USA’s best and worst airports

Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson Airport may be the world’s busiest airport but it is also America’s best, a recent survey by Travel Leaders Group has revealed.

According to the study, the Georgian hub ranked among the top three airports in most categories polled, including best US airport for connecting flights, and best airport for business travel.

Polling the group’s agents, the Travel Trends Survey also found the Atlanta airport was the hub of choice for amenities and for dining.

With respondents allowed to choose up to three airports in each category, there were also positive results for Dallas/Fort Worth, which finished among the top five airports in every list, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, which placed in the top four airports in all but one list.

Experiencing mixed results, Chicago O’Hare ranked well in each index but was voted the worst airport for connecting flights.

With dining “the most significant” area of change at airports, Travel Leaders Group chief executive Barry Liben said that hubs had “transformed considerably in the last decade to accommodate the shift in the amount of time travelers spend there”.

“More amenities have been added to appeal to travelers – and in many cases, to occupy their time – while they wait for their flights,” he stated.

“At some of the busiest airports around the United States, there has been an explosion in service such as mini spas and salons, along with a retooling of the retail space toward higher-end goods and electronics.”

Full results of the study:

Best airports for connecting flights: Atlanta (40.5%), Charlotte (25.2%), Dallas/Ft. Worth (24.3%), Houston Intercontinental (18.2%) and Detroit (17.5%)

Worst airports for connecting flights: Chicago O’Hare (56.3%), New York (JFK) (39.4%), Atlanta (33.0%), New York (LGA) (13.7%) and Newark (12.2%)

Top airports for business travel services: Atlanta (42.2%), Chicago O’Hare  (29.8%), Dallas/Ft. Worth (20.5%), Minneapolis/St. Paul (18.3%) and New York (JFK) (15.2%)

Best amenities: Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Las Vegas.

Best dining: Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth and San Francisco.

Best for families: Orlando, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare and Dallas/Ft. Worth.

The Travel Trends Survey took into account the opinions of just under a thousand Travel Leaders Group owners, managers and frontline travel experts.

Source = e-Travel Blackboard: M.H