The best and worst airports in America, according to The Points Guy

Aarthi Swaminathan
·Reporter
·4 min read

This post has been updated.

Good news for those passing through San Diego International Airport: The airport was recently ranked as the best in America.

The rankings — which were part of a study done by The Points Guy — looked at 34 different factors from flight delays, cancellations, ride-hailing prices, security wait times and more. Check out the full list here.

“Sunny San Diego is really close to the city center… the new main terminal there has great beautiful light, lots of restaurants and… lots of lounges,” TPG Executive News Director Scott Mayerowitz told Yahoo Finance’s YFi PM. “What we found is West Coast airports don’t have as many delays as they do on the east coast.”

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport clinched second place, followed by Portland (Oregon) International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Sacramento International Airport.

The best and worst U.S. airport, according to the Points Guy. (Graphic: Yahoo Finance)
The best and worst U.S. airport, according to the Points Guy. (Graphic: Yahoo Finance)

Commute in and out of the airport a big factor

San Diego’s airport got the top spot because of ample amenities, punctuality, and a short commute time “likely for its convenient proximity to the downtown area,” the report stated.

Phoenix’s airport, which took second place, is a “known travelers’ favorite,” the report stated. The airport had the second-best commute time, but lagged behind San Diego in terms of flights’ punctuality.

In this long time exposure photo, protesters march during a rally against the travel ban at San Diego International Airport on March 6, 2017 in San Diego, California. US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on refugees and on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents. / AFP PHOTO / Sandy Huffaker (Photo credit should read SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images)
Protestors march in this long time exposure photo in front of the San Diego International Airport in March 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo: SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images)

A bunch of other airports in California also cracked the top 10.

Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose’s international airports as well as Orange County’s John Wayne airport, all scored points.

San Francisco was lauded for its amenities — things like lounges, restaurants, the quality of life and sustainability — and Sacramento was also credited for offering an easy commute into the city for passengers. San Jose also scored points for being the best airport in California for on-time flights.

Worst airports in America

On the flip side the worst airport in America, according to The Points Guy, is the Chicago Midway International Airport, followed by Orlando International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Midway ranked last because of its limited amenities, the report found. On top of that, the airport was plagued by long wait times and a “less-than-desirable” commute.

Chicago Midway International Airport is largely empty of travelers on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, after Southwest Airlines canceled all outgoing flights in the morning due to severe weather concerns. Meanwhile, O'Hare International Airport canceled more than 490 flights. (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune/MCT via Getty Images)
Chicago Midway International Airport was largely empty of travelers on in October 2014, after Southwest Airlines canceled all outgoing flights in the morning due to severe weather concerns. (Photo credit: Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune/MCT/Getty Images)

Orlando’s airport suffered from the same issues as well, hence its low ranking.

On top of that, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Southwest Florida International— which both ranked near Orlando in the bottom 10 — all contributed to Florida being the state with the biggest share of the worst airports in America.

Busiest airports

The busiest airports in America did fairly well on the list.

As mentioned before, Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson airport secured 4th place. Dallas/Forth Worth International, another big hub, came in 11th. LAX was ranked 16th, JFK — which also scored top marks for amenities — was 22nd, and Chicago’s O’Hare scored 30th.

Arriving passengers line up to get taxi outside of Terminal 4 at the JFK airport in New York on October 11, 2014. The airport started health screenings for travelers arriving from Ebola-hit West African nations on October 11, as the death toll from the deadly virus topped 4,000. Passengers arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will have their temperatures taken, be assessed for signs of illness and answer questions about their health and exposure history, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
Arriving passengers line up to get taxi outside of Terminal 4 at the JFK airport in New York on October 11, 2014. (Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

JFK in particular, the report noted, was last-place last year but improved tremendously. A big reason for that is because of the increased availability of lounges. Despite having a “terrible” record of on-time flights and “painful commute times,” its 23 lounges — which apparently are “more than any other airport could boast” — offset, the report explained.

“[K]nowing the pros and cons of each airport is a helpful guide when planning your trip,” Scott Mayerowitz, executive news director of The Points Guy, said in a press release. “If you know the airport you’re traveling through lacks amenities, pack a meal. Leave early if commute times are unpredictable, and try to schedule connecting flights through more-reliable airports.”

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Aarthi is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @aarthiswami.

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