Ranking airport rankings
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
Winning accolades helps market products. The Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport recently earned some bragging rights by doing well in an industry ranking survey. According to the Ottawa Citizen the airport abbreviated as YOW:
“… is the No. 1 airport in North America and No. 2 in airports of its size worldwide, according to the results of a global quality program released Tuesday.”
That ranking includes some key qualifiers, including categories based on size (serving 2-5 million) and region. See the wide range of Airports Council International awards for 2011 here.
Flying has become something of an ordeal thanks to tighter security, reductions in seat spacing and leg room, fees for checked bags and so forth. Anyone who flies a lot knows airport quality also varies – considerably.
I fly between 1-4 times per year. By road warrior standards, that’s hardly anything. But year in and year out, it does add up. And some of those flying days are long (13 +hours) not including arriving early and changing flights.
Here’s my take on the Ottawa airport: I like it. It’s spacious, clean and pretty. Perhaps just a bit bland, but bland can be soothing. The baggage carts are plentiful and free – a really nice perk. Baggage can take a long time to arrive, but that seems common everywhere. The food choices appear rather limited, but I don’t need a meal as I depart or arrive, so I’m not the right one to judge that.
What’s your take on Ottawa’s airport? What other aiports do you like – or dislike – and why? Setting aside complaints best laid at the feet of the TSA and airline companies, what could airports be doing better?
Tags: Airports Council International, canada, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, travel issues
I had to fly once roundtrip Chicago-Ottawa. I was so impressed that, at YOW, there’s an entire US-Customs center that clears people with USA destinations. Not having to disembark at O’Hare into the morass of international terminal/customs was great. Is this cooperation with the USA a feature of YOW because it’s the federal capital, or do other Canadian airports have this as well?
DIA, is my favorite, I don’t even notice the airport I am so happy to be in Colorado. When you see those mountains off in the distance who cares what the airport looks like!
Seriously though, as long as the flights are flying, I love small airports. Lake Clear is great.
The Ottawa airport is great, it is also beautiful in my opinion.