I flew to Alice Springs from Amsterdam, via London, Singapore and Sydney. It took almost 4 days with all these transfers. Some airports are fine: nice shops, recliners where you can sleep/rest or watch TV, free internet and decent coffeeshops. But mostly you're treated as cattle. I would like to fly to small airports, like one I visited in the peruvian jungle: a straw hut next to a grassy runway. You stow your own luggage in the back of the plane and sit next to the pilot!
That is an interesting observation, I travel a good bit in the States and I too can appreciate a good airport. Charlotte NC has rocking chairs and they are really nice. Free Wi-Fi is also a must. From a spoiled brat standpoint, I would also ad that a good sushi restaurant and a nice bar with creative cocktails would be nice. -I've yet to find either.