America's worst airports

Travel + Leisure ^ | April 17, 2012 | Everett Potter

[C19fan]

Outdated infrastructure, overcrowding, chronic delays, and demoralized staff: That’s what you’ll find in some of America’s worst airports, according to readers of Travel + Leisure. In our first-ever airport survey, we asked readers to rate America’s 22 major airports in seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. The best-scoring airports have tackled these issues head-on, refurbishing terminals and adding amenities that make the worst airports look evermore outdated by comparison.

[cuban leaf]

I pretty much just see all airports the same: They are just really annoying places I want to remove myself from as quickly as possible.

And the smaller the airport the better.

[GOP Poet]

haha. just flew out of and into LAX on international flight a few weeks ago and often fly domestic in and out of LAX. You nailed it!

[Gay State Conservative]

Any landing you can walk away from is a surprise to us...

ROTFL

[Vigilanteman]

I've been in all 11 of the worst airports on this list and 7 of the 11 best airports.

A few observations:

1. Chicago's Midway (MDY) definitely belongs on the worst list. Yes, I know, it is convenient to downtown and long layovers are rare. But the vendors really take advantage of short transit times to sell $2 sandwiches for $9. Yeah, I know there is a McDonald's that sells food at reasonable prices. But get in that long line and you risk missing your connection! Plus, I've been in third world airports which are less crowded and dirty than Midway. Its only saving grace is that you don't spend much time there.
   
2. Detroit (DTW) makes the best list because it uncrowded and relatively clean? Hello! When half the shops are closed due to lack of economic activity in the area, lack of crowding is one result. I suppose the do deserve credit for being relatively clean, but consider Pittsburgh.
   
3. Pittsburgh (PIT) is really one of the better airports in the country. You can actually load and unload curbside (as long as you don't get too piggy about it) or park nearby for $1 the first hour. Before the TSA goons screwed up business for the airport mall by admitting only traveling passengers, it was arguably the best airport mall in the country, with lots of choices for restaurants and retail at reasonable prices, including visitors stocking up on clothing at our tax-exempt competitive prices. People actually came there to shop with their departing or arriving guests because prices are so reasonable and selection is great in PIT. This is still true to a certain extent, but the airport wasn't built with the TSA in mind and many of the shops have closed or seriously shortened hours. Still, I'd rank it better than some of the airports on the best list.
   
4. Chicago O'Hara (ORD) unfairly gets a bad rap because it handles tons of flights (many of which are inevitably late), it is far away from downtown and it is spread out. But is also offers a lot to a captive audience-- the funky underground walkways with the neon lights and groovy sounds in way cool. There are lots of choices for retail and eating, albeit not as reasonable as Pittsburgh. And the aviation and museum displays are second to none, with the possible exception of Denver, which is a much newer airport. Plus the fact that, if you are traveling light, you can walk right from the airport to the city transit system almost as conveniently as you can at Minneapolis (MSP) or Washington's Reagan Airport (DCA) is worth a lot.

[Mase]

New Orleans airport.

Everything about this airport sucks. It has no redeeming qualities.

[andy58-in-nh]

Philadelphia is horrible. I refuse to travel through there any more; I use BWI or Charlotte instead. Incompetence and poor service coupled with lack of communication, and a general “Bleep you” attitude, especially on the part of US Airways (their hub) employees. I’ve slept in the airport twice, having flights canceled after multi-hour delays.

[Gay State Conservative]

Ah, MCI (KC Int’l Airport)!

I love it.Kansas City *International*.Reminds me of summer camps in the 70's at Camp Drum (now Fort Drum).The local airport was "Watertown International"...because it's 10 miles from the Canadian border.

[wbill]

I’ve avoided it for decades, but Newark was the most depressing airport by far

It's been a few years since I've been there, but Newark got an improvement from "Horrific" to "Marginal".

You're right though....20-25 years ago, it was a dump. Dangerous, too.

[Lx]

I can't believe Sacramento 'International' isn't there. Sacramento just spent 1 Billion dollars on a new terminal. The must have thought that if you build it, they will come.

Since no one came, Sacramento is offering millions to airlines to fly into Sacramento.

The funny thing is that they call it an International airport but I don't think it has a customs since Mexicana went under at least I think it was Mexicana.

They could have vastly improved the area by dividing that money and then give it all to me.

[QT3.14]

-- Kansas City is awful, especially after TSA’s walled-off enhancements in the claustrophobic gate areas.

Also my sentiments.

[Walrus]

If an airport has customs, immigration and plant & animal quarantine services, it’s an “international airport”. Otherwise, it’s not.

[QT3.14]

San Diego on certain connecting flights with Southwest.

On arrival we had to leave the secure area and go to another area of the terminal for the connecting flight. Of course, this required going through the TSA Kabuki dance once again.

[SeaHawkFan]

Have travelled many times through MSP on standby. No better airport if you have to spend the night for a flight the next day. Mall of the Americas is close by if you have a long lay-over. It’s not the Galleria in Houston, but not bad.

[Gay State Conservative]

If an airport has customs, immigration and plant & animal quarantine services, it’s an “international airport”. Otherwise, it’s not.

Understood.My question is...how many people are flying out of KC (rather than St Louis) to Canada...Mexico...Britain...Japan...Brazil?

[SeaHawkFan]

Have travelled many times through MSP on standby. No better airport if you have to spend the night for a flight the next day. Mall of the Americas is close by if you have a long lay-over. It’s not the Galleria in Houston, but not bad.

[beandog]

They have Dulles listed. I love Dulles and fly out of it all the time. I’d rather take Dulles than BWI or Reagan anytime. Luggage is a little slow.

I hate Atlanta but that could be because that seems to be the airport I connect with most of the time.

Airports ruin vacations.

[SargeK]

The facility itself is fine. It turns out to have been WAY overbuilt, to accomodate USAirways’ hub. Then the airline buggered off and we got stuck with a white elephant.

That’s what happens when your politicians run around giving away truckloads full of OPM in exchange for bribes and kickbacks (er, rather I mean campaign contributions).

It is a billion dollar refutation of the “Field of Dreams” syndrome. It is built, but they aren’t coming.

And oh, BTW - yes, the TSA is doing more to destroy air travel in this country than any economic trend or terrorist group. I have flown through just about every major airport in the US and a fair part of Europe, but I’ll drive 12 hours to avoid the airport chaos nowadays.

[samanella]

CRW — Charleston, WV. Located on top of a mountain, only restaurant is Tudor’s Biscuit World, and takes forever for luggage.

[urtax$@work]

MCI is one of the easiest. Walk off the front curb - your at ticketing a few feet from the door. Then shuffle to the side to the gate area . Everything is up at the front.

A very shallow design with little depth. You are at the gate and about 50 FEET from the front doors. Try walking midway chicago from the front. By the time you get to the gates you are in Western Ill. The old linear design was ok when few people flew back in the 60s/70s.

[BfloGuy]

Overall, its not a bad airport.

Back in the nineties, while it was still a hub, Pittsburgh's airport was my absolute favorite in the country. At the time, the mall was revolutionary and with the concourses radiating from the central hub, none of the gates was difficult to reach.