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Vice President Joe Biden, never one to hide what he’s thinking, said Thursday that New York’s LaGuardia Airport feels like it’s “in some third world country.â€
“If I blindfolded someone and took them at 2:00 in the morning into the airport in Hong Kong and said ‘where do you think you are,’ they’d say, ‘this must be America, it’s a modern airport,’†Biden said during a speech on infrastructure in Philadelphia.
“But if I blindfolded you and took you to LaGuardia Airport in New York, you must think, ‘I must be in some third world country.’ I’m not joking,†he added as the audience broke out in laughter.
Biden compared LaGuardia to a third-world country.  Which makes me wonder if Biden has even been to a third-world country.
I’m personally a fan of LaGuardia Airport. Â It’s easy to get in and out of. Â The food options aren’t huge, but they aren’t bad either.
But I feel really bad for Biden if he ever decides to fly into Westchester Airport instead of LaGuardia. Â Boy would he be in for a shock!
I almost missed a flight once in Westchester because they sent everyone in my flight out of the terminal because they ran out of room. Â They suddenly got clearance to take off so rushed everyone back into the terminal. Â A suspicious bag then shut down the one security line into the back.
Wow thanks for the political commentary. I know you lean conservative, but this is a travel blog not a politics blog. I come here for real travel news, not snark about a politician you disagree with.
If you do want to offer criticism to a politician at least try to offer a decent argument. There’s a term for Biden’s comments, its called hyperbole. I think we can all agree that while Biden is hardly a serious intellectual, he understands that LaGuardia is not a 3rd world country. The comparison he makes between LaGuardia and Hong Kong International (airports in major cities handling tens of millions of passengers each year) is much more valid than your comparison to Westchester (a small regional airport handling a fraction of the passengers of LGA).
The point that Biden is trying to make is that an airport in a city as large as New York, handling the amount of traffic it does, certainly should have better facilities. Perhaps you would agree with that point if a republican made similar comments.
I can almost guarantee that if there were a Vice President Palin, I’d have a cornucopia of commentary 😀
This isn’t meant as a political commentary, but just as, really? A third world country? It isn’t SO bad that I feel that hyperbole fits (and I think it’s a little privileged to say).
I do agree that the airport needs updating, and I’m not a fan of any of the three major airports. I think a more direct comparison in purpose would be Newark or JFK to Hong Kong international, but LGA does have similar numbers of people coming through.
@ Jared if you don’t like it…don’t read it. The girls work hard on this blog, they are allowed to cover whatever they please.
LaGuardia airport has terminals that have reminded me of airports in third-world countries. While PANYNJ and the airlines have spruced it up a little to a lot, it’s still not a great airport in this day and age despite it’s convenience for my trips from/to NYC.
Yes, I also think LGA could be much better. Compare it to, say London Gatwick.
I transferred through LGA recently, and let me tell you, that bus ride view leaves alot to be desired! My only thought at the time was…”what a Dump!”
The view from the transfer bus was actually much better at almost any other airport I can think of.
I think Biden was referring to the visual here! :+) in which case, he is correct.
Wasn’t there an announcement recently of a Billion dollar refurb?
Does Biden know something I don’t and LaGuardia now has dirt runways instead of asphalt and the pilots are drinking 6-packs of beer out of a cooler next to their seat? If those things aren’t happening then I think we’re okay.
I’ve been to more than a handful 3rd world airports–MGA, SAL, LIM, SJO, OAX–with MGA being in the 2 nd poorest nation, after Haiti, in the western hemisphere– and MGA is clean, modern, has comfortable seating, free wifi, inexpensive and tasty restaurants, and an easy layout. Can the same be said for LGA? I think Biden’s point is that our nation’s major airports do not reflect our prominence as a world power.
I agree, I think that was exactly Biden’s point!