Portland’s airport was, once again, voted the best in the nation by Zagat. It topped Miami International by two points and big loser LaGuardia by 16.
I feel like a lot of things people love about Portland are overhyped to death, but PDX is legitimately the shit. Like, the good kind. Here’s a short list of reasons why I love PDX:
1. FREE WIFI. They say religion is the opiate of the masses. Wrong. Free WIFI is. Having unlimited free Internet ends 95 percent of conflicts before they form, because people get angry when they have to sit and wait for a plane for 30 minutes, but they will very happily sit quietly and peacefully browse Facebook for up to an estimated 18 hours.
2. That old guy playing piano in the main terminal.
3. The airport bar opens at 5 am.
4. The miraculous ability to get me from door to gate in under 20 minutes any day of the year. Does this happen for everyone? It’s never taken me longer than 20 minutes to get checked in, through security, to my terminal and logged online. They even threw in a refreshing pat down on the day before Thanksgiving!
5. The MAX goes straight to the gate. It feels first class, amiright? Unlike Seattle’s finally constructed light rail to the airport where you still have to walk from the station across the entire massive parking garage.
6. Bicycle assembly station. In the airport. Also, secure bike parking. Every big-time Portland employer needs these.
7. It just fucking works and isn’t depressing. Unlike every other airport in the United States of America.
AND an Elephant’s Deli, for portable non-gross food options. And for some reason, the last Coffee People in Portland. Why is that still there?
Other airport questions: Does anyone remember the name of a kids’ book (some sort of mystery/suspense thing) set in PDX? Maybe some kids get stranded at the airport, and… terrorism, or something?
Can I add one more? They don’t have goddam blaring TVs every 10 feet. You can sit in peace and quiet.
More: Good Dog/Bad Dog, Powells (pre-security AND post-security), awesome kids play area, and the last chance to fill your water bottle with good Bull Run water before you have to drink nasty inferior water. And that time they had the handmade bike display was rad.
And Powell’s books! Two locations!
Also the nice lady in the swanky remodeled barbershop trimmed my hair for free last time I flew.
Also: for the times I don’t take the Max there, the lights above parking spots that turn green when the spot is available are sweet.
But the best thing really is flying home and seeing Mt Hood in all its glory out of the left window.
Word. PDX is a paragon of efficiency. Also, I love the carpet. I find that shade of blue so…calming.
how about that every vendor is required to ahve prices similar to that which you find in town, meaning that the laurelwood brewery even has happy hour pricing on their beer.
Oh and you can buy a sealed up growler of rogue beer and take it with you on the plane as long as your final destination doesn’t involve a transfer through security you can arrive with great oregon beer.
For a while I went between PDX and Narita a lot, and between those two places I ended up with the skewed and wholly non-realistic idea that airports were nice, efficient places. To keep perspective, I’ve had to remind myself of Dallas, where I was once trapped overnight and made a rotund Texan very angry by taking the lord’s name in vain. Also, a bird flew into a radar and made bad things happen.
@Alison- I have no idea. The only kid’s book about airports that I can think of is Fly Away Home, about a homeless dad and his son living in an airport.
I flew from PDX to LaGuardia (indirectly) a few weeks back and, yeah, it’s a pretty stark contrast. Another thing to like: it’s no longer under constant construction.
@Alison: What Could Go Wrong? by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor! Yeah, that was one of my favorite books as a kid. Kids fighting crime! It’s awesome.
I was at the Houston airport a few months ago. They have a Fox News STORE. So, that exists.
Another thing PDX has over many other airports is a wealth of accessible electrical outlets, at least in the more freshly-renovated terminals. Such a boon for business travelers.
Not sure if this is unique to PDX or not, but I LOVE the free motorcycle parking right at the terminal. Rewards fuel conservation AND light packing in one fell swoop!
@Joe Streckert: The Asian airports I’ve been to are more-or-less wonderful places; they always make me wonder why PDX wins awards. Oh yeah…it’s being compared to all those crappy U.S. airports. Not that I’m dissing it. @econoline: I wasn’t aware that Rogue growlers could be carried on…good to know! Some airlines (Delta at least, I believe) have policies against bringing on outside alcohol, though…might be worth checking first.
@Sara Yes! That’s totally it. It’s another 3-name lady author, though, Willo Davis Roberts:
http://www.amazon.com/Could-Wrong-Willo-Da…
I just love me those people-mover things. Love ’em. Wheeeeee.
@Alison: Shit! You are totally right! I remember the entire plot without looking but apparently not the author’s name. I think I read almost all her books. View from the Cherry Tree, anyone?
One thing I remember from “What Could Go Wrong” is that you can’t buy gum at PDX because of the carpet. I’ve never even checked if it’s true or not, I just accepted it as fact and have bought gum elsewhere prior to traveling since.
Also, the clues in the crossword! TSA really ought to check people’s crosswords when they go through security.
Don’t forget the shoeshine guy! Everybody should get a shoeshine at least once in their lives. It’s great.
Thanks Smirk! Big fan of the airport, though sometimes instead of the piano guy you get the autoharp guy or the flute girl.
The only other airport I’ve liked as much was Detroit’s.
SEA has better restaurants, but PDX is a mellower place. That said, it would have been nice if they put the MAX on the other side of Airport Way: then you could park in Economy and ride the train to the terminal.
PDX airport deserves this. It’s the fastest security check anywhere, everything is clean, there are good food options, and the books at the Powell’s are the same prices as the downtown store – how cool is that?
That one coffee shop in the airport has the Velvet Hammer! I’ve heard it’s the only place in town that sells it.
@Joneser
You can buy gum at PDX. I’ve done it. It’s chewy.
In the earlier part of the decade I emailed the airport about the lack of signs for the “express line” at the security check. The airport was busy and I kept seeing people wait in the express line only to find out as they got closer that they were in the wrong line. The airport people emailed me back and actually discussed the issue at their weekly meeting. Even if they didn’t do anything, I was happy enough for a nice non-bot response.
@Jessica Roberts Yes. I love filling my water bottle at the airport and trying to make it last as long as possible.
@ ezra. In hindsight, I really should have known better than to trust 20 year old children’s literature for travel advice.
I love that you can see both security check points from that one spot. Then all I have to do it pick the shorter line and take the terminal connecter hall if needed.
Only Coffee People shops remaining in the known universe.
tidbit: when starbucks basically was closing down all the coffee people shops the port of portland put their foot down—well, port only allows so many storefronts for the same franchise, so a local business lady bought the coffee people shops and they have remained as is. pretty awesome. the port needs to get more actual airlines in there (bye bye lufthanza, mexicana, big sky….oh so sad to see them go, plus all the empty gates), but they do a great job with the concessions. my only sadness; why no burgerville???!
I’m a huge fan of biking to PDX but am under the impression that the only people who have access to the secure bike parking are airport employees. I’ve used the parking directly adjacent to it and commented on it here:
http://bikeportland.org/2005/09/28/my-ride…
Is there something I’m missing? I’ve never had a problem parking my bike at PDX but would love to not have to wonder/hope when I return from a week’s trip out of town if my ride home is still there.
fyi-i was told by an airport employee that if you park at the airport, and forget where you parked your car, you can contact security and they will tell you where your car is. i guess they inventory all the cars in the lot by their license plates.