This week I want to talk about something that perplexes most travelers. Even I, on occasion have wondered why I bother to fly. It's a pain in so many ways, and how do you know if you're doing it right? Are we all supposed to be uncomfortable, bored in the airport, standing at TSA forever? Where do you go to learn how to make it a little better? Here's some ideas that might ease the subject a bit. I hope this helps.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia.
O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Texas.
Dulles International Airport, Washington DC.
Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain.
1. Expansive airports. Why did I mention these particular airports? For one thing, they are some of the largest international airports in the world. For another thing, I've been to each of them. I wanted to talk about life traveling through immensely large airports and thought it would be wise to focus on some of them that I've had personal experience with.
These are the kinds of airports that you have to pay attention when dealing with. You have to be wary of scheduling connections through these airports with flights running too close together. Also, you have to be aware of the potential for change. Let me explain.
When I go through Atlanta, which I try not to do, I normally have an experience like this: I barely make my connection. When I schedule the flight, I have plenty of time. My incoming and outgoing gates are close to one another. It's perfect on paper. What happens is that Delta is based in Atlanta, so if you're on one of their flights, your odds of connecting are better but not good. If you come in on another airline and are connecting to a Delta flight, your trip will include a very long trip through a gigantic airport.
No matter what has ever happened when I've booked, things have always changed in that airport. All of a sudden, I'm taking a train three terminals down and only have a half hour to make my connection. Therefore, if you go through Atlanta, give yourself around two hours or even more on a layover to guarantee you will make that second flight.
I've also flown through O'Hare in Chicago a number of times. I don't mind the airport in and of itself, but the traffic. Once again, make sure you have a longer than normal layover when flying through there. Don't forget, in addition to being enormous, you cross a bridge on your way to and from the runways. There's normally some waiting, so make sure you schedule enough time to make your connection.
Dallas is one airport that, I'm sorry, I avoid at all costs. The place is huge. They will change your terminal for departure without warning. You may find yourself running for your flight on a sky train at the last minute no matter what you do. It's all happened to me. If you're connecting to an international flight, it may be even trickier. It's a beautiful airport with a lot to do in the downtime, so schedule that long layover, but also pay close attention to the departures boards.
Dulles International in Washington DC is probably the best of the huge airports I've been through. As always, schedule a longer layover than normal because of the size. However, you will be able to find your way here easily, and given enough time; you'll make your connection. Also worth noting; the food options at Dulles are great. You could gain a lot of weight if you hang out there too long.
Madrid is a puzzle. This place is over engineered and complicated. However, if you follow the signs carefully, you'll find your way. You take trains, hallways, escalators, elevators and a bunch of other modes of transportation to get across this airport. It's crowded, and there's no way to avoid the hustle and bustle if you're coming through there to Europe from the U.S. You will have the full experience in order to go through customs and enter the EU.
I learned a lot on my first trip through Madrid's enormous airport. First, schedule long layovers. Give this at least an extra couple of hours in order to not have to rush at any point during the process. If you happen to run up against a time constraint, don't be afraid to ask for help. When I got to the security line, it was a sea of people and we had 20 minutes left of a two and a half hour layover to get to our gate. I asked one of the security people if she could help us, and she put us through a special line for people running out of time. It was the only way we ever would have made our flight. It was a great experience in the middle of an exhausting experience. Would I fly through there again? Absolutely. Helpful staff make all the difference.
Don't necessarily avoid the world's largest airports. Just be aware of the pitfalls you may be dealing with and plan for them the best you can.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/largest-airports-in-the-world
https://www.stratosjets.com/blog/busiest-us-airports/
https://www.atl.com/
https://www.dfwairport.com/
https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/23829/how-to-choose-where-and-how-long-to-have-my-layover
2. Which airline to choose? Choosing an airline isn't always about looking at the base price when you find your choices on Expedia. In my house there are comfort considerations to be made. My husband is tall and his knees tend to ache a lot. Legroom is important to us. So, whatever your special needs may be, make sure you look into it a little bit before booking a flight. Comfort on the flight makes a huge difference in the overall enjoyment of the vacation.
Here's something that I've learned over the years and find disturbing. Most of the best airlines in the world aren't based in the United States. It's a fact. Various Asian airlines are ranked far better than anything American. How do you fly an Asian airline from America? Easy. They come to most of the major international hub airports in the country.
These airlines fly out of big hubs like JFK, Boston and LAX. Your best bet is to make a connection in a major coast located international airport and take the international airlines from there.
In my experience, I've flown on some foreign airlines to us Americans, and I can't argue the idea that they tend to be more comfortable and enjoyable than the American ones. I've flown FinnAir, Iberia, Icelandair, and SwissAir. I liked them all very much.
The issue with the American based airlines is space. The staff is always nice. If you have food options they are good. Entertainment is never an issue. It's just the space. American based airlines cram in seats where there shouldn't be any and that's just a fact. The aisles are unbelievably narrow, the seats are crammed and that makes flying less fun. You have to upgrade to premier economy and business class just to breathe and the prices for that are insane.
