Unlike the US, in some parts of the world smoking is still politically correct. It is even encouraged. For the nicotine addicts among us, there is no better time to light up than after a 10-15 hour flight across the Pacific. Stuck in the terminal waiting for your connection? No worries. That's what smoking rooms are for. Some resemble a bus stop shelter, some are more like a high class smoking club.

The best:

1. Narita's best smoking room is near the Northwest gates. It's no less hazy or crowded than the others, but if you cracked open a beer to go along with your cancer stick, you wouldn't be the only one drinking.

2. Da Nang's airport is a small one, but it has one of the biggest smoking rooms I've ever witnessed. You might even call it scenic because you can see the mountains through the large windows. Though I no longer indulge, I always feel the urge to light up when I pass this spot.

3. Everything about Don Muang seems classic these days. You won't be flying into it anymore. That's sad. I'll especially miss those smoking rooms shaped like bus stop shelters. They smelled of stale, wet cigarettes, but were somehow welcoming.

Filed under: Stories, Airports