Airports: the Good, the Bad, and the Meh

     As an avid traveler I have passed through more than my fair share of different airports over the years. Almost 50 by my count. I decided to compile a short list of the ones I like a lot, the ones I barely tolerate, and the ones that just missed out on being on the good list. I've taken a lot of factors into consideration when determining the lists. Ease of getting to and from a particular airport were considered for the ones that I have departed and/or arrived from. This includes in some cases the ease of picking up and returning a rental car. Airport layout is definitely a factor, especially when it comes to layovers between flights. How well the terminals and concourses are marked as well as the ease of navigating between gates is extremely important (especially in foreign airports). Airport amenities (shops, eateries, restrooms, etc.) can make or break a longer layover. Overall comfort in the gate areas (ample seating, options for charging portable devices) is important to me as I tend to prefer a slightly longer layover (I don't like to be rushed and want to have enough time built in should my flight be delayed). I do want to point out that when it comes to amenities the one thing I have not taken into consideration are airline lounges. The simple explanation for this is that I do not have a high enough status with any one airline to gain entry (and since I typically fly coach/economy entry is not offered with my fare).Within each group (the good, the bad, and the meh) the lists are not ranked because I cannot judge every one of them with the exact same criteria (some I have only had a layover in while some I have departed from and/or arrived at and a handful have had layovers and departures/arrivals). Without further ado let's take off shall we? 

The Good:

• St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), St. Louis, MO, USA: For many years STL was my home airport (I've lived in the Kansas City metro since late 2017). It can be easy to get to and from this airport if you are close to a Metro Link stop. The Red Line has a stop at both the East Terminal (Southwest and Allegiant mainly) and the Main Terminal (basically all other airlines). This layout of the two terminals makes it pretty easy to figure out which one you need to go to. Driving to/from the airport via Interstate 70 can be somewhat confusing with regards to which exits to take. Personally I hated going to the airport to pick someone up/drop someone off. That is the biggest downfall. The second downfall is the rental car situation. None of the major rental car agencies have garages on site nor are they consolidated into one large rental car center (like in Phoenix, Atlanta, etc.). You have to take the shuttle bus from the airport to whichever vendor you have chosen. Lambert airport isn't in the greatest of neighborhoods and I know some of the car vendors maintain their "airport location" in a sketchy area. There are plenty of long term parking options that operate shuttles to and from the airport. Inside the East Terminal the number of vendors is more limited than inside the Main Terminal...but with fewer airlines operating out of East Terminal it is kind of to be expected. I just recently returned from a trip to Texas where I actually had a layover in St. Louis at the East Terminal. I had more than enough time to get between my gates (as there are maybe 30 gates tops anyway). On this particular occasion, the dining options were more limited because of some shortages. Main Terminal has 4 concourses. Not sure if this is still accurate but at one time American Airlines operated primarily off of the A concourse and the other airlines were dispersed between B, C, and D concourses. Baggage claim in both terminals is pretty easy to locate. 
• Berlin-Tegel Airport (TXL), Berlin, Germany: Anytime that I have flown into or out of Berlin it has been through Tegel. The airport itself is fairly easy to navigate. One of the things I like best about this airport is that most of the gates have their own check in and security screening. So once you have passed through security there is very little distance to travel to get to your departing gate. The airlines do not let many flights pass through at a time so getting to the airport two+ hours before your flight is not really needed. I always thought to allow at least two hours and any of my shuttle bus drivers or taxi drivers thought I was insane for leaving so early. Because I have never really had to spend a lot of time in the airport I don't have much to say about the dining and shopping options. The one drawback to Tegel is that there is not a connection to the extensive U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines...making getting to and from the airport more of a challenge. Taking public transport generally involves getting to Alexanderplatz and then taking the bus. If you have a lot of luggage this is kind of an annoying option. I most recently (in 2018) took a cab from my hotel and it wasn't super expensive (I think like 20-25 euro). 
• Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Typically this airport is likely to be your primary point of entry if you are flying into Germany. Especially if you do not have another connection beforehand elsewhere in the EU. But I love, love, love Frankfurt airport. It is super easy to reach from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. This is one of the cheapest airports to fly into in Germany. What makes it even better is the existence of a long distance rail station connected to the airport. You can take ICE trains to a large variety of destinations without leaving the environs of the airport. On my last trip to Germany I arrived at Frankfurt and immediately set out to get tickets for a train to Cologne. The number of stores and eateries in the main part of the airport as well as near the train station is astonishing. We had no problem getting breakfast and resting for a bit before getting to the platform to catch the train. The one time I had a connecting flight in Frankfurt was the only time I wasn't a fan of the airport (but that was really more due to having to change airlines and re-check in before proceeding to my connecting flight...I nearly missed the connection). But as a starting or ending point it is really one of the best I have been to.
• Dusseldorf International Airport (DUS), Dusseldorf, Germany: My second favorite German airport. This is the only other airport in Germany where I have flown in without another EU connection. I don't know if United still operates a flight from Chicago O'Hare to Dusseldorf but they did at one time. It doesn't have as many amenities as Frankfurt, but then again I wouldn't expect it to as it doesn't handle the same volume of travelers. It is also fairly easy to get to the city of Dusseldorf (if that is your actual destination) via the S-Bahn. I have also utilized the long distance train station (with only a few platforms--not like the major station in Frankfurt) to get to other cities in the region. There is a monorail that takes passengers from the terminals to the train station. This was a huge help when I did my study abroad semester in Bochum (which is about an hour away by S-Bahn or 35-40 minutes by regional trains. One word of warning: if you see really cheap airfare going into or out of Dusseldorf make sure it is not for Dusseldorf Weeze Airport (NRN). Discount airline Ryan Air uses Weeze and I know a lot of people who were in for a shock when they realized just how far away this airport is from the city of Dusseldorf. 
• Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), Myrtle Beach, SC, USA: I've only used this airport on one occasion but the experience was pleasant enough that I would not hesitate to use it again if traveling to a nearby destination. For our trip to South Carolina last year my mom and I found it cheaper to fly in and out of Myrtle Beach than Charleston. As you might expect the airport is pretty small. But getting to and from the airport was pretty simple. The rental car center was small, but easily accessible from the terminal. Checking in was a breeze as was getting our baggage when we first arrived. Not a lot of amenities, but enough given the small size of the airport. What puts it on the good list was the existence of a Steak N' Shake in the airport. Until that time I had no idea that Steak N' Shake had airport locations (another exists at the San Antonio airport...more on that airport much later). In between the concourses there was a long hallway with some Adirondack style chairs looking out of some big picture windows. It was quite nice.
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW), Detroit, MI, USA: I have only ever used DTW as a connection airport and therefore my knowledge of the exterior of the airport is non-existent. I have connected here for both domestic and international flights and had zero problems navigating the airport for those purposes. The customs checkpoint and passport control (for international arrivals) has generally been pretty quick on the occasions where I have needed it. I never felt like I was going to miss my connecting flights. There is a tram that helps passengers navigate the various terminals. It was easy to use and ran frequently enough so as not to make me panic on timing. There is a decent selection of stores and dining options, making layovers fairly pleasant. If DTW is an option for a return flight from Europe I am often inclined to select it given my decent experiences there. 
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, NV, USA: Previously known as McCarran International Airport, this airport is super close to the Strip (in fact you can see some of the iconic hotels/casinos as you are taxiing to/from your gate). I have flown in and out of here as well as connected to other flights (my last experience with a connection was a nightmare but that had everything to do with the airline and nothing to do with the airport itself). When Vegas was my destination I had no problems getting my bags and getting to and from the rental car center. The airport has plenty of shops and dining options. For those who still want to gamble a bit before leaving town (or need to kill time between flights) there are loads of slot machines to pick from. 
