The Best of the Biggest U.S. Airports

[Sun Belt]

The Best of the Biggest U.S. Airports
The first WSJ U.S. Airport Rankings uses 15 metrics to determine which of the 20 largest airports treat travelers better
By Scott McCartney | 11/14/18
The Wall Street Journal

Call it the Mile-High Miracle: Denver International Airport is the best airport in the U.S. in the first-ever Wall Street Journal U.S. Airport Rankings. Once a symbol of high cost and dysfunction, Denver soared in rankings of reliability, value and convenience.

The rankings scored the 20 largest U.S. air depots in 15 categories, from on-time reliability to longest walk. The rankings are designed to reflect what matters most to travelers, including categories like security-line wait times, Wi-Fi speed, average Yelp scores for restaurants, average fares, Uber cost to the local convention center, rental-car taxes and fees, number of nonstop destinations and market dominance of the largest airline.

The rankings also relied on an extensive survey of WSJ readers whose input on overall experience, ease of use, security, restaurants, shopping, airline clubs, bathroom cleanliness, electric charging outlets and other categories was graded and scored.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bes...rts-1542204004


RANK/AIRPORT/OVERALL SCORE
1 Denver (DEN) -- 70.5
2 Orlando (MCO) -- 68.33
3 Phoenix (PHX) -- 63.83
4 Atlanta (ATL) -- 58.5
5 Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) -- 57.5
6 Las Vegas (LAS) -- 56.83
7 Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) 52.33
8 Charlotte (CLT) -- 52
9 Los Angeles (LAX) -- 50.83
10 Boston (BOS) -- 49.83
11 Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP) -- 49.67
12 Houston Bush (IAH) -- 48.83
13 Miami (MIA) -- 46.33
14 Detroit (DTW) -- 45.67
15 Chicago O'Hare (ORD) -- 45.33
16 San Francisco (SFO) -- 40.83
17 Philadelphia (PHL) -- 40.67
18 New York LaGuardia (LGA) -- 36.5
19 New York Kennedy (JFK) -- 27.83
20 Newark (EWR) -- 21.17

[McBane]

I'm curious where US airports rank globally. While I'm sure the US had the best airports 40, 50 years ago, other countries have surpassed us (much in the same way, the US was a leader in railroad and highway building).

The best airports I've experienced outside the US: Incheon International Airport in South Korea and the new Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Both are relatively new, clean, and modern. Perhaps the worst big city airport I've stepped foot in was in Mumbai. Considering its stature as the financial hub of the world's second largest country - even in a country as poor as India - it was surprising to see such a decrepit airport. But I bet that Mumbai will modernize its airport before New York's three major airports get their acts together.

[Sun Belt]

I'm surprised LAX was ranked as high as it was. I was not surprised to see all 3 New York airports at the bottom of the list.

[k1052]

What in the living hell is LAX doing above SFO? It should be neighbors at the bottom of the list with the NYC airports.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by McBane

I'm curious where US airports rank globally. While I'm sure the US had the best airports 40, 50 years ago, other countries have surpassed us (much in the same way, the US was a leader in railroad and highway building).

The best airports I've experienced outside the US: Incheon International Airport in South Korea and the new Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Both are relatively new, clean, and modern. Perhaps the worst big city airport I've stepped foot in was in Mumbai. Considering its stature as the financial hub of the world's second largest country - even in a country as poor as India - it was surprising to see such a decrepit airport. But I bet that Mumbai will modernize its airport before New York's three major airports get their acts together.

All three of the New York-area's major airports have started ambitious modernization efforts, with significant progress already made at LaGuardia.

https://www.anewlga.com/

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by k1052

What in the living hell is LAX doing above SFO? It should be neighbors at the bottom of the list with the NYC airports.

LAX has significantly less delays than SFO. That is a big consideration in overall passenger experience.

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

I'm surprised LAX was ranked as high as it was. I was not surprised to see all 3 New York airports at the bottom of the list.

Same here and I'm equally surprised SFO wasn't ranked higher.

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

LAX has significantly less delays than SFO. That is a big consideration in overall passenger experience.

It has been years, YEARS, since I have flown out of LAX on a plane that left the gate on time, much less left the ground on time. The difference between being delayed at the gate at SFO and LAX is that at SFO, you aren't surrounded by squalor.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by jg6544

Same here and I'm equally surprised SFO wasn't ranked higher.

It depends how they constructed the rankings. SFO is a victim of geography and climatology. The fog frequently restricts operations and it has proven politically unacceptable to extend the runways or build new ones into the Bay so the airport really can't expand to meet increasing demands.

The solution, to the degree there is one, has been to accept the limitations at SFO and encourage/promote increasing use of the two other Bay Area airports in Oakland and San Jose. High Speed Rail to southern California, if it ever gets completed, would also reduce the need for flights between the two halves of the state and open up capacity at SFO for flights to other places.

I would like to see more amenities built at those secondary airports. There's really nothing to do, nowhere even to eat or relax, at Oakland while waiting between flights or waiting to pick someone up.

[F1 Tommy]

ATC might have a lot to do with several low rankings. The NYC airports especially Newark and also PHL have a lot of ATC issues. Chicago also has some ATC and long taxi times but not like the east coast.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

The solution, to the degree there is one, has been to accept the limitations at SFO and encourage/promote increasing use of the two other Bay Area airports in Oakland and San Jose.

When my destination is S.F., I fly to Oakland and take BART into the city.

I've unfortunately had connections at SFO and would rather avoid the place all together.

[Tiorted9]

Not surprised to see the NY airports at the bottom. Shocked to see LAX ahead of Detroit. I fly back in forth every month between DTW and LAX, and would say DTW is on a different level when it comes to overall airport experience.

