It seems like anyone who’s anyone (or thinks they are) has an annual “best airports in the world” list. Skytrax. Travel & Leisure. CN Traveler. A few even have the “worst airports in the world.” Forbes. Business Insider.
Do you know what very few places ever report on, though? The worst airports in the United States. And that’s a shame because even though it’s fun to know which airports around the world stink, the bottom line is that 40% (+/-) of Americans have never left the country. So, saying that Humberto Delgado Airport in Portugal was voted in 2020 as the worst airport in the world by AirHelp doesn’t give them any meaning because they’ve never been to Portugal, never mind that particular airport. There’s much more of a chance that they’ve been to… Well, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Frommer’s History
Frommer’s travel guidebooks have been around since 1957 – so almost 70 years.
In 1957, Arthur Frommer was a corporal in the U.S. Army. He wrote a travel guide for American GIs in Europe, and then produced a civilian version called Europe on $5 a Day. The book ranked famous landmarks and sights in order of importance and included suggestions on how to travel around Europe on a budget. It’s said to be the first travel guide that showed Americans they could afford to travel in Europe.
Upon his return to the U.S., Frommer became a lawyer. However, he continued to write and self-publish his guidebooks, expanding to destinations such as New York, Mexico, Hawaii, Japan, and the Caribbean. The collection continued growing when Arthur’s daughter, Pauline, began writing her additions to the series.
From 1977 onward, the Frommer’s series was sold several times over. Google purchased the rights to the series in 2012, but when they announced in 2013 that they would no longer publish the books, the Frommers bought the rights of the series back.
The world lost Arthur Frommer just about a year ago. He died November 18, 2024. He made it all the way to 95!
The list
Here’s the list of what Frommer’s says are the 10 worst airports in the U.S. (Note: it was published this past May, so opinions may have changed a bit since then):
10. Denver International Airport (DEN)
Problems: bumpy takeoffs and landings, long TSA lines, parking issues, construction
DEN is a scary airport for flying because it’s frequently a victim of “mountain wave” turbulence. From the FAA:
When the wind speed is above about 25 knots and flowing perpendicular to the ridge lines, the airflow can form waves, much like water flowing over rocks in a stream bed. The waves form downwind from the ridge line and will be composed of very strong up and down drafts.
Read: it can feel like a roller coaster.
DEN has also been the victim of not having enough staff members, which has led to longer lines and difficulty finding parking (because they don’t have enough shuttle drivers, so 2 parking lots are closed).
DEN has had its share of excitement, though:
- The naked passenger walking around the airport
- Conspiracy theories galore
- They had a freakin’ TALKING GARGOYLE!
9. San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Problems: Flight delays
Using their data from 2024, Frommer’s’ main complaint about SFO is their flight delays. Back then, 37% of planes did NOT take off on time. It was also one of the top 10 airports for cancellations.
The main reason for all the delays is the city’s famous fog. It makes visibility a huge issue.
The Weather Channel explains that, “When visibility is low, the FAA doesn’t allow planes to land side-by-side unless runways are at least 4,300 feet apart.” But SFO’s are only 750 feet apart. Consequently, arrivals have to be staggered much of the time, causing a reduction of landings per hour by roughly a third on foggy days.
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Problems: safety concerns, congested airspace, understaffing
DCA’s biggest problem is safety. Its airspace is congested and the airport is constantly understaffed. The deadly midair collision that occurred there earlier this year wasn’t a wake-up call, either – there have reportedly been plenty of near misses, communication errors and violence inside ATC since them.
7. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Problems: roadway congestion, long TSA wait times, flight delays
The greater Fort Lauderdale area is booming with growth – and that means traffic congestion up the ying yang – including to and from the airport.
FLL’s TSA waits are also notoriously long (even when there’s not a government shutdown).
The airport also has more than its share of flight delays. Part of that might be because the airport has so many ULCCs.
6. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Problems: long waits for security and passport control, mishandled baggage, flight delays, construction mess
JFK is in the midst of a $19 billion construction project to fix all of its problems but they’re nowhere near finished with that. Until then, expect a dumpster fire of an airport.
5. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Problems: flight delays and cancellations, cramped facilities, limited amenities
MDW has its good points – it’s close to downtown. But its tiny size and limited amenities make flying out of there kind of painful.
Winter in the midwest also plays a strong role in flight delays and cancellations in the winter.
4. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Problems: outdated terminals, lack of cleanliness, security concerns
PHL’s problem on the inside is that, it’s old and needs an update. Fortunately, they got some money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and that money ($1.8 billion) is currently being used to refresh the airport,including upgrades to roadways, terminals and the airfield.
But it also has poor lighting and security cameras in its parking garages – car theft is an ongoing problem.
3. Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Problems: poor customer service, overcrowding, mishandled baggage, long waits, lack of cleanliness
Part of MCO’s problem, particularly in Terminals A and B, which most of the airport’s domestic flights (except JetBlue) use, is overcrowding of people who rarely fly. We’ve gone over it before and some of that is still an issue.
However MCO is also #1 for mishandled bags, and the third most complaints against the TSA (typically customer service issues. We’ve gone over that, too).
2. Miami International Airport (MIA)
Problems: long waits, confusing layout, subpar food options
I’ve flown in and out of MIA lots of times and yeah, it’s a dumpster fire.
It has super long TSA waits, the layout is confusing, and I suggest you bring your own food because what they have to offer is pretty mediocre at best.
1. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Problems: delays/cancellations, poor amenities, inconvenient location
Who’s surprised? Bueller? Bueller?
EWR has pretty consistently ranked towards the bottom of the barrel. One of the 3 airports in the NYC area, it has the worst on-time rate of any airport (nearly 25% of all flights were delayed or canceled).
EWR also suffers from overcrowding, a cleanliness issue, and really crappy food options.
Oh, and travel to and from? Total pain. You have to take a cab or ride sharing, or take 2 trains that are operated by two different systems (too confusing for tourists).
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