Ok, so maybe I was wrong in condemning all surveys. I think it may just be the surveys that take themselves too seriously. When I saw this “AXE’s Best and Worst Airports to Make a Connection” survey, I actually liked it. I mean, it’s 
clearly just a marketing ploy and you’re not supposed to take it too seriously, but it does its job well.
Let’s just start with the big winner in this survey . . . Philadelphia International Airport. I’m pretty sure Philly has never topped the list of any positive survey, so that instantly grabbed my attention. What is this list?!?
Apparently the goal is to help “identify the airports that give you the best chance for meeting that special someone this holiday travel season.” So what’s so great about Philly?
Thanks to some of the nation’s longest and most frequent flight delays (32 percent of all flights, averaging 60 minutes), getting stuck in “The Airport of Brotherly Love” gives you a chance to hang your hat in one of 16 bars and seven lounges or grab a cheese steak at one of 57 restaurants. If you’ve got an extra-long layover, impress the object of your desire with smooth moves at the airport’s magic shop.
Oooooooh, I get it. Philly’s suckiness in on-time percentage means more time for love. And they have so many bars and restaurants that there are plenty of places to make it happen. O’Hare and Atlanta? Crappy delays for sure, but the amenities aren’t there. Try flying through O’Hare’s Third World Terminal 2 and you’ll agree.
What’s the worst? Oakland. I’m sure Oakland (the city) has been the worst on many lists, but the airport doesn’t generally fit the bill. But in this case, the lack of massive delays and amenities makes it a bad place for getting the job done. Obviously, this survey doesn’t take itself seriously, and that’s why it’s a good one.
4 comments on “Maybe I Don’t Hate All Surveys”
Philly has a great retail shopping and food offering, actually.
That is why I like flying Southwest….
For the uninitiated:
Steps to meeting someone when flying southwest:
a] Check in online and get a good low ##d boarding pass
b] once at the airport, scan the gate area for a cute girl (statistically, at least one cute single girl per ~50 pax).
c] get in line a couple people behind her (but not right behind her) when boarding
d] pick a seat next to the one she picked
e] chat
Then you can have a reasonable shot of making your connection _and_ get to meet a cute girl (note, if connecting- feel free to repeat….)
Wonko, your plan has been foiled by Southwest’s bingo boarding… :-/
Ahhh Oakland. I had the pleasure of visiting it again over thanksgiving. The accomdations are medicore, but it does have the distinction of being the only airport, hell only place, where I bought a Dole Banana on my Chiquita expense account…. hmm.. well it was funny to me…
humm, I would nominate Chicago and Denver for good love connection sites, we always seemed to be delayed because of those cities.
And as for San Francisco being on the list, my experience is that the delay usually occurs when you are on the plane, on the tarmac, which does not offer that much opportunity for pick ups, unless you have identified someone on your flight who looks interesting, but the flight attendants usually frown on moving about the cabin….