The Best and Worst Airports for — Wait for It — Summer Flight Delays

Annie Daly
·Contributing Editor
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Fly into the right airport so you can kill time on the beach — not in the terminal. (Photo: Simone Becchetti/Stocksy) 

Summer is unofficially here, and you know what that means: It’s travel time. Unfortunately, traveling during the summer can get pretty annoying, thanks to the bigger-than-usual crowds and the lines and the heat throughout it all. And no, it’s not just in your head: A new report from MileCards.com, featured on Travel Pulse, found that more than one third of 50 airports surveyed had worse delays in the summer than in the winter.

Related: These Tips Will Save You $$$ on Summer Travel

But fear not.

That same report also released the top 10 best and worst airports for summer delays. MileCards.com analyzed data from the Department of Transportation for the past 10 summers to see which airports had frequently delayed flights and which ones were mostly on time. Consult the list, and you’ll know exactly which airports to hit up and which ones to avoid (if you can) to make your travel experience more manageable — maybe even enjoyable.

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Here are the results, listed by the percentage of on-time summer arrivals.

BEST:

1.     Honolulu International Airport — 87.7 percent

2.     Salt Lake City International Airport — 84.9 percent

3.     Pheonix Sky Harbor International Airport — 81.5 percent

4.     John Wayne Airport, Orange County — 81.4 percent

5.     Mineta San Jose International Airport — 80.7 percent

6.     Portland International Airport — 79.9 percent

7.     Oakland International Airport — 79.6 percent

8.     McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas — 79.1 percent

9.     Minneapolis—Saint Paul International Airport — 78.9 percent

10.   Midway International Airport, Chicago — 78.7 percent

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Paradise isn’t just for the islands. An on-time flight at the Honolulu International Airport can be just as heavenly. (Photo: Orest Ladyzhynsky/iSock)  

WORST:

1.     Newark — Liberty International Airport — 64.5 percent

2.     La Guardia Airport, New York — 66 percent

3.     John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York — 67.5 percent

4.     San Francisco International Airport — 68.9 percent

5.     Boston Logan Airport —70.0 percent

6.     Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, San Juan — 71.5 percent

7.     Philadelphia International Airport — 71.6 percent

8.    O’Hare International Airport, Chicago — 71.9 percent

9.     Miami International Airport — 72.7 percent

10.   Raleigh — Durham International Airport — 73 percent

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Prepare for likely delays at Newark Liberty International Airport. (Photo: Olaser/iStock)   

The report also stated that June is the worst month for summer delays. Sixty-six percent of the 50 busiest airports have more frequent delays in June than in July or August.

So, to sum it all up, try to avoid flying through Newark Liberty International Airport in June. If you’re forced to go due to circumstances beyond your control, make sure you bring plenty of snacks, books, gizmos, and most of all, your patience.

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