Attention, Passengers: The Best and Worst U.S. Airports

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Expect hectic travels if you’re flying into or out of the Big Apple for the holidays.

The three major airports in the New York City area are also the three worst in the country, according to a recent analysis by The Points Guy.

The travel website notes that the analysis of the 30 busiest U.S. airports was based on data from sources like federal government agencies rather than public opinion polls.

The main categories of criteria that The Points Guys considered “most important in determining ‘good’ and ‘bad’ airports” are:

  • Timeliness — includes flight delays, cancellations and security wait times
  • Accessibility — includes drive time to and from the city center or other popular destinations, number of public transportation transfers required and public transit time to and from the airport
  • Amenities — includes the number of restaurants and lounges, Wi-Fi fees and parking fees

LaGuardia Airport in New York City’s Queens borough ranked as the worst of the bad.

It had the highest rate of flight delays and cancellations, the second-longest drive time from the city center, and what The Points Guy describes as “extortionate parking rates” of at least $29 per day.

The five worst-ranked airports in the analysis are:

  1. LaGuardia, New York
  2. John F. Kennedy International, New York
  3. Newark Liberty International, New Jersey
  4. Chicago O’Hare International
  5. Detroit Metropolitan

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the top-ranked Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Of the 30 airports in the analysis, Phoenix had the fastest drive time from the city center. The Points Guy also describes it as “consistently among the best scorers in almost all categories, with excellent flight delay and flight cancellation scores, a convenient light rail, a high number of restaurants and bars for its level of passenger traffic and free Wi-Fi.”

The five best-ranked airports in the analysis are:

  1. Phoenix Sky Harbor International
  2. Portland International, Oregon
  3. San Diego International
  4. Salt Lake City International
  5. Honolulu International

If you’re worried about a bumpy ride the next time you travel, be sure to first check out “10 Types of Travel Trouble: Do You Know Your Rights?

Which U.S. airport do you consider the best or worst? Share your thoughts by commenting below or on Facebook.

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