Best Airports of 2014 Dated: October 15, 2014 ***************************** For 18 years, travellers at SleepingInAirports have been rating airports for not only their sleep-ability factor, but also the services, amenities and features offered to layover passengers. Our annual survey asks travellers to consider the four C’s of airport travel: comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service. • Comfort encompasses the availability of plush chairs, armrest free areas, quiet zones, reclining options, etc.; • Conveniences include free Wi-Fi, 24-hour food options, showers, pay lounges and other things to do at the airport while awaiting a flight; • Cleanliness centres around clean floors, maintained bathrooms and tidy food courts; • Customer Service means smiling faces and friendly attitudes, along with considerate and helpful workers (who offer up blankets and pillows to stranded passengers). Whether you plan to sleep your time away in an airport – or are simply looking for ways to pass a couple of hours on a layover – we hope our Best & Worst Airports lists help you plan which airports to use and which airports to avoid altogether! Once you are done here, be sure to check out our regional airport ratings, which are based on travellers overall airport experience. And, of course, a Best Airports list is hardly complete without an accompanying Worst Airports list, so check that out too. The 10 airports on our Best Airports list below stood out with travellers as being the most sleep-friendly. 1. Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore (SIN)-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the EIGHTEENTH year in a row, Singapore Changi has been voted the best airport not just in Asia – but in the WORLD! Travellers praised the airport for its overall soothing ambiance, its intuitive layout and friendly staff. The sheer volume of activities and amenities left some transit travellers wondering if they has just landed at a shopping mall or resort rather than an airport. With its themed gardens, cultural activities, world-class shopping, spas, swimming pool, gym, lounges, 4-story slide, movie theatres, TV lounges, and free Singapore city tour, a layover here is not likely to be boring. Travellers can enjoy free Wi-Fi and recharge all their gadgets at one of over 800 mobile charging points. In July, the airport opened the Wellness Oasis spa in Terminal 1. The unique feature here is the fish spa that exfoliates your feet and legs. 2. Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea (ICN) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seoul Incheon Airport is a favourite as a result of its impeccable cleanliness, its superior customer service, and the volume of comfortable sitting and nap locations. Amenity-wise, the terminals truly are going above and beyond. You will find indoor gardens, a spa and small shopping extravaganzas located throughout. Unique features here include the Korean Cultural Street – complete with local cuisine and dance performances – and the indoor ice rink. Unlimited free Wi-Fi, showers and uber-luxurious private lounges further delight those who spend multiple hours here. It almost gets to the point where you’d think the airport wants you to stay forever – but then, you realize they also run free guided city tours for transit passengers as well. They really do it all! 3. Helsinki International Airport, Finland (HEL) ------------------------------------------------------------------- The innovative and transit-friendly Helsinki International Airport excels in terms of comfort, convenience, cleanliness and customer service. Favourite unique features here include the book exchange, relaxation areas, electronic passport kiosks (that virtually eliminate lines), art gallery and, perhaps most importantly, the ergonomic and publicly accessible Kainuu lounge. What really set Helsinki apart this year was the Travel Lab series – an airport-led initiative designed to improve the travel experience. Last winter and spring, the airport collected feedback from travellers as to services they’d like to see offered. They then piloted the best ideas over the course of the summer. Highlights included free yoga and Pilates classes, pop-up Finnish restaurants and a ‘selfie-wall’ that featured famous national landmarks. 4. Munich International Airport, Germany (MUC) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It perhaps comes as no surprise that Germany’s Munich International Airport is well reviewed for its efficiency and ease of navigation. The airport offers up a number of entertaining activities for transit passengers, which range from tours of the airport brewery to mini golf to the Fit & Fly Spa. This year, they even had a temporary in-airport stationary surf station, complete with a grand stand and an artificial palm-fringed beach! Extravagances aside, what really delighted voters this year were the relaxation zones and sleep pods in Terminal 2. 5. Vancouver International Airport, Canada (YVR) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Beautiful, comfortable, clean and friendly – we’re not surprised to see Vancouver as the top-voted airport in North America again this year. Art exhibits, an aquarium, self-guided tours, great food options, rest zones, and ample aboriginal cultural influences make this airport an interesting airport to be stuck for a while. Couple that with a few pay lounges complete with resting rooms and showers, and a spa and gym at the adjoining Fairmont Hotel, and you’re looking at a pretty comfortable layover! What more – luggage storage and a super-convenient public transit system make the heart of Vancouver accessible to travellers with extensive layovers. 6. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (KUL) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kuala Lumpur amazes visitors by having transplanted a chunk of Malaysian rainforest into the terminal itself. Wooden walkways and the canopy-level mezzanine floor allow guests to tour all tiers of the forest while learning about the rich terrestrial eco-system in Malaysia. While some voters lament that KUL isn’t quite as futuristic as Incheon or Changi, Kuala Lumpur still provides excellent versions of the airport-essentials. This includes long benches, reclining chairs, showers and free Wi-Fi – among other things. Plus, we kind of like that this airport has opted for a tropical theme rather than a science fiction theme. This year the airport opened the long-awaited KLIA2 to favourable reviews. 7. Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong (HKG) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hong Kong Airports show stopping extravagance is that it is home to the country’s largest IMAX theatre! It also boasts a series of miniature gardens, a cockpit simulator, free Wi-Fi, lounges with sleep rooms, a couple of spas and a sprinkling of showers. Restaurants are plentiful and always open – and the shopping too is quite good. Travellers also appreciate that the architecture consistently keeps the place feeling airy, light and spacious. The terminals are easy to navigate, kept consistently clean, and are filled with delightfully friendly and supportive staff. Best of all, this airport reportedly keeps prices reasonable - for Hong Kong. 8. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan (HND) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two airports service Tokyo, Japan and Haneda’s distinct advantage is its location relative to the city centre. While neighbouring Narita takes 2+ hours to reach, HND is a quick 45-minutes away. Couple that with its reputation for being clean, easy to navigate and efficient and you can begin to understand why voters were impressed. Amenity-wise, travellers appreciate the free Wi-Fi, showers, luggage storage, but there is little else to do in between flights. If you prefer more comfortable (and private) facilities, there are pay lounges, a transit hotel in the International Terminal and hotels connected to the domestic terminals. 9. Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, Netherlands (AMS) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Travellers praise the airport for being an efficient, comfortable and friendly place. Early voters would in fact go so far as to write they “could move in here” and they “like everything about AMS” – but more recent voters were less delighted. It seems that AMS is currently undergoing a renovation, which has significantly reduced the rest zone seating and comfort. The airport is temporarily a little less sleep able – and we’re not sure how long this will last for. For transit passengers wishing stay active, a number of the terminal’s famed activities and amenities are still available and accessible. This includes unlimited free Wi-Fi, (fewer) rest zones, sleep pods, a casino, a library and the extension of the city’s famous Rijks Museum. We hope that with the end of the construction period, the airport will return to its usually sensational self – so stay tuned! 10. Zurich International Airport, Switzerland (ZRH) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zurich Airport offers swift, easy connections and clean facilities. Additionally travellers find unique amenities that create a “soothing atmosphere”. Voters appreciate the plethora of armrest-free chairs, and the family centres that are fully equipped with baby beds and parent beds. By contrast, the non-weary travellers on a layover can burn off some steam by renting some sporting equipment (bikes, walking poles, inline skates) and taking a spin outside. The only real downside to ZRH is that prices in the airport are high. Once you exhaust your hour of free Wi-Fi, prepare your wallet for a small amount of damage. sleepinginairports.net/2014/best-airports.htm
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:24:42 +0000
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