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Phoenix, AZ, USA: I have used this airport for connecting flights, but the majority of my experience has been as a final destination. I have never had any problems here...baggage claim is easy to find as is the shuttle to the rental car center. More than enough dining options if you have time to kill. Accessing the rental car center from the city is also easy...there are very clear exit signs off of the freeway and Siri seems to know the best way to the airport from wherever I am. If I were to choose a western airport for a layover Phoenix would be at or near the top of my list (obviously taking final destination and overall airfare cost into consideration). Plenty of seating in the gate areas.
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Arlington, VA, USA. If Washington, DC is my destination, this is my preferred airport. It is the closest to the city itself and is the easiest to access via some kind of public transit. You can take the DC Metro system there (it is a bit confusing...but at least it is an option). I'll discuss the other two DC area airports later on. There are plenty of dining options here. I don't really remember shopping much in this airport so I'm not sure how this airport stacks up to the other two. The only thing I don't really like is that from the air a lot of flights approach the runway by flying right over the top of Potomac River. It always messes with my head to be flying over water when it isn't typical for the destination. 
• Vienna International Airport (VIE), Schwechat, Austria: Vienna's airport is a bit removed from the city, but one can easily get to the city using the metro lines located in the terminals. When I last flew here in 2018 I got a bit confused trying to find the metro station and ticketing for it...but after getting turned around a few times I figured it out. As I have neither had a layover here nor departed from here I don't have a lot to say about the shops or dining. I know there are some typical touristy souvenir shops between the gates and the baggage area. Vienna's airport also serves as a departure point for some other cities nearby. For example if you were wanting to travel to Bratislava in Slovakia, Vienna is probably your best bet...especially if you were arriving from the United States. It's just slightly over an hour away by train...but the fare differences between flying out of Bratislava and Vienna certainly justifies the commute (in some cases we are talking thousands of dollars). 

The Bad:

• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, HI, USA: The grounds of this airport are beautiful. Accessing the airport from the city is not a challenge. You may be asking yourself why is it on the bad list then. Let me tell you. When we arrived (keeping in mind some of the challenges related to the Safe Travels Hawai'i protocols for COVID-19 and may no longer exist) the signage getting to baggage claim area was virtually non-existent. I had no idea where to go...and after 6+ hours in the air from Las Vegas I really wanted to get out of the airport. Airport staff didn't provide much help in guiding us to where we needed to go. Even once we finally found the baggage carousels, it was difficult knowing which one would have the bags from our flight. Getting from baggage claim to the portion of the garage where our rental car company was located was also a challenge. We used this airport in the middle of our trip for a day trip to Kona (see details on that airport next). I will say it was worth it to drive ourselves and park in the garage for the day as the daily charge caps at (I believe) $18.00. Much cheaper than taking an Uber each way from our hotel in Waikiki. But the part of the terminal where you depart from is a monstrosity. It is horribly marked and very dark (yes we had early morning flights but that doesn't excuse poor lighting). Trying to find where we needed to go to check in and pass through TSA was very time consuming. For our return flight to the Mainland it is necessary to pass through the USDA inspection point (making sure we're not bringing back any agricultural items not allowed on the Mainland). The instructions for passing this checkpoint were very unclear and it was confusing. There are some restaurants/eating options but not all of them are open for early morning flights. Some of the gate areas had decent seating, but not all of them. 
