Irni Mastura 0 Report post Posted March 12, 2008 (edited) Was reading an article on BBC when I stumbled on Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7290432.stm Good idea to get opinion from the public, frequent flyers, aviation enthusiasts, basically everyone with a good opinion about what makes a good airport. Looking forward to see you guys shed some bright ideas Some comments on the site: How about airport passenger-only trains (determined by passport verification) with check-in kiosks on board complete with printers? How's that for good use of travel time? Internet access on board this train would be useful too! Automated bag-drop... why not? Nic, London Changi Airport in Singapore and Auckland Airport in Auckland New Zealand - are great for long haul passengers. Airside hotels and recreation areas including cinemas and swimming pools, water gardens, 'fung shuied' spaces built for comfort, outdoor gardens for smokers, plenty of space for sitting/relaxing but also the retail franchises for bored people. Diana, London, UK UK airports have become nothing but huge shopping centres which happen to have aeroplanes attached. In Manchester and Stansted, it's almost impossible to find the gates! I agree with Roger Jackson that Kastrup airport in Copenhagen must be one of the best - 15 minutes by either tube or train to the city centre, for only about 3 pounds. Bryan, Malmö, Sweden Family bathrooms. If I've got my little daughter with me I can never fly through airports that force me to take her into the men's rooms ( e.g. Newark ), which are usually disgusting and have no space for strollers etc. Atlanta Hartfield is a very nice airport ( though I never use it nowadays because Delta operate there and they cancel far too many flights ). Ste Cork, Madison, WI USA Design is all very well for large airports, however, the low-cost boom renders this moot in some respects, since people can now travel into smaller airports and bypass a great deal of the stress, provided connections from destinations (for example, Hahn, Pisa or Berne - Pisa has a rail station at the airport) are good enough. London City prides itself on rapid transit from landside to airside and this is helped in part by the fact that the airport is so compact. Richard Faith, Bath, England The first thing I would include a new airport design is a smoking lounge. It is totally unreasonable to expect smokers to have to check in hours before their flight and not be able to smoke in this time in addition to the many smoke free hours they have to spend in a plane. Nicholas Berry, Cambridge The most stressful part of airport travel for me is the dropping off / picking up followed by trying to park the car. It would be really cool if you could check in your baggage in the car park, then get a transfer by coach or whatever to the terminal building unencumbered. Chris, Cardiff What makes a good airport? Just go to Orlando International Airport in Florida and you will see. Lovely place to be. The problem with British airports is they don't put enough effort into appearance, they need more plants and some indoor water fountains adding to the atmosphere. Steve, York How it looks is totally secondary to how it works. Unsecured entry with shops, info etc. First level secure area - ticketed passengers and registered helpers only, heavy luggage checked in. Plenty of shops etc. Second level secure area - ticketed passengers only, passport checked, plenty of seating NOT queuing nose to tail in a seat-less shed. Internet access, cash machines, ticket sales in ALL areas. And SEATING. Plenty of it. Sandy, Derby, UK Just pop over to Kuala Lumpur or Dubai airports for a stress free enjoyable experience. Heathrow is an absolute disgrace and an insult to its users. A Glenister, Bushey, Herts UK I'm rather surprised that Heathrow doesn't just get itself down to Singapore and copy, brick for brick, shop by shop ( and for sheer customer-centric attitudes ) each member of staff at Changi Airport and re-engineer it over in London. Efficient, calm and pleasant - now that's how an airport should be. Simon Cuthbert, Halifax West Yorkshire UK In my recent experience of airports I would vote Frankfurt and Philadelphia as the worst and Copenhagen and Schiphol as the best. However, that is from the point of view of a transit passenger. Luckily I start from Manchester and avoid Heathrow with its scattered terminals. Roger Jackson, Stockport, England Edited March 12, 2008 by Irni Mastura Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan B. 5 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 A perfect airport would have: 1. easy transportation access i.e. close to city centre and have rail link 2. terminal with lots of natural lighting 3. the deco must have a connection to the local culture and identity 4. clear signage 5. a good selection of shopping and F&B outlets both landside and airside 6. enought check-in counters and security check points 7. free wi-fi 8. a good viewing gallery 9. fast baggage delivery Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
