Some Of These Airports Just Aren't Like The Others: List Ranks The Best & Worst

We’ve never had the pleasure of flying in or out of Hajj Terminal at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, so we can’t agree with or dispute one list’s ruling that it is in fact, the best in the world and will just trust the pros. But Chicago Midway Airport as the very worst of the worst in the entire world?

Okay, so we’ve only been to Midway a few times, and perhaps Frommer’s list (via USA Today) of the worst and best choices, comes from a bit more study than just “Hey, they’ve got a Wendy’s!” No clue if they actually do, so if someone could compile that list of which ones do, we’d appreciate it.

The list is based on cleanliness, services, on-time departures, navigation and the ease of getting to and from a city’s center. Hajj Terminal’s big score is even bigger, as it’s only open during the six-week Hajj when Muslims from around the world arrive to make their pilgrimage to Mecca.

“The most stunning feature,” Frommers.com says, “is that the terminal consists of 210 white fiberglass tents that create a chimney effect cooling the hot desert air.”

Americans can stand proud and salute the flag over JetBlue Airways’ Terminal 5 at New York’s JFK airport, which was our country’s only contribution to the Top 10 best, coming in fifth. Frommer’s gets all poetic about it, describing how the terminal was originally designed by Eero Saarinen for TWA, and is “one of the greatest icons of the mid-20th Century jet age.” In addition, the terminal “has been intelligently swallowed by the grasping tendrils of JetBlue’s modern new terminal, which has by far the best airport food court in New York.”

Grasping tendrils! How lovely.

Midway was America’s only entry in the 10 worst, so there’s that. For the rest of Frommer’s list, check out USA Today.

Travel guide ranks best, worst airport terminals [USA Today]

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