By 2027, the new airport at UAE, Al Maktoum International Airport  is supposed to be bigger than Atlanta. It has just opened, but I had no idea it even existed.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/28/travel/dubai-new-airport/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Its not really new, has been around a few years for cargo ops. Have been waiting for a scenery for this airport for some time http://almaktoum.webs.com

Its not really new, has been around a few years for cargo ops. Have been waiting for a scenery for this airport for some time http://almaktoum.webs.com

Ahh ok Rob. Be a good project for FlyTampa. Fingers crossed. The one in your link looks interesting.

By 2027, the new airport at UAE, Al Maktoum International Airport  is supposed to be bigger than Atlanta.

 

This is no surprise. I have been living in New Zealand for 3 years now and people in this part of world being Australia, New Zealand and Asia absolutely hate flying in transit through the USA. The preference is to fly over the middle east. People here avoid the USA at all costs now due to the way they treat people in transit. 

 

You have a choice, KLAX,  Changai Airport or Hong Kong when flying from the South Pacific to Europe.....KLAX is the last choice due to the treatment of passengers. All that Al Maktoum International Airport will do is compete for more international travelers if they can offer a pleasant experience as well.

 

USA doesn't know how to offer a pleasant experience anymore and people don't like exposing their families to ridiculous security policies and having their children iris scanned and fingerprinted. Even security aside US Airports are crumbling infrastructure compared to other international hubs. It has become a 'Never Again' Cultural Phenomena now. It is a major loss in revenue for the USA if this trend continues, and a gain for other regions.

 

This is no surprise. I have been living in New Zealand for 3 years now and people in this part of world being Australia, New Zealand and Asia absolutely hate flying in transit through the USA. The preference is to fly over the middle east. People here avoid the USA at all costs now due to the way they treat people in transit. 

 

You have a choice, KLAX,  Changai Airport or Hong Kong when flying from the South Pacific to Europe.....KLAX is the last choice due to the treatment of passengers. All that Al Maktoum International Airport will do is compete for more international travelers if they can offer a pleasant experience as well.

 

USA doesn't know how to offer a pleasant experience anymore and people don't like exposing their families to ridiculous security policies and having their children iris scanned and fingerprinted. Even security aside US Airports are crumbling infrastructure compared to other international hubs. It has become a 'Never Again' Cultural Phenomena now. It is a major loss in revenue for the USA if this trend continues, and a gain for other regions.

 

Not all US airports are bad but some are just really outdated in the way they do things like Chicago, if anything Paris's CDG is far worse than any US airport I've been to in terms of attitude and general layout. The US isn't really losing much since the US's geographical location doesn't make it a good transit point anyways for those going from Australia or Asia (with the latter you mostly have direct flight anyways). BTW the fingerprint scanners you see at US airports is for employees to access the sterile area with their ID badges, passengers never touch those.

The US isn't really losing much since the US's geographical location doesn't make it a good transit point anyways for those going from Australia or Asia (with the latter you mostly have direct flight anyways).

 

The fastest route between Auckland or Sydney to London England is through the USA. Historically it was also the prefered route. Over the past 10 years people stopped going that way, even if it is a couple of hours faster, and a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. 

 

Airports going over the Middle East are better quality and better passenger experience so today USA is not a popular choice anymore. Even if it does take a little longer or cost a little more.

 

BTW the fingerprint scanners you see at US airports is for employees to access the sterile area with their ID badges, passengers never touch those.

 

It is different for people in transit as they do iris scan and finger printed. I don't have that problem because I am a Canadian Citizen. Kiwi's and Australians will be finger scanned and iris scanned while in transit in KLAX. My partner is a Kiwi and they do it to her, but not to me.

 

 

Anyhow.....I am a Canadian but my mom was born in New Jersey so I have USA links. I get questioned about it all the time in this part of the world as people have become increasingly frustrated by that sort of treatment.

 

Another reason why QANTAS had partnered itself with Emirates is because the Aussie Passengers demanded it....They had enough of transit through the USA and the demand for routes the other way has increased over the past 10 years.

Airports going over the Middle East are better quality and better passenger experience so today USA is not a popular choice anymore. Even if it does take a little longer or cost a little more.

