This is an odd question.
It assumes a level of travel that I’m not sure most people have. Ask a room full of people about airports and you’re probably not going to hear, “Oh, Topeka is a pit. And whatever you do, avoid Cheyenne.”
For the record, I have absolutely no opinion about the airports in Topeka or Cheyenne because I’ve never been to either one. I’m sure they’re lovely. Or terrible. I have no idea.
Most people have flown from wherever they live to a handful of destinations, probably connecting through Atlanta at least once.
Even God connects in Atlanta.
Most of the airports I’ve been to were more than a decade ago, so I’m not exactly qualified to publish a definitive ranking.
Harlingen, Texas? Fine.
El Paso? Also fine.
Jacksonville, where I live? Fine. There’s a lot of construction going on right now to make it even finer.
Atlanta is obviously on another scale. It’s enormous, there are plenty of places to eat and drink, and somehow even with trains you can still spend what feels like half your life getting from one gate to another.
Nashville is probably one of my favorites. It’s just cool. You walk past bar after bar with musicians playing who are better than half the people you hear on the radio or Spotify. You start wondering why the guy playing for tips near Gate C14 doesn’t already have a record deal.
Honolulu surprised me in the other direction. We were there nine years ago, and I don’t remember being particularly impressed by the airport itself. But we had some amazing sushi there.
Yes. Airport sushi.
Those are two words that normally sound like the beginning of a story ending with, “And that’s when the paramedics arrived.”
But this was Honolulu, and it was fabulous.
Dallas has trains, which you would think would solve everything. Somehow, though, I still remember walking approximately the distance of a half-marathon every time I went through there. On the other hand, I’ve stumbled across some terrific restaurants tucked into unexpected corners of that airport.
So which is the best airport I’ve ever visited? Maybe Nashville.
The worst?
I really don’t have one.
Most airports are simply airports. Some are bigger. Some are easier to navigate. Some have better food. Some seem designed by people who have never actually carried luggage through an airport.
The bigger truth is that I haven’t traveled nearly as much as I’d like to.
I think I’d be good at it. I love flying. I like airports. I’m comfortable with rental cars and hotels, and there’s something appealing about landing somewhere unfamiliar, grabbing a bag and figuring out where I’m going next.
So maybe someday I’ll sell a novel and somebody will decide I need to go on a book tour. I’d be like a pig in mud.
Send me from city to city. Give me airports, rental cars, hotel rooms, bookstore appearances and questionable meals grabbed between flights. Then ask me this question again.
By that point, I hope I’ll have some stories to tell.
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
Honolulu is the only airport I’ve been to in the States (Air Canada Vancouver to Sydney used to refuel there. Made the passengers disembark, go through US customs). I never found the sushi, but I do remember the very strong scent of a flower that was in bloom. That was a novel experience.