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The Worst Airport In America

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More than 46 million Americans will travel further than 50 miles for this week's turkey-based festivities, and many of us will do it via air. And while very few airports deal well with holidays swarms, some of them excel at misery. (gizmodo.com) עוד...

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Yukishau
Shaun S 9
Hahahahaha!! Holy!! I was reading some of those comments and rollin!! So funny! I'm at Narita now and having come from KEWR, this place is absolute Heaven. I think Newark may be one of the few where you actually feel you may get mugged by the TSA agents instead of the regular thugs. Keep it tight when you travel through Newark.
dkgambler
Dean Kennedy 4
Agree completely. My EWR experiences actually weren't too bad with the exception of the Blueshirts. I remember being screamed at for not having my hands in the exact proper position during the peep show. One time I got felt up after the peep show, when I asked why I was felt up after submitting to the peep show the Blueshirt just walked away. So then on future trips I decided to extend my middle fingers when assuming the position in the peep show. My little slice of rebellion.
xtoler
Larry Toler 4
Dude, I used to get harassed at KEWR as a flight attendant. TSA even tried to not let me through because I didn't have my tie on? Really?
kathydianne
Kathy McDowell 3
TSA agents need some training in customer relations. I don't get
their sense of power and inflated self esteem. It's so ignorant.
mdlacey
Matt Lacey 4
I think it comes down to the airport/city government pushing back. With MCO as my home field, I'm fairly certain Disney, Universal and the rest of the local tourist industry have weighed in with TSA. They've become noticeably more customer-friendly and fast, while still being firm when needed. It only took 11 years. TSA does factor into whether a city gets return business for tourism and conventions. A bad departure experience can leave a sour taste in the mouth for the whole vacation.

On the other side of the trip, I think Disney even took over baggage return because it was so notoriously slow. The last time I checked a bag, it came back in record time, with a tag advertising a new Disney ride. That's a trade I'm totally willing to make.
GregPeterman
Greg Peterman 2
TSA in Atlanta are notorious for taking anything they want. If you are from Georgia or use the Atlanta airport regularly, you know somebody who has been conned or ripped off at the Atlanta airport. It is a real disgrace because unsuspecting travelers from all over the world come here and get a fist bad impression of this country there.
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 1
If Shaun thinks Narita is "Heaven," wait 'till he gets to Singapore!
Yukishau
Shaun S 2
Looking forward to it, Ric! I heard amazing reviews of Changi. Very nice. Last time I was in Singapore was in the late 90's I think.
canuck44
canuck44 6
I passed through LGA four times this year and each time was a breeze and included some good food. Delta has done a good job with their terminal. On the other hand, EWR is a disaster relatively speaking and PHL is a slum when you leave the International terminal.
deannnnn
deannnnn 5
If you're flying Delta, LGA is a great airport. But if you're flying any other airline, you're screwed.
azuresc
Lanny Word 1
All you have to do is walk over one terminal to USAir's mess and see the night and day between theirs and Delta's. Delta's gates are still jam packed but at least you can sit up at the restaurant/bar and have a glass of wine and such and play with the complementary iPads while you wait right across from your gate. That makes it worth it. That said, Delta was a hot mess during the construction.
s2v8377
s2v8377 4
Another factor that these surveys never take into account is a facility like LGA was built back in the 1930's in a location were there is no room to expand or improve the aerodrome. They can't add runways,taxiways, or that matter terminals like they have in Singapore or Dubai. There's no room, on the ground or in the airspace above!!!
MikeMohle
Mike Mohle 4
Allow a minimum of 2 hrs at LAX if changing terminals and getting on "The Bus". Did this last Friday. The lack of information provided, signs, etc., and passengers all asking each other if they are in the right place to go to the correct terminal was like a Seinfeld episode.
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 3
Next time Mike use Flight Aware to see where your next flight is parked and take Bus #11 (that means walk) to the new terminal. 15 minutes gets you anywhere on the loop.
CaptainFreedom
CaptainFreedom 1
LAX is a toilet, both in layout and culture. The service sucks. There is no one friendly there. I feel like a criminal whenever I've been there.
OnTheHorizon
Tony Smith 1
LAX is indeed horrific. Just try to get out of the terminal area on a Friday night.The Flyaway busses come maybe once an hour and if you're at terminal 7 you're SOL because the bus is full by the time it gets to you. Seen people wait > 2 hours for busses there. Traffic flow stinks, yet they keep pushing more and more flights through. I've gotten to the point where I will connect AND pay a premium to go through BUR and avoid this disaster. But LAX run by the L.A. political machine so it would be madness to expect anything efficient to be done at LAX.
jginnv
John Gerlich 3
The worst I have ever seen is Kazan, Russia (KZN). Baggage claim is 1 small room with 1 belt. The room is so small that you stand outside waiting your turn to get in. The exit to the terminal is 1 standard residential size door. It took me 1.5 hours to get my bag.

