Posted on 07/19/2025 12:29:35 PM PDT by DFG
Bad news for Texans hoping to breeze through the airport this summer: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been named the most stressful major airport in the country, according to a new study on travel.
The report, from MarketWatch Guides and based on data from the Bureau of Transportation, ranked DFW last among 30 major American airports in its “stress-free” rankings.
Researchers compiled factors such as flight delays, cancellations, TSA wait times, lost luggage reports, and average ticket prices to ultimately determine which airports create the most (and least) anxiety for travelers. DFW earned its unfortunate top spot thanks to a whopping 27% of flights being delayed by at least 15 minutes, the highest rate in the country.
Additionally, travelers at DFW face some of the longest security lines, with maximum TSA wait times averaging over 35 minutes.
To make matters worse, nearly 2% of flights are canceled outright at DFW.
Add in an average domestic airfare price of $415, and it’s easy to see why travelers might start their vacations already stressed out before they even leave the city.
“A stressful airport experience can mean your trip starts off on the wrong foot, putting you in a bad mood. It’s more than that, though. If the stress is because of delays or cancellations that the airport handles poorly, it could impact your ability to even get to your destination. And that could mean lost hotel reservations, a missed cruise connection or having to cancel an excursion. You never want to start your vacation stressed out, but losing money because of an inefficient airport is just as bad,” said Jeremy Churchland, CEO of Seven Corners Travel Insurance, in the report.
According to the report, it doesn’t help that many DFW passengers say the sprawling, sometimes confusing terminal layout only adds to the headaches.
Frequent flyers cite long treks between gates, overcrowded security checkpoints, and congestion throughout the airport as constant frustrations that added to DFW’s high-stress ranking.
By contrast, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was ranked the least stressful major airport in the country, thanks to its quick security lines (averaging under 25 minutes), lower rates of delays and cancellations, and slightly more affordable flights overall.
Other airports rounding out the top five for stress-free travel included Phoenix Sky Harbor, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles International.
A report from The Dallas Express outlines the companies most likely to lose your luggage, adding to the potential stress levels at any airport, regardless of their flight costs or cancellations. Between 2021 and 2024, airlines across the United States mishandled over 7.7 million bags.
American Airlines topped the list as the worst culprit, with 8.7 mishandled bags per 1,000 – more than 1.7 million lost or damaged items out of roughly 200 million handled.
https://www.marketwatch.com/insurance-services/travel-insurance/best-airports-stress-free-travel/
Best:
#1 Minneapolis-St. Paul International #2 Phoenix Sky Harbor International #3 Salt Lake City International #4 Los Angeles International #5 Detroit Metro Wayne County
Worst:
#30 Dallas/Fort Worth International #29 Newark Liberty International #28 Charlotte Douglas International #27 George Bush Intercontinental/Houston #26 Miami International
Eliminate the TSA and eliminate many problems. Let the airline do their own checks and quit separating me from my carry on luggage for no reason (other than to steal from it).
They say get to the airport 2 hours before your flight, at DFW I would suggest 3 hours.
Another of their plans is incremental taxing of air travel by taxing airfares based on the individual. Each flight in a 12 month period triggers an increasing tax for each one. Four flights in 12 months = a 400% tax. Two is a 200% tax. If you stay under the .5, there will be no added tax.
Of course private jets are exempt.
When I would have layovers there I would just sit on the trolly and read.
Newark has to be the absolute worst. Just a disgusting mess that smells like a sewer.
Well thank goodness someone is figuring out how to offset all the carbon that we can't store because Soros's true evil heir Bill Gates is smart enough to figure out that planting trees to sequester CO2 makes no sense. No sense at all. Thank God we have smart folks like this to figure these things out because otherwise you would fall back on common sense, fly, and let the trees grow free. That would be wrong.
My wife’s niece flew me to NYC from Dallas FW airport. The most stressful time was the highway from her house to the airport.
On my return I flew from NYC to Atlanta then Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. Much less stress even in NYC.
Falling asleep on the commuter train in Philly was my problem. I would fall asleep, miss my station, and have to call someone to come get me.
Putting los angeles on that list is a joke.
You don’t have to take the horribly.Long walks in dfw if you take the tram. Otherwise it’s no worse than Detroit or Newark.Or atlanta a lot of airports have long walks big deal.
I’m a spoiled traveler though I just go to the delta skylounge and everything is good
MIA should be at top of the list for worst airport.
Never have I had to deal with more privileged ghetto rats in TSA.
So glad I retired from the travel nightmare. 35 years of travel and it went downhill fast after 2001.
The worst ghetto rat TSA I have dealt with were in DC.
The assholes let my wife and young kids on the plane but held me up for some dumbass reason. I had to catch another flight to get home. Never got a good reason. Guess because I am a middle aged white male. Power mad hoodrats.
Last time we went to Texas to see the boy, we drove to Chicago and flew out of Midway then landed at Love Field in Dallas, then drove rental car out to where the boy lives.
So Hubs had to drive in Chicago and Dallas traffic in the same day. He deserved a beer after all that.
#30 Dallas/Fort Worth International
Had my worst flight experience ever while connecting through DFW once. Friday evening flight on American Airlines. Maintenance needed on plane. Delayed, delayed, delayed...suprise! Flight finally cancelled at 11pm because PTI would not be open when we got there. They decided to offload luggage outside the security perimeter. Went out to get it, couldn’t get back in. “Slept” in airport chapel until 5am alternate flight to....
#28 Charlotte Douglas International
It must be a rule at this airport that your connecting flight will be at the farthest terminal from where you arrive. Be ready to hustle.
Skylink is fast and efficient at DFW. 15 minutes to the farthest terminal. Go up the escalators to Skylink.
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