• Kona International Airport (KOA), Kalaoa, HI, USA: Arriving in Kona was kind of a non-event. The "terminals" are all outdoors. Southwest Airlines uses one terminal and all other airlines use the other. There is no central rental car center for this airport (although most vendors did appear to be located close to one another). We had to rely on a dedicated shuttle bus from Hertz to pick us up (and ultimately drop us off after we returned the car). If I graded the airport solely on the arrival aspect it would have not made the bad list. When it came to time to fly back to Honolulu is when the "fun" began. The TSA checkpoint is indoors, but as I noted all of the gates are outdoors. We arrived at the airport with, as it turned out, way too much time to spare. It should be noted that my mom (with whom I travel somewhat often) is a Type 1 Diabetic. Thus she needs to eat at certain times of the day (or within a reasonable amount of time before or after). We were at the airport by about 3:30 or 4:00...so one might think there would be eating establishments near the gates that were open. One would be very, very wrong. Now again, this may have been due in some part to the massive restrictions on dining that were part of the Safe Travels Hawai'i protocols in place at that time. Our gate area did have vending machines for beverages...but they ate my money and were completely empty. I had to walk to the other "terminal" to find something for us to drink (still no dining options). Luckily enough my mom comes prepared with some granola bars and the like to keep her from having serious problems with her blood sugar. So my tip is if you are going to fly Southwest from Kona...bring snacks.
• Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Kansas City, MO, USA. This is on the bad list but with an asterisk. The airport is currently undergoing a major overhaul with a new terminal set to open in the next month or two. As a result the roads in and around the existing terminals are kind of a jumbled mess for the time being. Getting to the airport from either Kansas City proper or the suburbs across the state line in Kansas is not much of a challenge...until you start trying to find the correct terminal. This airport (at least the Delta and Southwest terminal -- they are together for now) has very few amenities once you pass through the TSA checkpoint. Many of the vendors were closed when I departed and arrived on my last trip to Texas in early June of 2022. This was at 4:00-5:00 in the afternoon. I'm cautiously optimistic that the new single terminal facility will be much better with more stuff available past security. 
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Thankfully I have only used SLC as an arrival point and not for a layover or departing flight. The fact remains that I would be perfectly happy to never see this airport again. The distance between our arrival gate and the baggage claim area felt like a mile plus (maybe it was the higher elevation that made it feel that way...I don't know). There were signs...but it felt like we just kept going and going and going. The rental car counter was in the airport itself...but it was woefully understaffed (also probably due to cutbacks due to COVID-19...but that is the fault of Hertz and not the airport). Getting out of the airport wasn't too bad...but the signs weren't fantastic. I'm glad we were flying back from a different city. The lines to go through security were horrendously long. Didn't get much of a chance to check out the shops or the eateries.
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, TX, USA: Consider this the opposite of SLC above. For this to be an international airport in a fairly large city, it is quite small and cramped. Returning my rental car was the best part of this airport experience. The signs from the freeways were pretty clear (and Siri seemed to  know the way). Once I left the rental car garage the experience went bad. Trying to find which terminal I needed for Southwest was a bit of a challenge...but the check in experience wasn't terrible. As I don't like to be rushed at any airport (unless I know it well enough to not be concerned for time), I had plenty of time before my flight. As I mentioned in my discussion of the Myrtle Beach airport, there was even a Steak N' Shake here (so I really had high hopes for this airport). The lines at all of the eating establishments were long. When they stretched out into the walkways (as some did) it made the walkways even more narrow. Very limited seating options near the food vendors. I ended up with a bottle of soda and a candy bar to take to my gate. I figured I was early enough to find a seat. Again, I was wrong. I ended up having to sit on the floor. Getting back up when it was time to start lining up for boarding was a challenge. Hopefully I won't need to use SAT again anytime soon.
• Dulles International Airport (IAD), Dulles, VA, USA. You might think that the major international airport serving the nation's capitol and surrounding area would be easily accessible. Wrong. As of my most recent trip to DC in 2019, the DC Metro cannot get you to Dulles. We (I went with 3 friends) ended up booking a trip on one of the shuttle busses that will take you straight to your hotel and pick you up from the same for your return trip. If I were to guess I would say each trip was nearly an hour long. The airport itself isn't too bad. Getting from the security checkpoint to the correct concourse was kind of confusing but we had enough time so that it was not an issue. There were food and shopping options near the gates. The location of the airport in relation to the city is what earns it a spot on the bad list. I mean seriously, if I can access the airport in St. Louis via their limited Metro system, I should be able to do likewise for the major international airport serving Washington DC (with a far better Metro system than St. Louis). 