 

Can't speak for other airports but as far as I know Chicago has never been a major ME airport, up until recently we only had Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian and now we have Qatar which is a major transit point for passengers going from the midwest to India. From my experience most of the connections here at least are either international pax connecting to domestic destinations for vice versa. 

 

 

 

I don't have that problem because I am a Canadian Citizen. Kiwi's and Australians will be finger scanned and iris scanned while in transit in KLAX. My partner is a Kiwi and they do it to her, but not to me.

 

I have never heard of such practices but then again LAX is probably different than ORD, but then again we are not a major connecting hub for international passengers. From ORD I can fly direct to nearly any region of the Earth so no need for a ME connection or any other airport but with Terminal 5 capacity pretty much maxed out I'm sure they won't be able to accommodate any more international carriers unless they want to arrive and then depart at odd hours. 

 

 

 

The fastest route between Auckland or Sydney to London England is through the USA. Historically it was also the prefered route. Over the past 10 years people stopped going that way, even if it is a couple of hours faster, and a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. 

 

Australia might be a special case but for the other Asian carriers it seems to be a moot point since I see most of them offering direct flights to Europe, Qantas now offers service to DFW probably so Aussies can use the one world connections with AA to fly to the rest of the US without having to go through LAX. 

Qantas now offers service to DFW probably so Aussies can use the one world connections with AA to fly to the rest of the US without having to go through LAX. 

 

Yes they abandoned KLAX a while ago and offer KDFW. Air New Zealand picked up extra routes with new 777's through KLAX when that happened.

 

 

 

Can't speak for other airports but as far as I know Chicago has never been a major ME airport, up until recently we only had Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian and now we have Qatar which is a major transit point for passengers going from the midwest to India. From my experience most of the connections here at least are either international pax connecting to domestic destinations for vice versa. 

 

I actually like KORD. Been there many many times when I lived in Toronto as a hub for traveling for business in the USA. My sister-in-law works for United at Chicago and has a great job with them. 

 

But Chicago is also in the top 10 world destinations at the moment with The Lonely Planet so you guys are doing something right....maybe LA can learn from you guys. 

 

The top 10 cities, in order, are: Paris, Trinidad (Cuba), Cape Town, Riga (Latvia), Zurich, Shanghai, Vancouver, Chicago, Adelaide and Auckland. - from The Lonely Planet

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/destinations/9335422/New-Zealand-in-Lonely-Planets-top-lists

 

This is no surprise. I have been living in New Zealand for 3 years now and people in this part of world being Australia, New Zealand and Asia absolutely hate flying in transit through the USA. The preference is to fly over the middle east. People here avoid the USA at all costs now due to the way they treat people in transit.

 

You have a choice, KLAX, Changai Airport or Hong Kong when flying from the South Pacific to Europe.....KLAX is the last choice due to the treatment of passengers. All that Al Maktoum International Airport will do is compete for more international travelers if they can offer a pleasant experience as well.

 

USA doesn't know how to offer a pleasant experience anymore and people don't like exposing their families to ridiculous security policies and having their children iris scanned and fingerprinted. Even security aside US Airports are crumbling infrastructure compared to other international hubs. It has become a 'Never Again' Cultural Phenomena now. It is a major loss in revenue for the USA if this trend continues, and a gain for other regions.

Isn't Europe closer to Australia via the Middle East than America anyways?

This is no surprise. I have been living in New Zealand for 3 years now and people in this part of world being Australia, New Zealand and Asia absolutely hate flying in transit through the USA. The preference is to fly over the middle east. People here avoid the USA at all costs now due to the way they treat people in transit. 

 

You have a choice, KLAX,  Changai Airport or Hong Kong when flying from the South Pacific to Europe.....KLAX is the last choice due to the treatment of passengers. All that Al Maktoum International Airport will do is compete for more international travelers if they can offer a pleasant experience as well.

 

USA doesn't know how to offer a pleasant experience anymore and people don't like exposing their families to ridiculous security policies and having their children iris scanned and fingerprinted. Even security aside US Airports are crumbling infrastructure compared to other international hubs. It has become a 'Never Again' Cultural Phenomena now. It is a major loss in revenue for the USA if this trend continues, and a gain for other regions.

I have noticed this in the USA also.

 

I once asked a custom agent straight out, why are you guys so rude compared to other countries? Is it because your superiors want you to be intimidating? He didn't respond, he just looked at me. So the next day I asked another agent and she was a little bit more personal and happy, but still didn't answer my question so idk.

