Dominican, the mantra is tranquilo:
“The best was Punta Cana. The lounge had an outdoor pool facing the runway. The most relaxed I’ve ever been at an airport.”
Setting the scene
The best airports don’t feel generic at all. Instead, they set the tone perfectly for the trip ahead.
“In Bora Bora, you land on an island and have to take a magnificent boat ride”
“Nice has a flair; the magic of the place, the runway close to the sea when the airplane is landing or starting, you can see the beautiful shoreline and the big mountains behind.”
"Koh Samui - so dreamy and magical, and so many fun things to do while you wait"
But one place that takes island time to the next level? Aitutaki in the Cook Islands — it's barely an airport, and all the better for it.
“Aitutaki is the best. Does a shed at the bottom of a coral runway count?"
What the worst airports get so wrong
Wall of Shame
These are the airports that you most frequently voted The Worst:
- Manchester (MAN)
- London Heathrow (LHR)
- New York (JFK)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
Lines for days, conflicting boarding info, feral staff. Different countries, same complaints.
Most gripes fell into a few clear categories:
Soul-crushing queues
This was the loudest theme. Sure, delays can be expected. But what we won’t tolerate? Waiting with zero explanation, seating or any visible progress.
JFK, Manchester, and LAX took the brunt of this anger:
“Worst is JFK. Immigration is a nightmare. Security queues last for days. I’ve been delayed landing or held on the runway there more than anywhere else.”
“Manchester is far and away the worst airport I’ve ever been in. I had the misfortune of transferring there and came very close to missing the second flight. And those wooden fences at customs! I felt like I was at the OK Corral.”
“LAX Worst… it took longer in the passport control queue than the entire flight from London. And so disorganised. And grimy. And rude. Just awful.”
Edinburgh also came up repeatedly, not for one-off chaos, but for what sounded like a systemic tragedy.
“Edinburgh is a horror show. I had to walk in pouring rain through large puddles, queueing at stairs to board. Then on return, sat on the taxiway for 90 minutes. Early morning you will see 6 or 7 aircraft landed from North America sitting in a line, waiting to clear. The departures area is swamped with passengers walking about, as the very few seats are all taken. Horrible place.”
Layouts designed by sadists
The biggest rage breeder? Confusion.
As though the building designers missed the memo on 'efficiency,' some airports were criticized not for being too big, but for being downright illogical.
Manila, for one, sounds like a horror show:
“The worst ever experience was Manila airport - seriously overcrowded - 3 terminals and zero possibility to get from one terminal to the other. Taxis are overbooked, kilometers of long queues everywhere, no shuttle bus between the terminals, or just so chaotic that no one knows. If you need to change flights from one terminal to another, from international to domestic - or the other way - forget it.”
Canada’s second-largest city also got a mention (“Convoluted and complicated: Montreal), while Shanghai Pudong sounds like a soul-sucking experience (“A layover there feels like purgatory. Devoid of life and dining options).
On the other hand, airports like Rome Fiumicino, Burbank, Schiphol, and Tokyo’s Haneda were praised for their easy transit.
Comfort, Cleanliness, and Basic Human Dignity
You’re a fair bunch; you don’t expect luxury lounges. Just clean toilets, somewhere to sit, and enough space to breathe. Not feeling like herded cattle is also a plus.
Addis Ababa, Khartoum, and London Stansted were among the most heavily criticized:
"Worst: Karthoum, huge crowd, but for a small payment someone pushed you through... Any major US airport too, seriously overcrowded."
"Addis Ababa has absolutely awful toilets, quite disgusting."
"Addis Ababa: Never any seats free, expensive bad food, and I got bitten by an insect!"
"Stansted - unbelievably busy, with nowhere to sit and just masses of people."
But sometimes it’s the small injustices that linger longest.
“ARN (Stockholm) confiscated my sealed potato salad ten years ago, and I still think it was unreasonable.”
For what it's worth, friend, we asked the Jack's Community on Instagram if they agreed that the kidnapping of your potato salad was unreasonable, and you have been vindicated. 74% of Jack's Travellers were right there with you in the fight for your carb-based rights.
The Big Takeaway
People don’t need the biggest airport, the glitziest of terminals, or the most expensive shops.
We want:
- Lines that move quickly
- Affordable eateries open during all times of transit
- Logical layouts
- Somewhere to sit
- Clean toilets
- To be treated like a human being
But sure, if you want to throw in a seven-story rain-vortex waterfall, that’s cool too.
Agree with the crowd? Or ready to defend an airport to the death? We’re all ears!