I travel to small African countries and they are far better than KZN.
EndZoneLayer
EndZoneLayer 3
I dont understand the general hatred of IAD in all these articles. If you take out the UAX terminal A, the rest of the place runs smooth and less crowded than most airports of its size
mdlacey
Matt Lacey 2
My problems with IAD are:
1) the gate areas in the older terminals are too shallow so boarding flights overflow into the concourses (not unique to IAD but seems worse here than others)
2) the lack of CNN-free areas near the gates. All airports need a place close to your gate where the cable news can be avoided.
xtoler
Larry Toler 2
I just never liked KIAD. I used to fly in and out of there a lot in the'90's while stationed in Germany. It hadn't changed too much after I became an fa in the 2000'S. The layovers sucked. Not much to do for entertainment. Then came they built the G gates for us regionals. LOL, the trailer we used for operations while I was TDY to Aalborg, Denmark was better than that crap. It was like one big bus stop.
scott8733
scott8733 2
Totally in agreement. KIAD is my choice of WAS area airports. KBWI gets overwhelmed by SWA, and KDCA is great- if you're all about nostalgia and consistent problems getting in and out of there.
malarz
Marian Wierzba 1
IAD is the worst for many reasons. The worst aspect is managing the flow of travelers: getting from security to gates takes ages (those snow-walker buses suck big time!), getting through customs and passport control takes millennia (a few days ago my friends stood in line to immigration over 120 minutes), no information about anything. And on top of that it is so far from everywhere, especially Washington DC, and traffic jams are guaranteed when you drive there. BWI is perfectly located between Baltimore and DC, you can get to either town in 30 minutes, you have more than one road to chose from. And it is a small airport with no buses, lines flow quickly most times, so you can get off the car and get from curb to gate in just half an hour (including getting coffee on the way).
med9344
Martin Doyle 3
I guess Miami is not on this list, because it was limited to amateur awfulness, whereas MIA has been at the top of the professional third world airports for years....
scott8733
scott8733 3
...and KBOS doesn't make this list? Not only is Logan a logistical disaster into and of itself.....adding to my misery I have to trudge through the downtown area just to get there. It's like having KORD in downtown Chicago.
daves1243
Dave Smith 3
Interesting that MCI made the list. If you go to the airport to shop or dine or otherwise pass the time, yeah, it sucks (though they do have free wi-fi). On the other hand, if you want to get in and out quickly, it's hard to beat.

That's the main reason it's a lousy place to wait...the captive audience is relatively small and dispersed.

Lot's of talk about a new terminal in KC because the existing facility is said to be expensive to operate. The voters seem to be demanding that any new facility be as convenient as the current one, which is a tall order.

No doubt that LGA deserves top billing.
loydenochs
Loyd Enochs 3
EWR is a hole. It is a traffic nightmare, and if you're lucky enough to be there when the tram is actually operating, half the pod doors won't open. (BTW, Who thought ADDING more moving parts to a people mover was a positive thing?) The constant noise level in the Delta gate area is obnoxious; and given the look of the restrooms, I am grateful that I have no sense of smell.

Add to that, the TSA at Newark are truly the bottom of the barrel - even worse than PHL.
kathydianne
Kathy McDowell 1
Traffic nightmare for sure. The drivers are impatient
and rude. Hope I never have to fly through
there again.
FritzSteiner
Fritz Steiner 2
So many bad airports -- so little time. Had this experience at ORD. Arrived on-time from HSV. Had a 30-minute connection to PHL (I was going to meet my son in Philly to attend the Army-Navy game the next day).

