Could The World's Worst Airport Be In Roatan?

[Bratface]

I've seen security at Roatan make very beautifully made up friend give up quite a few items from her little clear liquids baggie. That day the rule was that your liquids bag can't have that many items in it.

She was tried to get me to give up a few things too. she must have seen something in my face because when I threw out the Lypsol, as I explained her B.S. to her very calmly explaining how many times I'd been through that year . . .well, suffice to say, that was all I lost. But my friend and I learned a valuable lesson. dont use the liquids baggie as a makeup bag. eye shadows and pencils etc. don't need to be in the baggie and make sure all the liquids, jells and creams containers look seriously gross.

Oh and never carry my Juicy Couture or Ammonite with me on trips like that.

I've had the female screeners go shopping in my bag in front of my eyes. Looking at them was almost like watching a kid at Christmas. I have lost make up and hair spray which passed all other screenings except in their airport.

 

[Wingy]

Ammonites keep your trim in trim and your third chakra aligned.........

Seriously, Madagascar has some of the worlds finest ammonites so I bought one as a souvenir for my father while I was there.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Ammonites keep your trim in trim and your shakra aligned .

 

[Lemuzzon]

I've been through too many terrible small airports to list, but what about the worst major airports?

I think Newark, Manila and CDG in Paris have to take the cake for me.

In Newark there's tiny narrow security corridors where you have to compete with the people coming off of flights. When you get to the end there was a waiting area with no AC, barely any food and it's way too small for the amount of people and boarding gates. I had to basically shower in the bathroom sink because I was overheating so bad.

Manila was worse. We were in a bit of a rush to catch our connecting flight so the flight attendant told us to take a cab to the next terminal. The "cab organizer" person told us it was about an hour drive between terminals due to traffic. We decided to take the shuttle instead and that still took about half an hour after we got on it. Then there was a huge line to get into the terminal with a security guy glancing at every tenth passport. Of course he pulls me (the only white person) aside and asks me 100 questions. I was so late for my flight I basically ripped my passport from him and ran through. Once I got through security I actually had enough time to get food. I bought (what looked like) chow mein noodles, which caused my to instantly throw up after two bites...it was the most vile thing I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot.

I'll spare you the long story for CDG, but basically it took 1.5 hours to get through customs another 45 mins waiting at baggage claim. Was about a 2 mile walk to the tram station and I never found a bathroom to take a leak in so I had to make use of a janitor's mop bucket in a side corridor .

Of course these are mostly based on my personal experiences...

 

[tridacna]

I've been through too many terrible small airports to list, but what about the worst major airports?

I think Newark, Manila and CDG in Paris have to take the cake for me.

In Newark there's tiny narrow security corridors where you have to compete with the people coming off of flights. When you get to the end there was a waiting area with no AC, barely any food and it's way too small for the amount of people and boarding gates. I had to basically shower in the bathroom sink because I was overheating so bad.

Manila was worse. We were in a bit of a rush to catch our connecting flight so the flight attendant told us to take a cab to the next terminal. The "cab organizer" person told us it was about an hour drive between terminals due to traffic. We decided to take the shuttle instead and that still took about half an hour after we got on it. Then there was a huge line to get into the terminal with a security guy glancing at every tenth passport. Of course he pulls me (the only white person) aside and asks me 100 questions. I was so late for my flight I basically ripped my passport from him and ran through. Once I got through security I actually had enough time to get food. I bought (what looked like) chow mein noodles, which caused my to instantly throw up after two bites...it was the most vile thing I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot.

I'll spare you the long story for CDG, but basically it took 1.5 hours to get through customs another 45 mins waiting at baggage claim. Was about a 2 mile walk to the tram station and I never found a bathroom to take a leak in so I had to make use of a janitor's mop bucket in a side corridor .

Of course these are mostly based on my personal experiences...

Newark NJ? Seriously? I use that airport EVERY week. Your corridor description indicates Terminal A. No AC? No food? Comparing that to Manilla? Hilarious...

 

[Lemuzzon]

Newark NJ? Seriously? I use that airport EVERY week. Your corridor description indicates Terminal A. No AC? No food? Comparing that to Manilla? Hilarious...

...well I did say Manila was worse...but yes I thought Newark was in my bottom three based on my experience. It was 2 years ago, I don't remember what terminal I was in, but I'm not making it up.

I forgot to mention the falling ceiling tiles as well.

 

[dmaziuk]

...well I did say Manila was worse...but yes I thought Newark was in my bottom three based on my experience. It was 2 years ago, I don't remember what terminal I was in, but I'm not making it up.

I forgot to mention the falling ceiling tiles as well.

If it's any consolation, they were still "fixing" it two weeks ago. I forget which terminal it was, but men's bathroom is in the staff locker room downstairs and they have TSA personnel directing people in and out. Which is a step up from what they usually do.

 

[Colo Hippie]

Going to a third world tiny island and expecting anything other than a bad airport - priceless

I prefer to remember the good parts like the diving and the people.

My favorite airport would be Truk - now that is a hole, but I will gladly go back because of the diving

 

[dmaziuk]

Going to a third world tiny island and expecting anything other than a bad airport - priceless

And besides, it's not that bad every day. Proof by counter-example: on Sat the worst part of the arrival experience was that someone who was supposed to be on our flight never showed up and after we gave up and started to leave the next flight arrived and we "might as well" waited another 10 minutes and picked up those people. (Yet to see what happens on the way out though.)

 

[NYCNaiad]

I guess I'm in the minority with Oldbear & Hoyden. Roatan is not the worst airport I've been to in the world. There are so many airports that are far worse. From my experience, really great diving generally equates to really remote, poor quality airports.

Two examples that come to mind are in the Solomon Islands. Aside from no food, no a/c & no phones (all of which frankly wasn't a surprise in a 3rd world country), flights were regularly delayed for 6-12 hours & then cancelled ...& then you were booted from the "airport" (really just a small rickety building) to figure what to do on your own. The 1st time this happened to me, it was in the wee hours of the morning, I was alone with no phone & many miles from anything. Luckily, someone happened by & was able to help me...but it really freaked me out since I was a woman alone with a strange guy at night & there was no one around to hear me scream if things went badly.

However, my favorite time was probably when I felt something wet on my foot mid-flight & then noticed a hole in the plane door letting in the clouds.

I'll take no a/c any day over the above.