Airport Stories

What’s the best and worst airport you’ve been to?

My worst airport experience happened in Chennai in 2008, and even after all these years, I can still remember it as if it happened yesterday.We had arrived at the airport by taxi, carrying heavy luggage. After getting out of the taxi, I made one small mistake that nearly turned into a disaster.

Because my bags were so heavy, I sat down on a chair to rest. I didn’t realise that I should have stayed with my family and followed the crowd immediately to check in our luggage, join the immigration queue, and get our passports cleared.

By the time I realised what was happening, the immigration queue seemed endless.I could feel the panic rising inside me. We were running out of time, and the thought of missing the flight terrified me.

I remember desperately asking people to let me pass, almost begging them for mercy because our boarding time was approaching. The fear wasn’t simply about missing a flight—it was the terrifying thought that we might become separated from one another.

For those few moments, everything seemed to collapse around me. My mind was racing: What if we don’t make it? What if we lose each other in this enormous airport? What if the plane leaves without us?

Fortunately, somehow, we made it.All of us finally boarded the plane to Kuala Lumpur. The moment I took my seat, the relief was overwhelming. The nightmare was over, and we were going home together.

That experience taught me something I never forgot: when travelling through a crowded airport, never become so distracted by your luggage or your own exhaustion that you lose sight of the people travelling with you.

My second unpleasant airport experience was in Australia. The immigration process felt extremely strict and impersonal. Foreign travellers were moved through long lines for passport checks and luggage inspection, with sniffer dogs walking through the queues. Whether you were a tourist or simply passing through, the experience made me feel as though everyone was being processed like cattle.

Perhaps it was necessary for security, but as a traveller, it was not a particularly pleasant experience.

On the other hand, some of my most pleasant airport experiences have been in Singapore and Malaysia. There is something reassuring about their modern, organised, and efficient airports. The procedures feel smoother, the facilities are comfortable, and passengers can move through the airport without feeling completely overwhelmed by the crowds.

After experiencing the chaos of Chennai and the strictness of Australian immigration, Singapore and Malaysia felt almost effortless.

It made me realise that an airport isn’t just a place where airplanes arrive and depart. It is the first and last impression a country leaves on a traveller.And sometimes, the difference between a terrible airport experience and a pleasant one is simply this:

how calmly, efficiently, and humanely people are allowed to find their way home.