Found my connecting flight's terminal and gate -- two terminals away -- and walked briskly to the gate, There were still 4 minutes left before departure time, but the plane was GONE. I had a WTH (being nice here) moment.

I asked an American Artlines gate attendant why my plane wasn't there. She said they closed the door 5 minutes ago and she walked off. Already renowned amongst family and fiends for my patience, I blew up. I asked for a supervisor but none was available. I was told that I should've arrived at the gate earlier. I showed the idiot-of- the-moment my reservation -- that had been made made through AA. "

"Not our problem", she shrugged. I asked her to look up where my HSV-ORD flight had docked. She did. I then asked her if she could walk from there to this gate in 30 minutes. She responded "Probably not, but we didn't write your ticket."

She suggested I call AA reservations about it so I did. My call obviously must've been their #1 priority because the recorded voice told me so 8 times before a human came on. The lady apologized but said that when these connections are being figured out it wasn't AA's, but ORD's responsibility for establishing the connection times. I politely told her that even if the airports at which connections were being made (ORD is big on this) wouldn't the airlines have enough sense to to tell the airport authority that 30 minutes for a two terminal transfer isn't reasonable tight?

Anyhow she sent me a $100 gift certificate (which I still have) and got me a seat on the next plane -- 2 hours later.
Lasergunn
Larry Gunn 2
Newark is worst, hands down, even considering third world airports.
deafsea
deafsea 2
No matter what - ALL airports in USA are NOT that great. There are many great airports outside the USA. Have you try ICN, NRT, AMS, FRA and several more... their systems are excellent for everything. If USA airports borrow their design, systems, etc - for example... Baggage carts always free for everyone. More spaces in the concourses or more control for incoming / outgoing passengers, etc.
The booths for exchange, their rates are better than Travel-ex'$ rate.
7express
max lyons 2
I live in the New York area and even I know to avoid LGA like the plague.

Surprised JFK didn't make the list, and I'm probably one of the few people in the world that actually likes Newark. Even though I live in CT and EWR is the furthest for me to get to of the 3 I'll pay even more just to fly out of EWR than LGA or JFK.
s2v8377
s2v8377 1
JFK is a pretty nice airport these days. American's Terminal 8, Delta's Terminal 4, and jetBlue's Terminal 5 are all beautiful, new, and modern.

The PANYNJ is also spending millions on runway and taxiway improvements, and like LGA they only have limited space to work with to expand the airport's facilities.
imtxsmoke
Jeffrey Bue 2
Great list but I would put LAX at the top of the list. A horrible place to clear customs. I avoid it like the plague.
Kingstonian
Mike Hill 2
It's a good thing that they didn't examine Canadian airports. Toronto Pearson would have been a cinch.. Over-priced, under-serviced and a dog to reach across the City..
fedexman2
Eric Schmaltz 2
I heard on NPR the other day how America's infrastructure was crumbling and how there isn't enough money or political will to fix the problems. They were talking specifically about the roads and bridges but you could easily throw airports into the mix. We would rather spend billions on political campaigns than fix these things. And I can't see that ever changing! Depressing!
GregPeterman
Greg Peterman 1
You should not listen to NPR, it's just Democrat sponsored propaganda.
Lasergunn
Larry Gunn 2
What more do you expect from TSA considering its run by the government and empowers the inept?
FritzSteiner
Fritz Steiner 2
Larry: If you were responding to my squawk, TSA wan't involved. I was "airside" the whole time. AAA and ORD shared the responsibility for that debacle.
stevemoses
Steve Moses 1
Farther, not further.
ltcjra
ltcjra 1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

LaGuardia Airport voted most frustrating

Vice President Biden compared to the airport to a “third world” facility on two occasions.


