Newark, Chicago, and New York International Airports Rank as Most Miserable in ValuePenguin.com Study
Northeast travel is found to be the most difficult due to weather and other factors.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2019, travelers have had about a 1 in 5 chance of their flight arriving late, and data also showed 2% of flights have been canceled, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Depending on where travelers fly out of, airport experiences could be miserable.
From long security lines and delays to sitting on the tarmac or having your flight canceled, ValuePenguin.com did some number-crunching to calculate its Airport Misery Index. This is what we found:
- The big, bad apple: People may not be surprised to see that Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports were in the top 10 most miserable airports. At Newark's airport in New Jersey, which took the top spot on the list, more than a quarter of flights are delayed — nearly 12% are delayed over an hour.
- An O'Hare nightmare: More than 4% of flights out of O'Hare International Airport (second on the list) are canceled, while roughly a quarter are delayed.
- Blame it on the weather: In colder climates and during the snowy season, flight delays sometimes can't be avoided due to inclement weather, which is likely why airports in the Northeast and Midwest tend to get slammed during the holidays.
- Size doesn't always matter: While New York and Chicago's large airports ranked among the worst, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (the nation's busiest) and Sea-Tac Airport in Washington state (the eighth-busiest) both ranked in the bottom half of our misery index.
To view the full report, visit: https://www.valuepenguin.com/2020/01/where-are-most-miserable-airports
ValuePenguin.com analysts ranked the most miserable airports to fly out of by looking at data for the 84 airports with at least 10,000 departures. Research analysts specifically looked at six variables: flight cancellation rate, flight delay rate, average length of delay, tarmac delay rate, severe delay rate, and security wait time. The full list of airports are included in the table below.
How Do Major Airports Rank for Airport Misery? |
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Rank |
Airport |
Cancellation rate |
Percent of departing flights that are delayed |
Average length of departure delay (minutes) |
Tarmac delay rate |
Percent of flights that are delayed over an hour |
Security Wait Time Index |
Airport Misery Index |
1 |
Newark, N.J.: Newark Liberty International |
3.80% |
26.10% |
23.8 |
2.60% |
11.70% |
6 |
100 |
2 |
Chicago: Chicago O'Hare International |
4.20% |
24.10% |
20.1 |
2.10% |
10.00% |
6 |
99.5 |
3 |
New York: LaGuardia |
3.50% |
22.90% |
19.9 |
3.90% |
10.20% |
7 |
97.9 |
4 |
Denver: Denver International |
2.60% |
24.00% |
18.7 |
1.10% |
8.30% |
6 |
87.8 |
5 |
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas: Dallas/Fort Worth International |
3.50% |
23.00% |
17.1 |
1.10% |
8.30% |
6 |
87.6 |
6 |
Boston: Logan International |
2.70% |
21.70% |
18.6 |
1.20% |
9.60% |
4 |
85 |
7 |
San Francisco: San Francisco International |
2.50% |
21.70% |
16.6 |
1.10% |
8.30% |
6 |
78.5 |
8 |
New York: John F. Kennedy International |
1.90% |
19.40% |
16.7 |
4.40% |
7.90% |
7 |
76.4 |
9 |
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International |
1.30% |
23.60% |
18.1 |
1.10% |
8.80% |
6 |
74.9 |
10 |
Orlando, Fla.: Orlando International |
1.60% |
23.10% |
18.7 |
0.90% |
9.30% |
5 |
74.7 |
11 |
Chicago: Chicago Midway International |
5.30% |
28.30% |
17.5 |
0.30% |
7.50% |
4 |
73 |
12 |
Washington, D.C.: Ronald Reagan Washington National |
3.20% |
18.80% |