[SIGSEGV]

Yeah but Frontera. Also this must not count getting to the airport because then LAX would be dead last.

[saybanana]

I often read the LAX yelp reviews. Been noticing the past year slightly better reviews compared to previous years. TBIT International Terminal gets the best reviews for being massively spacious with plenty of seating, lots of shops, lots of dining options, charging outlets.
The domestic terminals while bad arent as bad as before with some of the renovations, new shops and restaurants. So these little things help improve LAX despite the things which are harder to fix like the traffic (seems to be one of the biggest issues) and crowded domestic terminals.

The construction of LAX is still on-going and will be major headaches for the next 5 years, so that wont help much. But in 5 years, things should slightly improve with the opening of the Midfield Concourse which will add new gates and help when American Airlines renovates Terminal 4 and 5 thus they can use the Concourse as a temp measure. Delta is undergoing a huge renovation connecting Terminals 2 and 3 together but also a connection to the International Terminal that Term 4 currently has.

Then the Airport will have a people mover which will connect to the Metro rail system, off site parking, public bus connections, and a huge rental car multi-floor building rather than the dozen or so scattered rental facilities throughout. This should help reduce all the car rental shuttles that circle. Also help reduce cars coming to pick up or drop off people if they can just drop off at the one of the people mover stations.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

I'm surprised LAX was ranked as high as it was. I was not surprised to see all 3 New York airports at the bottom of the list.

They are terrible. Although LaGuardia and JFK are undergoing big expansions and renovations so hopefully the score will rise in the future. Newark is not that good either. Its like the McDonald's of airports. Just a meat grinder and rat race kind of airport.

You'd think NJ, with all its money via absurd taxes, would use the funds to build a nicer airport? Nope!

[mthd]

their methodology is awfully biased.

fares? that has almost nothing to do with the airport considering how low gate fees are. that has to do with the region/market and supply and demand.

cheapest on-site parking rate and uberx fare to convention center are included.... but the presence of transit is not included AT ALL. you can take bart from SFO to the moscone center in 33 minutes for $9 or so, but a city with a $20 uber ride is "better value?"

if i were to make a methodology to reward relatively new sun-belt airports in cheap markets, this is how'd i'd to it!

Originally Posted by the wall street journal

Reader Jeff Terry scored DFW best in his evaluation. “Shortest car to gate. Most destinations. Great amenities. Many entry points thru security. Good inter-terminal transit. Easy to get to. #1 globally no doubt,” he says.

Jeff Terry, AKA someone who has never been to a new airport in asia or the middle east?

[SIGSEGV]

Someone has never parked in remote parking at DFW...

[Speculator]

Originally Posted by saybanana

I often read the LAX yelp reviews. Been noticing the past year slightly better reviews compared to previous years. TBIT International Terminal gets the best reviews for being massively spacious with plenty of seating, lots of shops, lots of dining options, charging outlets.
The domestic terminals while bad arent as bad as before with some of the renovations, new shops and restaurants. So these little things help improve LAX despite the things which are harder to fix like the traffic (seems to be one of the biggest issues) and crowded domestic terminals.

The construction of LAX is still on-going and will be major headaches for the next 5 years, so that wont help much. But in 5 years, things should slightly improve with the opening of the Midfield Concourse which will add new gates and help when American Airlines renovates Terminal 4 and 5 thus they can use the Concourse as a temp measure. Delta is undergoing a huge renovation connecting Terminals 2 and 3 together but also a connection to the International Terminal that Term 4 currently has.

Then the Airport will have a people mover which will connect to the Metro rail system, off site parking, public bus connections, and a huge rental car multi-floor building rather than the dozen or so scattered rental facilities throughout. This should help reduce all the car rental shuttles that circle. Also help reduce cars coming to pick up or drop off people if they can just drop off at the one of the people mover stations.

There's definitely a distinction between TBIT and the rest of LAX. TBIT is easily the best terminal in the US IMHO. The rest of LAX is lipstick on a pig. It would be good if Delta spends the money like they did on the JFK T4 redo. Hopefully the MSC won't be too value engineered. The connector from T4 to TBIT changed everything from a convenience perspective.

I think DFW Terminal D maybe the second best US terminal. Hard to say.

Let's see what the Denver redo ends up like. They should put walkways between all of the terminals so travelers with time can get some exercise and avoid those trains.

Just left Changi and can only wish that the US would step it up.

[emathias]

The only thing going for LGA is that it's relatively convenient to get to compared to JFK. Although I don't understand why New York doesn't extend the NW line to LGA. They could do what Chicago does with O'Hare and charge more for single rides starting at the airport to partially offset the cost. You could be in Midtown in under 30 minutes if they did that, or downtown in under 45 minutes, without having to mess with Airtrain transfers

[k1052]

Originally Posted by emathias

The only thing going for LGA is that it's relatively convenient to get to compared to JFK. Although I don't understand why New York doesn't extend the NW line to LGA. They could do what Chicago does with O'Hare and charge more for single rides starting at the airport to partially offset the cost. You could be in Midtown in under 30 minutes if they did that, or downtown in under 45 minutes, without having to mess with Airtrain transfers

There is a near total lack of any political will in NYC to do anything even modestly disruptive, especially in the neighborhoods. This was tried maybe 10-15 years ago and Astoria opposition shot it down.

So NY is going to do the insanely expensive Airtrain thing instead. I mean even a LIRR spur from Willets to LGA would make more sense than this since the are going to run a shuttle service out of the city to the LGA air train anyway. Just build some more LIRR guideway into the airport for Christs sake.