H Azmal 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 An observation deck! I miss SZB! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 What I think will make KLIA a better airport: A public gym with a swimming pool at the airside area (to adopt a Clark Hatch style where everything from shirts to pants to socks to even shoes are provided. Passengers can hop in without having to carry anything). An open garden (like SIN's sunflowers garden) cum open observation area is a great addition. A budget hotel at the landside area. This is to offer more choices apart from the sole posh Pan Pacific. More banks, with adequate cash deposit machine and cheque deposit machine and an internet kiosk to facilitate online banking transactions for passengers that don't carry a notebook computer. A non bank money changers (believe it or not the best money changer in the world is the small shop that is sandwitches between AirAsia ticketing office and AM Bank, opposite the side of McDonalds in KL Sentral). A 24 hours post office. KLIA Express that runs 24 hours a day (quite a number of flights arrived past midnights and most of the times the passengers didn't make it onto the last train to KL Sentral at 1 am). A free 24 hours a day shuttle bus which run probably one every hour that connects passengers to the LCCT. What I think will make KL Sentral (Departure and Arrival Areas) a better airport: The opening of the check in facilities to ALL airlines that wishes to use it (it is rumoured that SQ is forbidden from using the check in facilities at KL Sentral due to protecting 'national' interest?). Emirates should use it for flights to all destinations, not restricted to DXB only. KL Sentral and KLIA Express will be more attractive if more airlines are using this facilities. It is saddening to see the check in counters are now being occupied by stalls selling sunglasses. The opening of the check out facilities ASAP! It's high time for passengers to collect their check in luggages in KL Sentral rather than in KLIA. A post office. KLIA Express that runs 24 hours a day. A better and more 'civilized' arrangement for the AirAsia's Red and Yellow Skybuses perhaps to be monitored by MAHB personnel (it appeares that they were fighting over passengers all the time with Yellow stealing Red passengers because they are charging only RM 8 as compared to Red's RM 9). What I think will make KUL LCCT a better airport: A train line connecting the airport to KL Sentral. Probably an extension of the present KLIA Express line. (This is subject to change as a new LCCT is going to be built soon). A free 24 hours a day shuttle bus which run probably one every hour that connects passengers to the Main Terminal. Skybusses that run 24 hours a day to KL Sentral. What I think will make SZB a better airport: An extention of the Kelana Jaya line LRT up until the doorstep of Terminal 3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Denny Yen 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 A perfect airport would have: 1. easy transportation access i.e. close to city centre and have rail link 2. terminal with lots of natural lighting 3. the deco must have a connection to the local culture and identity 4. clear signage 5. a good selection of shopping and F&B outlets both landside and airside 6. enought check-in counters and security check points 7. free wi-fi 8. a good viewing gallery 9. fast baggage delivery 10. staff - professional/friendly/courteous/ability to solve passenger issues 11. ease to passenger - easy to navigate within terminal, clear signage, lots of trolleys, short distance between gates, shops/facilities opened at all times 12. infrastructural planning - avoid various terminal buildings...just one building for all flights regardless of airlines/destinations 13. security Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Isaac 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 What makes a good airport ? Well, anything like Changi is a good airport Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seth K 3 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 A perfect airport........no long walk and has starbucks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 Nice, trendy lounges with good champagne. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T Azahan 1 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 no white toyota hilux! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wilber Tan 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 have free large car park and empty space for spotters as close as possible to the runway!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seth K 3 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 have free large car park and empty space for spotters as close as possible to the runway!! Welcome to IAH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irni Mastura 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 (edited) I agree with Alan B about the FREE WIFI! Good ideas for our local airport scenes you have there Azizul, some of which I am in agreement as well, like the open garden cum open observation area, budget hotels and as what you've called it a more 'civilized' arrangements re the bus transportations from KL Sentral to LCCT. It's great to see the enthusiasms, the 'shouting competitions' calling for potential passengers but it might scare off some who are unfamiliar with the attitude, and to tourists as well. Heck it was a bit daunting experience for me at first when I've tried to get a ride to LCCT once! Ah... that is somewhat a sore sight for me, the makeshift sunglasses stall at the check-in counters. About check-out facilities at