Canadian travel agents keep Schiphol as favorite airport

Six years in a row

TORONTO, Ontario - Canadian travel agents recently named Amsterdam airport Schiphol as their “Favorite International Airport” for the sixth consecutive year. Schiphol outstripped second place London Heathrow by nearly a 2 to 1 ratio, 1,957 to 1,014 points. Toronto and Vancouver ranked on the third and fourth places. Hongkong came in fifth. Frankfurt ranked again sixth.

Voters in Baxter Travel Media’s Agents Choice Awards readership survey cited Schiphol’s outstanding service, shopping and dining options. They praised the recent opening of Airport Park, a 2,100 square foot waiting area designed to mimic an outdoor oasis, and the Airport Library, the first permanent library in the world to be located at an airport.

Agents also commended the airport’s ease of navigation. One agent mentioned that it is easy to get around the airport, especially for those who do not speak Dutch, since most people employed at Schiphol speak English.

The magazine’s 12th annual survey attracted almost 4,800 voters who picked their favorites in 24 categories. Among the airports, major U.S. hubs Atlanta and Detroit showed great improvement but others slipped spots: Atlanta 14 (up from 37 in 2010); New York JKF 16 (12); Chicago O’Hara 22 (21); Detroit DTU 25 (33); and Dallas / Fort Worth 31 (25);