That being said, and it's all just a fact; don't overlook some of those budget airlines. Breeze always comes to mind. This is a newer creation from the Jet Blue people. It's budget, so you do pay for everything. However, it's more comfortable than flying American Airlines at a higher price for an economy seat. I always fly Breeze when I can, and I highly recommend it.
Once again, look at some reviews and make a decision based on more than price. The lowest price isn't always the best option. For a slight bit more, you could be far more comfortable, because not all economy is exactly alike.
https://www.worldairlineawards.com/
https://www.qatarairways.com/en-us/homepage.html
https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US.html
https://www.booking.com/flights/index.html
https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-to-improve-your-economy-class-flight
3. Boeing vs Airbus. Which plane is better? I've been flying a long time, and for years in the United States there was Boeing. It was the gold standard. But then I started flying overseas and a lot of the time, it's Airbus. What's the difference and is there a better airplane? Here are my thoughts.
We've all heard some strange stories in the news about plane problems. A lot of them in the news have to do with the Boeing 737 Max. It's a fact. However, should this tell us not to fly Boeing? Of course not. Teslas were catching on fire and people still bought them. Just because there were some issues, doesn't mean that all of the planes are bad. If you heard the recent story about a rabbit getting sucked into an engine and causing a problem, remember, birds do that all the time and apparently it happens with rabbits about four times each year. Nature and planes don't necessarily go together.
One thing I can say is that the Boeings which I have flown on are far less comfortable than the Airbuses I've flown on. Keep in mind, Boeings are largely found on American based airlines and Airbuses are found on more foreign than Americans airlines. I've already stated that I find other than American based airlines more comfortable. That most likely has nothing to do with the brand of airline but the way the airlines placed the order.
Therefore, I normally favor an Airbus, but it's for the space and has nothing to do with the individual airline's quality of service and reliability. Boeing has been in business for many decades and they're doing just fine. They've always gotten me where I needed to go and I can't complain about that.
https://www.boeing.com/
https://www.boeing.com/
https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/find-what-plane-youre-flying-on/
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/finding-out-the-exact-model-of-plane-for-your-flight
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-has-happened-to-boeing-since-the-737-max-crashes/
4. Delta and United. I love them and I hate them, so I thought I would take time to discuss my thoughts about these two American Airlines.
Delta is a fabulous American based airline. The comfort is probably best of the lot. The staff are always great. If they have an issue with your flight and it gets delayed or cancelled; they will take care of you. Remember, that's not always the case. For instance, never ever fly Frontier. Worst airline ever, but I digress.
The one and only problem which you will always have when flying Delta across this great country is that connection in Atlanta. It's their hub and they stop there almost every single layover you may have. This is a conundrum I've encountered several times. Just make sure you have a long layover so you can make that connection. It's truly the only thing that bothers me about flying with them and it's a big one. They have a great benefits program and lots of great stuff, but I will admit that I tend to avoid them. I just really don't like connecting in Atlanta and will avoid it at all costs.
United. How do I describe them? They are the budget airline of the not budget airlines. You get a good price. That's a plus. However, you have to pay extra for almost everything. That's a minus. Will they get you there? Always and on time. I've turned to them in a pinch when another airline (Frontier) stranded me and they really came through. Once again, great staff and on time. Can't deny that.
Do I avoid United for any reason? Not really. I do know that I'm paying extra for stuff and that it will be cramped. They are great for shorter flights, won't lie. With all the pros and cons of United I can say for certain that I prefer them to most budget airlines (besides Breeze) and making a connection through Atlanta.
https://www.united.com/en/us/
https://www.delta.com/
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/best-airlines-in-us
https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Aviation/airline-reviews
https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-vs-delta-basic-economy-review-2025-3#i-boarded-the-boeing-737-800-and-headed-to-my-seat-toward-the-back-of-the-plane-2
5. Nonstop Dan. This is a kid who started reviewing airlines and planes when he was 12 years old on YouTube. I can't say how much I've learned from him about booking with points, which airlines to try out and all things flying as a customer in general.
I don't recommend YouTube vloggers lightly. They have to have something wonderful to offer and Dan does. He flies in all kinds of seating on every single airline. He does review a lot of first and business class, but also does economy weeks. And he's been doing it for more than 12 years. This guy has talked to CEO's about the future of their airlines. He's flown on first flights and last flights and all kinds of things. He's also traveled to over 100 countries.
Dan's advice is solid and I watch a lot of his videos to learn about booking flights that meet my needs without breaking the bank to do it. If you need to find out something about flying around the world, check out Nonstop Dan.
https://www.youtube.com/dantorp11
https://nonstopdan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thenonstopdan/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-goz-841970ab/
https://x.com/thenonstopdan?lang=en
https://www.youtube.com/c/OskarandDan
There you have it. I've been flying for decades and have even flown on airlines that no longer exist. I've traveled to 21 countries, 41 states and counting. I fly several times a year and these are my lingering thoughts on air travel. Take your time with flights, make sure you pack accordingly for that flight and enjoy!
