Secrets of the City

No doubt this survey will cause many people to use the other major airport in the state as an alternative to MSP.

maybe if they wouldn’t turn off those trams at like, what, some ridiculously early hour in the evening.

Sure, I want to walk a mile across the terminal after a long flight just to claim my luggage!

If you’re going to centralize baggage handling at such a spread-out fucking airport, at least run the little trams while there are still flights getting in.

PHL is terrible for TSA attitude and line length. They continuously lose luggage and I have experienced my first, second and third set of missing bags while flying to, or through, that airport.

MCO had a 50 minute wait for a single line of TSA at 4:30 AM but had enough staff on hand to open up at least two more stations. When we finally got up to be scanned and we asked about the staff just hanging around and not helping ease the line length we were rudely ignored.

ATL is crowded, smells like smoke and has serious delay problems.

LAX is LAX and other than the low priced fares to fly there from MSP there’s no other good reason why you would want to ever fly in or out of there.

LVS had us waiting for our luggage for well over two hours after flying in at 10 PM. We waited in a single file line to leave the rental parking area for another hour putting us into our hotel at 1:35 AM.

I have never experienced long waits, missing bags, or rude TSA agents at MSP. While I don’t fly as much as the typical business traveler, I would rather fly out of MSP than any other airport in recent memory. The only thing I would like to see is cheaper fares.

oh, and flying out of MSP really isn’t that bad. I just hate the arrival part mostly.

Whenever confronted with airport frustrations, I am always just soothed by the ubersexy vocal stylings of Linda Torgeson, the Voice of the Tram.

The tram is now de-pahting the station. Oh, Linda!

I don’t think MSP deserves this. It’s not a bad experience. It’s clean. The only gripe I have is the route you have to take to get to the parking lot.

There’s lots worse. Kennedy, for instance.

Maybe I’m some homer, but I don’t think MSP warrants such a low rating. For food choices, they’ve definitely made improvements over the standard Burger King fare (French Meadow, Axel’s, O’Gara’s, etc.). Security for the most part moves pretty swiftly and is organized. Luggage check also is fairly brisk. And as far as getting in/out on time, maybe I’ve just been lucky.

Atlanta, at least when I was there in ‘06 was a colossal clusterjam. Worst airport I’ve been to. Vegas security always seems to be in a foul mood and has no qualms about yanking yer ass out of line. Raleigh restaurants rating higher than here is baffling and their security set-up is a logistical joke.

Having just visited O’Hare and Indianapolis International (which I still call Weir Cook), I would say MSP was the best of the three.

You’re right jtd. I’ve had very few annoyances at MSP and with the TSA staff there. Tried to use the expert traveler line there yesterday but of course it was closed as “those people [were] are lunch.”

ATL sucks, and MIA sucks big time. What a dump of an airport.

Unfair… lots of airports are much worse. I’ve always found the workers at MSP to be very polite, and the facility is clean.

I agree with amy … lots of airports are much worse. I fly a lot. The worst, from my perspective? Orlando. Why? Too few food choices. I try to live up to my name.

I guess I’m partial, but I like flying out of MSP. As everyone has mentioned, there are far worse airports.

Has anyone been to Dulles? The trams (if you can call them that, more like really tall buses) from the security area to the terminals always make me laugh. They look like they are from Star Wars.

ahaha, the buses-on-stilts!
I remember those.

The service @ MSP really started going downhill when they banned anonymous gay sex in the restrooms.

Well, it ranks rather high on the most delayed list from wired.

My toes sure aren’t a-tappin’ anymore.

Larry Craig, I love you.

when they banned anonymous gay sex in the restrooms.

That’s why I always buy my lesbian airport sex encounters dinner first at Chili’s.

Those things at Dulles are called “mobile lounges,” I believe. And that alone should put IAD below MSP.

NWA is what makes it the worst. Everyone who works there is an asshole.

I’ve always moved very quickly and easily through MSP. It’s clean. It’s bright. It’s pleasant. Well, for an airport. It’s well-signed. It’s easy to navigate. There are way, way better food choices than at most airports.

I don’t get it.

This result can mean only one thing. Minnesotan’s are the best complainers in the country! We’re number 1! We’re number 1! Take that Portland!

Used to loooovvee those weather delays.

I found one of the article’s comments funny … someone complaining that having the restaurants beyond the TSA zone was soooo inconvenient when either meeting a transiting friend or wanting to enjoy a different restaurant experience (as was possible before 9/11). Well, it’s that way at every airport nowadays; not only MSP. If you aren’t a ticketed passenger, you just can’t enjoy Chili’s or Burger King anymore. Boo-hoo. I’ve been in some terminals that don’t even offer many food choices at all (e.g. the new Detroit NWA terminal).

On the other hand, the MOA is just a 15-minute ride away on the LRT. My young niece transited MSP from Tokyo on her way to NYC last summer. I met her at the gate, we hopped on the train, and enjoyed a nice 2-hour visit and meal at Nordstroms with other family members before she had to continue her trip. We didn’t even have to buy a return LRT ticket because we stayed within the 2-1/2 transfer window.

At least we aren’t Newark and at least I don’t have to fly into Newark again…yet.

the tram shutdown at night really doesn’t bother anyone else?

I guess there are no late-night fliers here.

After a long flight, I like a walk.

I’ve never found the walk all that bad regardless of terminal. At least MSP has those floor escalator things to speed your walking up. Good ol’ Raleigh doesn’t and it’s as long as MSP.

It’s not bad walk at all. A human being with normal functions can cover it with no trouble. MSP isn’t Atlanta.

MSP rocks. Why? Because we friggin’ invented shopping malls.

Also, I think Moby places MSP on his top 10 airports. So there.

I thought his ranking was joke. I travel a lot and have been in a lot of airports. I think MSP is one of the very best airports, if not the best, in North America and also one of the better ones in the world. Only downside can be the aforementioned long trek to A/B concourses, but i rarely fly short haul so that rarely impacts me. But in terms of TSA, security lines, customs, friendlieness, food choices, cleanliness it is one of the best.

I just cannot believe PHL was #1 – surly employees, bad security lines & dirty. Maybe its becasue no one goes there any more.

I DO like MDW, though….

There is better shopping than MSP. Lots better in other places. The duty free shops aren’t so much, here, but there’s not a large amount of international travelers.

Duty free is where you get the deals.