 

Puerto Rico is the same way super rude!

Isn't Europe closer to Australia via the Middle East than America anyways?

 

Traditionally the quickest way from Sydney to London or Auckland to London was through KLAX

 

YSSY to KLAX to EGLL

NZAA to KLAX to EGLL

 

To go the other way you would use Changi or Hong Kong as a hub which does take longer and cost more, but are the two best airports in the world so preferable as they treat people very well in transit with shopping, gardens, spas, swimming pools, etc.

 

KLAX will iris scan you, finger print you, touch your junk, make you sit and wait at a gate for hours with nothing but Wolfgang Puck to eat etc....almost feels like a third world country by comparison

Traditionally the quickest way from Sydney to London or Auckland to London was through KLAX

 

YSSY to KLAX to EGLL

NZAA to KLAX to EGLL

 

To go the other way you would use Changi or Hong Kong as a hub which does take longer and cost more, but are the two best airports in the world so preferable as they treat people very well in transit with shopping, gardens, spas, swimming pools, etc.

 

KLAX will iris scan you, finger print you, touch your junk, make you sit and wait at a gate for hours with nothing but Wolfgang Puck to eat etc....almost feels like a third world country by comparison

Eastbound via LAX is actually over 1,700nm longer than a flight through Dubai. I suppose if you get a good tailwind going that way compared to a bad headwind westbound, you would come out about even. The difference in which way is faster would then come down to the length of the layover at the intermediate stop. However, I believe the middle eastern airlines like Emirates are positioning themselves with their new fleets and new construction to be the ideal way to get between Europe and Asia. The middle of the journey positioning of their hubs will allow for much more efficient and preferable connections for people from wherever in Europe to wherever in Asia, even if the Americans aren't trying their best to alienate foreign travellers.

Traditionally the quickest way from Sydney to London or Auckland to London was through KLAX

 

YSSY to KLAX to EGLL

NZAA to KLAX to EGLL

 

To go the other way you would use Changi or Hong Kong as a hub which does take longer and cost more, but are the two best airports in the world so preferable as they treat people very well in transit with shopping, gardens, spas, swimming pools, etc.

Part of the reason for that is because most traffic in US airports involves quick domestic connections, Americans mainly want to go from one plane to another without having to wait in the airport and as mentioned before there are not many thru passengers who are strictly international.

I have noticed this in the USA also.

 

I once asked a custom agent straight out, why are you guys so rude compared to other countries? Is it because your superiors want you to be intimidating? He didn't respond, he just looked at me. So the next day I asked another agent and she was a little bit more personal and happy, but still didn't answer my question so idk.

 

Puerto Rico is the same way super rude!

To be honest I would have taken that question as an offense to my profession and also chose to refuse the question. They are here to get people through customs as fast as they can which means no time for even a quick chit chat.

The one thing about me when I make these USA type posts it is because I am a big big fan of the USA....I only make criticisms in areas where I think the USA can do better. 

 

I tell people in New Zealand when sometimes they think I am an American and I say no I am a Canadian...And then they apologize thinking they may have insulted me. I always say that I am a Canadian but my mother was born in New Jersey....So if you say something bad about Canada, then you are saying something bad about me, if you say something bad about the USA, then you are saying something bad about my mother, which is even worse  :lol:

 

I flew into KLAX a lot back in the 1970's to visit my grandparents and usually through Chicago. For me KLAX was fascinating when I was a kid. Lost it's charm today which is sad to see. Hopefully someone takes the political will to change it back to its former glory. I still think KORD is a great airport and easy to travel through as a hub.

Part of the reason for that is because most traffic in US airports involves quick domestic connections, Americans mainly want to go from one plane to another without having to wait in the airport and as mentioned before there are not many thru passengers who are strictly international.

 

To be honest I would have taken that question as an offense to my profession and also chose to refuse the question. They are here to get people through customs as fast as they can which means no time for even a quick chit chat.

I didn't mean it in a bad way at all. I wasn't rude when I asked it either. It was just an observation. I've been all over the world and it's interesting that I have only noticed this behavior in the USA and Kuwait. Yes I agree, they do have a job to do but treating people poorly is not in the job description. That being said, I can see why people would avoid the USA as a transit point.