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Outdated infrastructure, overcrowding, chronic delays, and demoralized staff: That’s what you’ll find in some of America’s worst airports, according to readers of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tackled these issues head-on, refurbishing terminals and adding amenities that make the worst airports look evermore outdated by comparison.

[C19fan]

The three NY metro area airports are in the top 5 worst with LAX and PHL.

[dfwgator]

Miami International Airport.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Pittsburgh needs to be on the list.

A giant mall (which is basically dying because no one will go through a naked body scan to go shopping) where the availability of direct flights to anywhere is not 1/10 what it was when they built it.

[Timber Rattler]

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

[JimSEA]

Anyone who has ever had to transfer from a domestic to an international flight at LAX will have nightmares about the experience for years after. Plus, the food court in Tom Bradly terminal is the worst I’ve ever encountered. Twice spoiled food got me. Yeah, I should have learned the first time.

[Dr. Sivana]

I’ve avoided it for decades, but Newark was the most depressing airport by far. O’Hare is a huge hassle every time. Besides small airports like New Haven-Tweed and Rockford, Minneapolis rates very well with me.

[LibWhacker]

Hate landing in San Diego.

[GonzoGOP]

Chicago O'Hare came in #6. It all depends on what airline you fly. United out of terminal 1 is great. It is also a lot newer than the other terminals Going out of terminal three is awful.

What I found strange was that the main thing they rated against O'Hare was delays due to weather. The weather in Chicago sucks. I don't care what kind of trillion dollar super airport you build here the weather is going to suck. Unlike the global warming fanatics I understand that the weather does not respond to government edicts or happy thoughts.

[Huskrrrr]

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

OT. Can you still get Arthur Bryants’ BBQ at the KC airport?

[goseminoles]

Atlanta

[dfwgator]

Flew into Newark last year, it has improved immensely since last time I went through it.

[thefactor]

The only thing good about the ATL airport is the USO Club.

[dfwgator]

I would put Atlanta 2nd behind Miami.

[SoCal Pubbie]

LAX may have a lot of flaws, but I’m puzzled by low marks for location. Sure Inglewood’s no garden spot but do people expect to land in downtown LA or something?

[Blue Ink]

LAX is absolutely the worst airport I’ve ever been to. (And that’s saying something, because I’ve flown into Cairo. Which wasn’t too bad. Clean restrooms.)

And I live in Los Angeles.

Just arrived home on an international flight last week. Same old teensy rickety escalator-in-a-tube leading down, down into the grimy leaky bowels of baggage claim and passport control. Sagging ceiling tile. Corroded construction seams. Sickly overhead interrogation-type lighting. Windows? In a prison? What are you thinking? And (WHAT is that on the walls? Never mind, I don’t want to know...)

And what’s that on the left-hand side as you duck your head and descend in that tiny tube? A big, shiny high-school-esque portrait of our ex-gang-banging, gap-toothed mayor in a cheap frame, welcoming you poor bastards to this third-world way-station. What does he care? He flies private.

Same old fat, surly, union customs goons barking at people because they don’t already KNOW which line they should be standing in. At least they make no distinction between Americans and foreigners — they’re equal opportunity rude bastards.

And heaven forfend you need a restroom. They all look like where the bomb squad blows up suspicious luggage. You’re much better off waiting till you exit the gulag and finding a palm tree to sneak behind.

Yeah, um, LAX is not a pleasant place.

[massgopguy]

Midway Airport: “Any landing you can walk away from is a surprise to us.”

[JimSEA]

Since I’m usually connecting, I didn’t really consider the location. Thinking about it, it doesn’t seem that bad. I’m still thinking about the last old burrito I had. ;-)

[MasterGunner01]

Ah, MCI (KC Int’l Airport)! It is shaped like a series of circles. When I went through there many, many years ago, it was the most horrible place I'd ever been. Some wing nut had combined the security area and the waiting/boarding lounges together.

I had a 2-1/2 hour layover. I checked through security and settled-in for my wait. About 30 minutes into the wait, the security people shut down the lounge area because they wanted to go on break! Everyone was thrown out and forced to go through security again after they were off break! What a bunch of idiots! People who were thrown out got to wait in the seats along the walls of the concourse outside the waiting/boarding lounge. I will never fly through MCI again. But, this is now a moot point. I've stopped flying due to all the hastles and absolute stupidity.

[edh]

“Pittsburgh needs to be on the list.”

You’re not thinking long term. They can make some killer zombie movies there and not impact people in transit at all!!!!

It’s pretty sad that Pittsburgh’s airport is mostly abandoned. Overall, its not a bad airport. I just feel for the people that get stuck in PIT after 8PM. Nothing is open.

[Gay State Conservative]

I’m only familiar with a few US airports and none are what I’d call good.JFK and Logan,the two I’m most familiar with,are *terrible*.Logan does have one advantage though,it’s easy,quick and cheap to get right to your terminal from your home via public transit.OTOH,Hong Kong and Dubai,two airports I’ve used recently,are OUTSTANDING!

[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.

[taterjay]

At least MCI (Kansas City) has private security. I read they are only 1 of 5 in the country.

[Vinnie]

Pittsburgh’s city council, Airport authority or whoever is in charge wanted to raise US Airways’ rent waaay up.
The airline tried to negotiate the rent down, threatened to move.
The Authority wouldn’t budge. So US Airways moved to Philly.
A shame to leave that nice airport but Pittsburgh has no one to blame but themselves.

[PhiloBedo]

TEB, EWK, PHL

[Disambiguator]

I don’t fly any more, but I used to live in the Albuquerque area, and the ABQ airport is a very nice one, IMHO.

[Yardstick]

Call me crazy but I find dystopias interesting. I’d like to check out that rickety escalator in a tube. Was it built in the 1960s? If so, bonus points. Retro-futuristic decay is cool.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Agree totally. I’ll say this again...I’ve in airports from Bankok to Beirut and Newark, New Jersey sucked the most.

[Timber Rattler]

I’ve flown through Kansas City three times over the past year, and yeah, it uses private security. But the guards grab your crotch and get into your waistband even more thoroughly than TSA.

[Made In The USA]

Been there - it’s definitely not an airport you could get lost in.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Oh contrair Vigilanteman, Chicago O’Hara most definitely deserves its bad rap.

Back in the day (before 9/11) when I was flying round trip across country on a average of 5 to 6 times a year, I always ended up getting booked through O’Hara. And every time (regardless of the weather) my flight would end up getting delayed on average of 6 to 8 hours (if not outright cancelled). In addition, I have never had a connection through O’Hara airport without at least one piece of my luggage getting delayed or lost.

So, yes indeed. O’Hara deserves it bad rap. In fact, I would go as far as putting this sorry excuse for an airport at number 1 on this list.

[Vigilanteman]

Your point is well taken, but your focus is entirely on getting in and out of the airport. ORD looks a lot better when you focus on the experience while you are there.

MSP, for instance, would have some of the same type of weather related delays. But nobody notices for two reasons:

1. MSP has a lot of slack flight capacity to reduce these delays.
   
2. It is one of the best airports in the country to be stuck in should your flight be delayed.