KL Sentral... I'm guessing it might not be feasible yet... (unless some airport has done it already, so pardon my ignorance) that would be such an extensive BHS (baggage handling system) from the airport... Obviously some kind of tags need to be applied to luggages all the way from the departing point for the baggage handlers to be able to identify which one goes onto conveyor belts and which one goes to the KLIA Express. Will be a tad complicated if one decided to take the KLIA Express but upon arrival they had to go other places directly.. bags go KL Sentral while body goes Seremban, for example Edited March 13, 2008 by Irni Mastura Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC Tam 2 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 If after all these years it is only now that we conclude baggage reclaim at KL Sentral "might not be feasible yet" ..... astounding !! My guess is security issues holding things back - considering how serious baggage pilferage was(is?) at KLIA itself already, how to survive the KLIA-KL Sentral stretch ?! btw, are there already facilities designed/built for purpose of baggage reclaim at KL Sentral ? Can't say I've noticed any, but then it's always been rush, rush and rush for me upon arrival Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irni Mastura 0 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 If after all these years it is only now that we conclude baggage reclaim at KL Sentral "might not be feasible yet" ..... astounding !! BC Tam, I'm just a small ikan bilis to make that conclusion (without prior research of any kinds of BHS background), plus I do plead ignorance in my comments, so I think it should be noted that I am not the general masses voice! Can be false generalisation if we take it as so. So yeah... my lacking of awareness can be outlandishly astounding! Please pardon my judgment, and do continue this discussion Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC Tam 2 Report post Posted March 13, 2008 Irni, hope no offence there - certainly none intended (gosh, do I sound like Lim Kit Siang or what !) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan B. 5 Report post Posted March 14, 2008 Pilferage is definately one of the reason for the delay in the KL Sentral baggage claim. The other could be, how do you ensure that the passenger and bags arrive at the same time in KL Sentral. If a passenger takes a long time at Duty free and immigration, the bag could arrive first at KL Sentral or the other way around? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted March 14, 2008 About check-out facilities at KL Sentral... I'm guessing it might not be feasible yet... (unless some airport has done it already, so pardon my ignorance) that would be such an extensive BHS (baggage handling system) from the airport... Obviously some kind of tags need to be applied to luggages all the way from the departing point for the baggage handlers to be able to identify which one goes onto conveyor belts and which one goes to the KLIA Express. Will be a tad complicated if one decided to take the KLIA Express but upon arrival they had to go other places directly.. bags go KL Sentral while body goes Seremban, for example KL Sentral already has its IATA code, XKL. I guess it shouldn't be a problem if KL Sentral is being included in the airlines' booking system. In most airlines' booking system, there should be 2 selections for Kuala Lumpur, i.e. KUL (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and XKL (KL Sentral). Those who purchased ticket to XKL are subjected to collect their check in luggages in KL Sentral. If after all these years it is only now that we conclude baggage reclaim at KL Sentral "might not be feasible yet" ..... astounding !! My guess is security issues holding things back - considering how serious baggage pilferage was(is?) at KLIA itself already, how to survive the KLIA-KL Sentral stretch ?! btw, are there already facilities designed/built for purpose of baggage reclaim at KL Sentral ? Can't say I've noticed any, but then it's always been rush, rush and rush for me upon arrival The facility has already been there for years. It was behind the white panelling at the arrival area, opposite the taxi's reservation counters. I think there was a news article being issued by MAHB at the end of last year mentioning something about test runs of the facility with the intention of making it fully operational by certain quarter this year. Pilferage is definately one of the reason for the delay in the KL Sentral baggage claim. The other could be, how do you ensure that the passenger and bags arrive at the same time in KL Sentral. If a passenger takes a long time at Duty free and immigration, the bag could arrive first at KL Sentral or the other way around? I think it shouldn't be an issue. It will be just like in an airport. If the passengers are late, the luggages will be put aside by the baggage reclaim officer and the passengers will have to collect it when they arrived. If the passengers arrived earlier than the luggages, then they would have no choice other than to wait for the luggages. I think the track record for luggages checked in at KL Sentral is quite good. From my experience, all check in done at KL Sentral went on smoothly and I also never hear any complaints about missing/delay luggages which were checked in from KL