15.8 |
2.20% |
7.80% |
3 |
72.1 |
13 |
Norfolk, Va.: Norfolk International |
2.70% |
18.60% |
17.1 |
1.40% |
7.90% |
3 |
71.8 |
14 |
Houston: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston |
1.50% |
20.10% |
17.1 |
1.20% |
8.90% |
5 |
71.4 |
15 |
Rochester, N.Y.: Greater Rochester International |
4.30% |
18.60% |
17.9 |
0.70% |
7.90% |
3 |
71.4 |
16 |
Raleigh/Durham, N.C.: Raleigh-Durham International |
2.00% |
20.50% |
17.7 |
1.20% |
7.80% |
3 |
69.9 |
17 |
Richmond, Va.: Richmond International |
2.50% |
18.50% |
16.8 |
1.30% |
7.70% |
3 |
67.8 |
18 |
Grand Rapids, Mich.: Gerald R. Ford International |
3.60% |
18.50% |
16.7 |
1.10% |
7.20% |
3 |
67.5 |
19 |
Cincinnati: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International |
2.00% |
19.30% |
16.7 |
1.00% |
7.90% |
4 |
66.1 |
20 |
Baltimore: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall |
3.50% |
20.90% |
14.3 |
0.90% |
6.60% |
6 |
65.2 |
21 |
St. Louis: St Louis Lambert International |
3.10% |
23.00% |
16.6 |
0.40% |
6.70% |
5 |
64.9 |
22 |
West Palm Beach/Palm Beach, Fla.: Palm Beach International |
1.50% |
21.60% |
19.2 |
0.50% |
9.20% |
3 |
62.5 |
23 |
Savannah, Ga.: Savannah/Hilton Head International |
2.00% |
19.50% |
17.6 |
0.70% |
8.30% |
3 |
62.3 |
24 |
Buffalo, N.Y.: Buffalo Niagara International |
4.20% |
18.00% |
16.6 |
0.60% |
7.60% |
3 |
61.6 |
25 |
Greensboro/High Point, N.C.: Piedmont Triad International |
3.00% |
17.60% |
17.1 |
1.00% |
7.20% |
3 |
61.6 |
26 |
Miami: Miami International |
1.40% |
20.10% |
15.2 |
1.20% |
7.30% |
6 |
60.6 |
27 |
Houston: William P Hobby |
4.20% |
25.80% |
15.6 |
0.30% |
6.50% |
3 |
58.5 |
28 |
Cleveland: Cleveland-Hopkins International |
2.80% |
17.90% |
16 |
0.70% |
7.50% |
3 |
58.5 |
29 |
Louisville, Ky.: Louisville International-Standiford Field |
2.20% |
18.60% |
17.4 |
0.70% |
6.80% |
4 |
58.5 |
30 |
Charlotte, N.C.: Charlotte Douglas International |
2.00% |
20.20% |
14.2 |
0.80% |
7.30% |
6 |
58.2 |
31 |
Philadelphia: Philadelphia International |
3.00% |
17.50% |
13.6 |
1.80% |
7.40% |
3 |
57.8 |
32 |
Washington, D.C.: Washington Dulles International |
2.00% |
16.70% |
16.7 |
1.60% |
7.70% |
3 |
57.8 |
33 |
Greer, S.C.: Greenville-Spartanburg International |
2.70% |
17.60% |
16.8 |
0.70% |
7.50% |
3 |
57.3 |
34 |
Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International |
2.60% |
18.30% |
15.3 |
0.70% |
7.60% |
3 |
56.3 |
35 |
Dallas: Dallas Love Field |
4.20% |
23.90% |
14.3 |
0.30% |
5.80% |
4 |
54.2 |
36 |
Oklahoma City: Will Rogers World |
2.50% |
17.80% |
15.4 |
1.00% |
6.90% |
3 |
54.2 |
37 |
Albany, N.Y.: Albany International |
3.00% |
17.50% |
16.2 |
0.60% |
7.20% |
3 |
54.2 |
38 |
Fort Myers, Fla.: Southwest Florida International |
1.50% |
18.60% |
16.2 |
0.70% |
7.50% |
5 |
53.7 |
39 |
Knoxville, Tenn.: McGhee Tyson |
2.10% |
17.10% |
16 |
0.90% |
7.70% |
3 |
53.2 |
40 |
Milwaukee: General Mitchell International |
3.10% |
17.10% |
14.5 |
1.00% |
6.40% |
4 |
53 |
41 |
Des Moines, Iowa: Des Moines International |
2.70% |
16.40% |
15.1 |
1.20% |
6.80% |
3 |
51.3 |
42 |
Nashville, Tenn.: Nashville International |
2.20% |
21.00% |
15.6 |
0.40% |
6.90% |
3 |
50.6 |
43 |
Providence, R.I.: Theodore Francis Green State |
2.80% |
17.30% |
15.2 |
0.50% |
6.80% |
3 |
47.5 |
44 |
Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis International |
2.60% |
17.60% |
15.6 |
0.40% |
6.90% |
3 |
47 |
45 |
Tampa, Fla.: Tampa International |
1.80% |
19.60% |
15.6 |
0.40% |
7.50% |
3 |
46.8 |
46 |
Detroit: Detroit Metro Wayne County |
1.40% |
17.40% |
15 |
1.10% |
7.10% |
4 |
45.8 |
47 |
Austin, Texas: Austin - Bergstrom International |
1.80% |
18.80% |
14.9 |
0.70% |
6.40% |
4 |
45.6 |
48 |
