Last Updated on March 31, 2019

There’s a reason I prefer trains to airplanes: no airports.

But if more airports were like Vancouver’s, air travel would be so much more pleasant. From the moment you arrive at the international terminal in YVR (fun fact: all Canadian airport codes start with Y), you feel more serene than harried, what with the Zen-like waterfall escorting you down the escalator, then down the corridor as it turns into a pebbly brook. Around every corner is another piece of native artwork, from the Haida piece at the top of the cascade to totem poles and other aboriginal designs.

But what I loved most was the convenience. Unlike at JFK, which wanted to charge me
$4.95 per hour for Internet use, YVR’s Internet connection was free. FREE! Total time in line through security: three minutes. And the security officials? I saw nary a smile at JFK, but YVR was all grins. Top it all off with a killer logo and you’ve got my favoritest airport on the globe (thus far).

JFK, take heed: Be more like YVR and maybe fewer people (myself included) will bitch about you.