This is a little off the main point of the article, but if you want to see airports that are quite pleasant, check out Tokyo. Haneda and Narita rate 9/10 and 8/10 respectively. They have a smoking places all over the place: by ground transportation, inside before security, inside after security, and in some bars. My favorite place to go when I still smoked was to this one bar in Narita where there would inevitably be some US military people to chat with.
There's a bar at Narita past security but just before all of the high-end duty-free stores that I love to sit in because the smokers section, enclosed in a glass cube, is usually empty and they serve 1 litre steins of Kirin for not much more than the price at a Lawsons convenience store. Good way to chill and fill the veins with nicotine before getting on a flight.
Speaking of Kirin, I'd say the Kirin pubs/bars are the nicest places for smokers out there. Some of my favourite times were just sitting there eating various plates of meats (partner is vegetarian so I enjoy it when I can), sipping their excellent ichiban shibori stout and smoking while reading the newspaper, hiding from the stinking hot summer weather. I'd say I like the one in Namba, Osaka the best because it's dank like an old English pub and has cool L-shaped tables fixed to the wall so you can stand around smoking, talking and drinking in small groups. Cozy.
