Who’s Got North America’s Best Airport? Survey Says …
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
12 million people voted. And Vancouver’s own YVR Airport came out on top in North America.
The results of the 2014 Skytrax World Airport Awards (the “Oscars” of the airport world) are out. And for the fifth year in a row Vancouver International Airport was ranked the best in North America. It also ranked 9th worldwide, sandwiched between Zurich Airport (8th) and London’s Heathrow Airport (10th).
For the awards, passengers from around the globe were asked to assess more than 400 airports based on 39 different criteria, from passenger experience and signage to amenities and friendliness. The resulting rankings were based exclusively on these surveys, with no influence from sponsors or other factors.
As in past years, YVR was singled out for the exceptional art and architecture on display throughout its terminals, from Bill Reid’s massive Jade Canoe sculpture in the departures area to the elaborate totem poles inside and out.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
My personal favourite is a piece called Pacific Passage. Before customs, passenger arriving from the U.S. pass through a recreated section of B.C. forest: an entire landscape with rocks and streams, a First Nations canoe and giant mythical bird hanging overhead. It’s a memorable – not to mention highly symbolic – introduction to Canada’s West Coast.
Then, of course, there’s YVR’s exceptional transit access. Since the CanadaLine opened in 2009, getting to and from YVR has been a breeze … almost a delight. The trains run every few minutes and whisk you right from the airport to downtown in about a half hour – nearly as fast as a taxi would.
Photo credit: The Buzzer | Flickr
And let’s not forget maybe the most mind-blowing amenity of all at YVR – free wireless Internet. If you’ve ever been stuck in an airport without wifi – or with some weak signal that keeps dropping out – you understand how amazing YVR truly is.
Any other fans of Vancouver’s YVR Airport out there? Let us know below.
Follow me on Twitter @RemyScalza.
Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2014/05/04/whos-got-north-americas-best-airport-survey-says/