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Queens, NY, USA. It could be that my experience passing through JFK was tainted by the fact that I was traveling with a class from my university and some of my classmates had the attention span of a gnat. Keeping them together and functioning was challenging. I'm glad I wasn't in charge (unlike on the return trip where our professor went elsewhere and she put me and my fellow grad student in charge of making sure everyone got home). We didn't have a super long layover and I recall the signage being quite confusing as to how to get to the gate for the next leg of our trip (this segment would be JFK to Charles DeGaulle (CDG) in Paris). I remember we also had to leave one building and cross a pretty busy intersection to get to the correct terminal. I have no knowledge of getting to and from the airport from NYC...so no comment on that. Although this is on the bad list...I would be willing to give it another try if it were the best option for a trip. It might not be so bad without 6 college undergraduates in tow.
• Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, KY, USA: This was very briefly my "home" airport as I lived in Lexington for nearly a year. Accessing the airport is a breeze. Outside of downtown it is located fairly close to Keeneland Racetrack. Car rental vendors have facilities on site. But the airport is teeny tiny. Granted, Lexington is not exactly a huge metropolis...but it is the 2nd largest city in the state with a major university. There are (or were as of August 2009) two concourses. If memory serves me correctly I think there was a newsstand and a McDonald's. Southwest doesn't even fly here...if that tells you anything. Flights in and out of Lexington are expensive. You'd probably be better off using either Louisville (SDF) or Cincinnati Northern Kentucky (CVG). Both are about 80 miles away by car. 
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Newark, NJ, USA: Not the worst on the list. My only experience here has been as a connection returning from Europe. I didn't have a hard time getting through border control and customs in a timely manner. Unfortunately my gate for my connecting flight changed multiple times and in one case I had to take a bus to a different terminal. Lucky for me my layover was long enough to accommodate such changes, but it was frustrating and confusing. I was able to find decent dining options. I don't know how transit coming from NYC or other surrounding areas is by comparison to JFK or La Guardia (LGA). I have seen connections for international flights arriving at Newark and requiring a departure from one of the others. That sounds utterly terrifying and I would do just about anything to avoid such a scenario.
• O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, IL, USA. As much as I love Frankfurt airport I hate O'Hare with the same passion. It's an airport I will move heaven and earth to avoid flying through. This can be a challenge living in the Midwest as it is the hub for United and a major connection point for American Airlines. If I were going to Chicago, I would likely prefer to fly to Midway (MDW) simply because it is closer to downtown. But like Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Houston Hobby (HOU), Midway seems to primarily handle Southwest Airlines. I have only used O'Hare for connections...but I despise it. Outbound connections are not usually terrible...unless of course you get one of the frequent delays...in which case it could be problematic. My biggest complaint with O'Hare is when I have an inbound layover from Europe. For such a major international airport (which serves a pretty large surrounding area), the wait times to get through border control and customs seem excruciatingly long. If I were arriving during non-peak times I might understand...but typically these flights are arriving either mid-afternoon or early evening. Additionally, I have had more flight delays at this airport than at any other I have passed through. And I'm not talking the 20-30 minute variety...I'm talking several hours in some cases. Under two hours for a connection involving customs seems very risky. If you must traverse through O'Hare from overseas I would encourage three or more if possible...since you also have to allow time to take the tram from the international terminal to the domestic terminal (this isn't normally required for an outbound connection to an overseas destination...or at least I haven't had to do it on any of my overseas departures). O'Hare is big enough without having to change terminals and go through TSA again. If I were going to pick a flight combination going overseas, I would be more likely to use O'Hare as the outbound connecting point and return through a different airport. But even in this scenario I would advise allowing no less than 2 hours for a layover because of the propensity for delays involving O'Hare. 

