Get Me Out of Here and Other Comments on the Worst Airports in the US
Let’s face it. Some airports leave us hanging, waiting for the sweet release of freedom and our pending vacations or a well deserved return home. We are the United States of very busy people. We like things to work well and work fast with very little effort on our end. We expect excellence from well established brands and companies who live to serve. We expect excellence from everyone.
Except airports.
When it comes to our personal customer experiences in the airport, we can only hope and wish for excellence. We don’t expect to be handled with care, we don’t expect to have fun. We expect delays, and we sometimes work very hard to avoid them. We read blog posts about how to best avoid the woes of Airport Travel. We write about our woes in baggage claims. We warn each other about the worst airports ever and share all of the war stories and survival tales.
What Defines the Best and Worst Airports in the US?
- Flight Delays
- Design
- Amenities
- Food and Drink
- Check-In
- Security
- Service
- Airport Transportation
- Location
- Active Renovations
It all comes down to what is offered and how the Airport functions as a unit. Are the flight schedules clean and punctual? Are the security stations updated and working to the highest capacity? Are the team members nice, helpful people? How big is the dining selection in the food court? Is there working WiFi so I can tweet about my #AirportSelfies and #GoingonVacaBRB??
The Best US Airports, which include Minneapolis (MSP), Charlotte (CTL), Detroit (DTW) and Orlando (MCO) offer wonderful services and a clean environment that offers more than just a place to wait. These are efficient airports that seek to bring quality to your flight experience.
The Worst US Airports are the airports left in the dust with minimal design updates, outdated protocol and miserable staff. These are the places where you walk in and feel the despair. The insufferable lines are wrought with tension and disdain. And what’s worse, these airports are crowded with people. Sitting in these airports is like sitting in a room full of disgruntled children: everyone is a little bit grumpy, and there is little to nothing we can do about it.
According to a survey produced by Travel and Leisure, here are the Top 3 Worst Airport Experiences:
What makes it bad? Poorly executed check-in and security process, horrible WiFi and baggage handling, the least happy staff that doesn’t communicate, it’s ugly and outdated and just a little dirty.
What makes it bad? It has a horrible location and a lot of traffic, poor check-in and security process, low-rating safety standards, long baggage handling lines and while it’s Hollywood’s airport, this worn-out space could use a bedazzler and a nice, long shower.
What makes it bad? Lousy and unappealing design topped with a lack of cleanliness and order, rude and snippy staff, long and slow-moving lines for check-in and security, and even slower lines at baggage claim.