Sentral and the minimum time requirement needed for the current arrangement is 2 hours. I think it is possible. I think the problem facing by MAHB is that my suggestion about having XKL as a destination in airlines' booking system is not within their control. MH should take the lead in this matter considering they are the main carrier which operates in KL Sentral. If puny little airports like Long Akah, Long Banga, Long Lellang and Long Seridan can be incorporated in their booking system, it is hard to believe if they cannot incorporate an airport with traffic as big as KL Sentral in their booking system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BC Tam 2 Report post Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) Other possibility I can think of could be reluctance of kastam to deploy additional manpower at KL SentralThe possibility of luggage arriving before pax at KL Sentral baggage reclaim would be a pleasant experience I dare say. Now, if pax is to arrive before baggage ......... ..... If puny little airports like Long Akah, Long Banga, Long Lellang and Long Seridan can be incorporated in their booking system, it is hard to believe if they cannot incorporate an airport with traffic as big as KL Sentral in their booking system. You forgot Dubai and the few other major international destinations (if booking online lah !) Be careful henceforth should you come across any Long Akahians, Long Bangaians, Long Lellangians or Long Seridanians ! Edited March 14, 2008 by BC Tam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mohd Azizul Ramli 2 Report post Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) Other possibility I can think of could be reluctance of kastam to deploy additional manpower at KL Sentral. I have to disagree on this. Most of our Custom officers are forced to served at immigration checkpoints they don't wish to be (i.e. Bukit Kayu Hitam/Danok, Rantau Panjang/Sungai Golok, Tebedu/Entikong etc). KL Sentral would be a heaven for those who get to be assigned there. You forgot Dubai and the few other major international destinations (if booking online lah !) Be careful henceforth should you come across any Long Akahians, Long Bangaians, Long Lellangians or Long Seridanians ! That is a separate matter I guess. There's already a long thread discussing about the matter which sadly has yet to be resolved. On a separate matter, I never encounter those Longs people although I am in Sarawak quite often. Edited March 14, 2008 by Mohd Azizul Ramli Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KK Lee 5 Report post Posted March 14, 2008 Believe a good airport allow; Last baggage check in 20 minutes before departure. Last baggage delivered within 20 minutes from block on. 40 minute transit time. Regular, extensive and cheap ground transportation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Izanee 0 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 i find it a disgrace that XKL does not cater for all airlines - especially when I read the posts above. They spent money building it and now only allow certain carriers to use it - with limitations. What is the whole point??? Its too late to save MAS now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tamizi Hj Tamby 1 Report post Posted March 16, 2008 (edited) What an interesting topic.Kudos to Kak Irni for bringing this topic Well,there's nothing special here at SBW,except for it's open observation area;but i'm really hoping one thing:major renovation for SBW main terminal.That's my only hope Edited March 16, 2008 by Tamizi Hj Tamby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sri Ramani K. 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 food please! vegans like me can never find proper food in both the MTB and the LCCT except sandwiches or fries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Soh 3 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 The combo for a user friendly airport is very simple... - Aesthetically pleasing - A transit passenger cannot be bored - Large windows for aircraft fanatics like me (us) - Awesome F&B outlets - Adequate transit facilities - Excellent connectivity between flights - Public transportation - Easily navigatable terminal buildings (good signage) As for me, this has to be Hong Kong or Singapore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andi C 0 Report post Posted March 17, 2008 (edited) A good airport, in my opinion.... 01. Good air-conditioning! (Hate those with A/Cs running at 'full blast' yet still feel warm & stuffy) 02. With clean and working toilets (that never run out of toilet rolls!) 03. Lots of varieties of airlines (spotters' paradise) 04. Able to view the entire tarmac, glass(window) panels must be of non reflective material. 05. Lots of F&Bs and shopping outlets (pricing must be same as elsewhere, without any surcharge! But can be cheaper) 06. A big model aircraft store with lots of varieties. 07. A Nice Dating Location (or a great family outing location) for non flight passengers. 08. Easy access with frequent public transporation & Free Parking! 09. Efficient check-in, security, immigration, baggage handling & NO customs! 10. Nice public parks, cafes, restaurants or hotels around the airport perimeter with unobstructed views of the air traffic. Edited March 17, 2008 by Andi C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