The Meh:

• La Guardia Airport (LGA), Queens, NY, USA: The other Queens airport. I have flown in and out of La Guardia a few times as well as connected here at least one other time. The airport is accessible via public transit in NYC. It's kind of a crazy route depending on from what part of the city you are coming...but still accessible. I've also used an Uber to and from the airport. If you have the public transit option convenient (and you're not toting a lot of luggage), I'd personally choose that over Uber due to the cost. For two of us in an Uber XL (because of luggage) it was almost $40 each way from Long Island. If you're not super familiar with the airport, finding the rendezvous point for rideshares isn't easy. But the airport itself isn't too difficult to navigate. Plenty of seating around the dining options and at the gates. It's not among my favorite airports, but it's not one I necessarily try to avoid.
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, GA, USA: Delta's hub airport is, although usually pretty busy, not super complicated to navigate. Like with La Guardia I have used this as a destination airport and a connecting airport. As a destination airport my arrival was pretty smooth except for getting to the rental car center. That was confusing as well as time consuming. But exiting the airport wasn't a challenge, nor was finding it at the end of my trip. I was really in a time crunch coming back and I had a real challenge finding where to check in and how to get to the TSA checkpoint. Once I got through that it was smooth sailing...even if I had to hurry (that was my own fault and not anything to do with the airport). My connections in Atlanta have always been on outbound flights (both domestic and international). No problems there or with the food and shopping options. Personally given the volume I would want no less than two hours if I were coming back from overseas. But domestic transfers seem pretty easy. 
• McGhee-Tyson Airport (TYS), Alcoa, TN, USA: This airport serves the Knoxville metro area and is pretty small. It is pretty easy to find, but the lack of flights operating in and out of the airport make it less convenient. The flights that are available tend to be expensive (not unlike Blue Grass Airport mentioned above). If you don't mind getting a rental car and driving it might be worth it to fly in and out of Atlanta...for cost and variety of options alone. But here's why it didn't end up on the bad list like Blue Grass. Many, many years ago I flew to Knoxville from STL on TWA (I told you it was many, many years ago). On the day I was scheduled to fly home the Knoxville area was hit with a massive ice storm (early January). Looking at the conditions on the roads I was certain my flight would be massively delayed (best case scenario) or outright canceled (worst case scenario). Not only was it not canceled, we left pretty close to on-time. Clearly the airport staff and airline employees knew how to deal with winter storms and I was hugely relieved that I wasn't going to be stuck (granted this was before 9/11 so the cousins who brought me to the airport were able to wait with me at my gate). 
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Schipohl, Netherlands: This is, in my opinion, one of the strangest airports I have flown through. The security checkpoints are laid out in an awkward manner and signage can be confusing. They do have facial screening checkpoints which were also a bit confusing to navigate. Of the two times I have passed through, one time I had a moderate delay of about an hour. Luckily I had enough time built into my second layover at DTW to not be problematic. I didn't have any trouble finding food. I did manage to buy a couple things in the duty free shop. So it's not one of my favorites, but like LGA not one I actively try to avoid. I only want to make sure I have a long enough layover to get to my gate in a timely manner because the airport is quite large and quite busy (as the hub for KLM airlines...a partner airline of Delta).
• Boise Airport (BOI), Boise, ID, USA: Pretty small airport, but easy to find. Our hotel was just far enough away to not be bothered by airport noise but close enough for a very short shuttle ride. I had opted to turn in our rental car the night before departure which actually turned out to be a wise decision. That was the hardest part of navigating the airport was how to get to the rental car drop off area. I drove in a few circles. The airport itself is clean with enough seating at the gates. Not a lot of dining or shopping options, however, given the overall size and volume of the airport it was appropriate. Didn't take long to get through security and the signs directing us to our concourse/gates were clear enough. Much easier to work with than when we arrived at SLC at the beginning of the trip.
• Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Baltimore, MD, USA: The third airport serving the Washington, DC area as well as Baltimore itself. As with LGA and ATL, I have used this airport as a destination and connection point. The traffic driving into DC was absolutely atrocious (but it was Thanksgiving week so that may have been a factor). I wasn't the one driving. Not sure if public transit can get you here from DC like it does to DCA. As a layover point it isn't horrible. Even sticking with the same airline we had quite the trek between our gates. But...like always I picked a flight combination with what many would consider way too long of a layover. There are tons of food options, with a dedicated food court type seating area. Also plenty of shopping options which kept us from being super bored during the layover. Keeping it off the good list is the accessibility from outside the airport along with the confusing signage directing us to our connection.
• Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, CO USA: Denver is a massive airport. I would hate to have to go very far in a short amount of time. The food court area is kind of small but there were some options...with pretty long lines given the time we were there. I know that souvenirs in airports tend to be on the pricy side...but they seemed crazy expensive in Denver. Postcards were like $2 apiece which is way above average (and the selection wasn't anything special). I don't have any knowledge of the access to the airport from outside, nor any experience with baggage claim, check-in, etc. 
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Philadelphia, PA USA: One inbound connection from overseas. I don't remember a lot of details but I know that I had reasonably quick entry through border control and customs. I had more than enough time to get to my connecting flight, but not so much that I was bored. Since I can't remember details other than getting past border control being easy I wouldn't hesitate to pass through again. 
• Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), Warsaw, Poland: Much of my four days spent in Poland were difficult and cold (and this was late May / early June). It wasn't my favorite part of my "spring break" trip during my study abroad semester in Germany. However, at least leaving the country was easy. There was a bus that went to the airport for a pretty low fare (I mean the best part of Poland was that everything was cheap). The stop was close enough to my hotel. Security, as I recall, was pretty quick and efficient. There were some shops (again with cheap stuff). I don't remember if I even looked for anything to eat. From there I took a nonstop flight back to Dusseldorf (I think with Lufthansa...or another member of the Star Alliance). Given the lack of English used in the country I don't remember having any trouble finding my way through the airport.
• Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG), Prague, Czechia (Czech Republic): Like PHL my only experience in Prague's airport was an international connection...this time I originated in Dusseldorf and flew on to Istanbul. Very clear signs and directions (helpful since I know zero Czech). Because my flight was leaving the EU, I had to pass through border control and show my tourist visa for Turkey before being allowed through security. It was a super quick process and I had more than enough time to make my connecting flight. I remember some food and shopping options, but I don't recall if I made use of any of them. 

So that's it for the good, the bad, and the meh. But I have one last airport I want to award a special honorable mention to: Ataturk Airport (ISL, previously IST), Bakirkoy/Istanbul, Turkey. At the time of my trip to Istanbul in late June of 2015, Ataturk was still the main airport servicing Istanbul. It is no longer in operation today and is considered a defunct airport. For that reason I didn't include it in the above categories. If it were still in use I would rank it among the good. It was easy to access public transit into the city (even though I speak no Turkish). My hotel had a free shuttle for my return flight. The one thing that struck me was how incredibly tight the security was. Americans tend to complain about the hassles of TSA checkpoints. I was initially shocked to see military level secured with very visible machine guns at the entrance. To enter the airport it was required to pass through metal detectors and have your bags x-rayed. After you got your boarding pass and checked any bags you had to go through another security checkpoint...more closely resembling TSA. Food options were plentiful enough...don't remember the shopping. But even with the extra tight security I had more than enough time to get to my gate. To be perfectly honest after my initial shock I was actually quite happy with the security presence and extra screening. It was efficient and well organized so it just gave me that extra peace of mind.

I'm thinking this will probably be my longest post. I'll include airport info in other entries, especially as they relate to specific destinations about which I may write. If you have any comments on my lists above, please feel free to add them in. If you know of any airports to avoid let me know!