First the good news: the best airport in the world is in my opinion Singapore Changi. Everything just seems to work: tidiness, services, promptness, information as well as inexpensive and quick public transport to the city center. The best airlines are probably Asian as well: nice food, good legroom, nice entertainment, good connecting flights, and to affordable prices. Previously I would have pointed out especially Turkish Airlines, but after their two non-working entertainment system flights, the gold would probably go to Emirates.
Then to the challenges:
Service:
the most sour service I have received in some low-cost airlines in Europe and at most airports in eastern Europe. Russian Aeroflot is in a league of its own. By the way, I would say that the speaker announcements at airports and in airplanes are worthless. Mostly their volume is wrong and the speaker is using such a heavy accent that you cannot really figure out what they are saying.
Public transport from the airport to the city:
why would a big city build an international airport for public air travel without arranging public transport to and from the airport? Most cities seem to think that taxis should fill that gap but I am of a different opinion. Why fly to Paris with a low-cost airline that arrives so late in the evening that no public transport works anymore, meaning that you will pay more for your taxi ride than for your plane ticket? Helsinki has the same problem, but fortunately an airport train network is being built. American cities have non-existent public transport as well.
Corrupt immigration/ toll officials:
“Problems” have been created for me in Tashkent airport in Uzbekistan and in Siem Reap airport in Cambodia with the aim of “solving” the problem with a bribe. In Tashkent I was too tired to argue, but in Cambodia two officials lost their faces before letting me go. Sri Lanka also claimed that no visa was needed but upon arrival a visa was needed anyway.
Time consuming immigration or toll procedures:
Israel is (understandingly) in a league of its own but surprisingly (and disappointingly) New Zealand offered a 1-hour interrogation before entering the country. Minor delays have occurred to me also in the US and Australia because of long-lasting interviews.
Time-consuming transfers
When transferring international flights in Kuala Lumpur, you need to enter Malaysia and exit Malaysia for some reason. This takes unnecessary time. Russian lines and instructions in Moscow airport are also impossible to understand. Ex-Soviet countries usually use arrivals and departures in the middle of the night, whereby you need to decide if you sleep at the airport or not, because transport to and from the airport is non-existent. This dilemma grows even worse, when the airport is closed during the night, as in Tashkent, where I waited outside between 12 am and 03 am.
Inexperienced officials
are probably one of the scariest things you might encounter at the airport. If an official thinks that you need an Indian visa for an international transfer at Delhi airport and you do not have one, he has the power to refuse you the right to enter the aircraft that is supposed to land in India. If you know that you do not need that visa, it might help to ask for a supervisor but be careful not to make the inexperienced official lose his face – it is more crucial for you to be able to get the chance to prove that your claims are righteous than to prove that claim for that specific official.
Lounges and frequent flyer programmes
These programmes are fancy and make you feel important, but think about them thoroughly: if you use only airlines from that alliance, you might loose many price-worthy and time-saving other flight options. The waiting lounge and its sandwiches might be nice but keeping the right to use them might direct you to subconsciously choose pricier options. By the way, have you noticed that you can hardly ever affect the ticket category you are about to buy? Usually you buy a ticket which category gives you a fracture of the points you thought that will qualify your desired reward levels.
Liquids and packaging/ security
After security check and passport control at the airport, you find yourself among duty free liquids (alcohol and perfume) that you cannot bring to your home, if you are changing aircraft before arrival. Technology can lift you to the skies but not your liquids. Still, if you travel with hand luggage only and wish to ignore the liquid offers, you are often regarded as a strange traveler.
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