http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/225188-laguardia-airport-voted-most-frustrating
4TimKing
4TimKing 1
More signs that the country's infrastructure is a disaster waiting to happen.
Also a sign that airlines largely don't care about your comfort or security by loading more and more flights into these third world airports.
For what its worth my worst ten are:
1)PHL 2)EWR 3)LGA 4)ATL 5)ORD 6)DCA 7)LAS 8)PHX 9)DFW 10)MIA
Ten best?
1)MCO 2)TPA 3)PIT 4)SEA 5)BWI 6)MSP 7)IAH 8)DTW 9)LUV 10)SFO
xtoler
Larry Toler 1
Come to think of it, not big on ORD. Rea
I had two bad experiences there flying from KRIC to LAX and not a better experience coming back. This was back in '90.
But as a fa, the place sucked 20 years later too, but if you have a long enough layover, there is or was a pretty decent Greek to go restaurant over towards the end of F gates.
GeoHank
George Kniss 1
LAX, Dulles and even JFK were the model of "dream airports" of the future....a generation ago....and at the time, they were great. But now, the real future, the models are considered flights of fantasy and the new model, I. E., the business model, is an old Greyhound Bus Station with terrorist security back ups added for more agrivation. Ahh the future......
Gurica
Gustavo Rios 1
I think LGA is the winner
pilot62
Scott Campbell 1
What Options do you have for LAX ? During the winter do you want to connect thru DEN or risk the fog at SFO ?
It may not be great but sometimes there is no other option. Drive to Carlsbad and its a dream come true, oh sorry ... been trying to keep that a secret, United express only , but the nicest departure and arrival in the country !
s2v8377
s2v8377 1
LGA is really not that bad!!! Delta has two beautiful terminals and American's Concourse D of the Central Terminal is clean in appearance with a nice Admiral's Club. People have to take it easy on LGA as the facility pulls off the near impossible everyday with the volume of passengers and flights.

Yes there's room for improvement, which is coming, but still it's doesn't deserve the #1 spot.
s2v8377
s2v8377 2
I also think people were a little hard on ATL. Yes it's a huge facility and can be intimidating for inexperienced travelers to get around. However, ATL's operator have done an excellent job on renovating the airports facilities (In particular Concourse E), and the new international concourse F is beautiful.

ATL also has one of the best operations around when it comes to runway and taxiway operations and movements.

Gizmodo did note that ATL did have many supporters besides the pour rating, so I guess I'm not ATL's only defender.
tkauffm
Todd Kauffman 3
I didn't mind ATL until I encountered passport control when returning from Brazil. One woman from TSA screamed at the top of her lungs the entire time like we were cattle. When I inadvertently went in the wrong line at 4 a.m. after a 10 hour flight, she screamed at me, and I quote "Does you have ears". After making my way through with the other cattle, I encountered 2 more agents repeatedly screaming instructions at the top of their lungs. I fly AA now and go through Dallas...it's like day and night. So long ATL and Delta.
GregPeterman
Greg Peterman 1
Everybody I know has been ripped off at least once at ATL, the TSA there are famous for stealing whatever they want, along with most of the baggage handlers, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
DTBMF
Daniel Gless 0
We fly on occasion to Grand Cayman from Grand Rapids...a nice little airport..through ATL. We have never had any troubles with Atlanta..guess because we have learned how it works and basically go with the flow...and we usually only have a 45 minute connect to our GCM outbound...never missed one yet. (Thanks Delta)
Did LAX once, no problem, again go with the flow. Did ORD a few times, again go with THE FLOW. RELAX MAN! You are traveling across the nation in a FEW HOURS. Get over it, pack yourself in and again..GO WITH THE FLOW because you AIN'T NOTHING ANY MORE SPECIAL then the blokes next to you.
Whenever I DO TRAVEL by air I try to route away from the major dumps...errr terminals if and when possible...not always possible though. C'est la vie.
DTBMF
Daniel Gless 0
And remember this...you can always take THE TRAIN! Bwhahahaha, and I do work for the railroad!
yr2012
matt jensen 0
OHare is one of our favs. Much easier to transit than Hartsfield or Kennedy. LGA hasn't really changed much over the years - runways are kinda squirrly just like MDW.
Jackman10
John Rumpf 0
I disagree with IAD, EWR, and ORD. There are all pretty nice and some of my favorites
bdarnell
bdarnell 0
I'll take ORD over MDW any day that ends in "y".

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