New Orleans: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International |
2.40% |
20.30% |
14.9 |
0.30% |
6.80% |
3 |
44.9 |
49 |
Charleston, S.C.: Charleston AFB/International |
2.20% |
17.60% |
15 |
0.70% |
6.70% |
3 |
44.9 |
50 |
Tulsa, Okla.: Tulsa International |
2.50% |
16.00% |
14.6 |
0.70% |
6.20% |
4 |
41.8 |
51 |
Indianapolis: Indianapolis International |
2.50% |
16.90% |
14.3 |
0.80% |
6.50% |
3 |
41.5 |
52 |
Columbus, Ohio: John Glenn Columbus International |
2.50% |
17.00% |
13.7 |
0.90% |
6.50% |
3 |
41.1 |
53 |
Minneapolis: Minneapolis-St Paul International |
1.40% |
15.80% |
13.3 |
1.70% |
6.10% |
7 |
40.3 |
54 |
Jacksonville, Fla.: Jacksonville International |
1.70% |
17.40% |
14.8 |
0.50% |
6.50% |
5 |
40.1 |
55 |
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Luis Munoz Marin International |
0.70% |
21.90% |
18.3 |
0.10% |
8.20% |
2 |
37.9 |
56 |
Omaha, Neb.: Eppley Airfield |
2.50% |
16.40% |
14 |
0.90% |
5.90% |
3 |
37.7 |
57 |
Los Angeles: Los Angeles International |
1.50% |
19.60% |
14.1 |
0.40% |
6.40% |
4 |
37.5 |
58 |
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh International |
2.30% |
16.00% |
13.5 |
0.90% |
6.50% |
3 |
36.8 |
59 |
Las Vegas: McCarran International |
1.70% |
21.10% |
14.5 |
0.30% |
6.30% |
3 |
36 |
60 |
Burbank, Calif.: Bob Hope |
4.10% |
16.40% |
11.8 |
0.30% |
5.40% |
4 |
33.2 |
61 |
Phoenix, Phoenix Sky Harbor International |
1.70% |
19.90% |
13.1 |
0.20% |
5.90% |
4 |
32.2 |
62 |
Kansas City, Mo.: Kansas City International |
2.70% |
16.90% |
12.9 |
0.40% |
5.50% |
3 |
32.2 |
63 |
Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International |
0.80% |
18.50% |
12.8 |
0.40% |
5.80% |
7 |
30.3 |
64 |
San Diego: San Diego International |
2.00% |
18.20% |
12.1 |
0.30% |
5.20% |
5 |
30.3 |
65 |
Oakland, Calif.: Metropolitan Oakland International |
2.50% |
20.50% |
11.8 |
0.10% |
4.70% |
3 |
30.3 |
66 |
Hartford, Conn.: Bradley International |
2.50% |
16.00% |
12.9 |
0.50% |
5.90% |
3 |
28.6 |
67 |
San Antonio: San Antonio International |
1.90% |
16.20% |
13 |
0.50% |
5.50% |
3 |
23.4 |
68 |
Albuquerque, N.M.: Albuquerque International Sunport |
1.80% |
16.70% |
13.1 |
0.40% |
5.40% |
3 |
21.2 |
69 |
Seattle: Seattle/Tacoma International |
1.40% |
16.30% |
10.7 |
0.60% |
4.60% |
4 |
19.6 |
70 |
Tucson, Ariz.: Tucson International |
1.70% |
14.60% |
12.6 |
0.50% |
5.60% |
3 |
18.4 |
71 |
Reno, Nev.: Reno/Tahoe International |
1.80% |
14.50% |
11.8 |
0.40% |
5.20% |
3 |
17.9 |
72 |
El Paso, Texas: El Paso International |
1.90% |
16.10% |
12.9 |
0.30% |
5.20% |
3 |
16.9 |
73 |
Ontario, Calif.: Ontario International |
1.80% |
16.60% |
11 |
0.20% |
5.20% |
3 |
14.3 |
74 |
Sacramento, Calif.: Sacramento International |
1.80% |
15.20% |
10.1 |
0.10% |
4.10% |
4 |
11.5 |
75 |
Salt Lake City: Salt Lake City International |
0.50% |
14.70% |
11.2 |
0.50% |
4.70% |
3 |
11 |
76 |
Santa Ana, Calif.: John Wayne Airport-Orange County |
1.50% |
16.20% |
10.9 |
0.20% |
4.50% |
3 |
8.6 |
77 |
Boise, Idaho: Boise Air Terminal |
0.80% |
12.00% |
9.1 |
0.40% |
4.50% |
3 |
5.7 |
78 |
Anchorage, Alaska: Ted Stevens Anchorage International |
1.50% |
10.00% |
7 |
0.10% |
2.80% |
5 |
5.3 |
79 |
Portland, Ore.: Portland International |
1.00% |
12.50% |
8.2 |
0.10% |
4.00% |
4 |
4.8 |
80 |
Spokane, Wash.: Spokane International |
1.20% |
11.90% |
9.4 |
0.30% |
4.30% |
3 |
4.3 |
81 |
Honolulu: Daniel K Inouye International |
0.30% |
10.30% |
7 |
0.20% |
2.20% |
4 |
2.6 |
82 |
San Jose, Calif.: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International |
2.30% |
15.50% |
10.5 |
0.10% |
4.30% |
1 |
1.2 |
83 |
Kahului, Hawaii: Kahului Airport |
0.40% |
11.60% |
9.8 |
0.20% |
2.90% |
3 |
0 |
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