Making Holiday Travel Plans? Avoid These Airports If You Can
Traveling has become more difficult over the past few decades. For instance, there seems to be longer waits to get through security. Additionally, there seems to be more flight cancellations and delays. Moreover, it feels like it gets worse when one travels during the holiday season. With this in mind, we thought we’d check out the airports you should try to avoid due to long wait times, cancellations, and holiday travel delays.
Here’s How Harry Reid International Airport Did In This Study
First, we don’t have it too bad here in Las Vegas. According to a report by PlanetWare.com, the security line wait time at Harry Reid International Airport averages about 11 minutes. I must choose to travel at the busiest times then, because it always seems a lot longer for me. Anyway, that ranks as the 9th shortest security line wait time. The national security line wait time averages about 10 minutes.
Specifically, Planet Ware researchers analyzed data from The Bureau of Transportation Statistics from 2014-2023 to get this information. Not only did they come up with rankings for specific airports, but they were also ranked by state. Overall, “77.3% of flights in Nevada are on time, 19.8% are delayed, and 2.9% are cancelled.” That figure for delayed flights puts our airport in the top 10 for busiest airports with the most flight delays. Harry Reid International Airport ranks 7th worst in America. Ouch!
Holiday Travel Delays: The Worst
First, we sure hope you’re not making holiday travel plans to visit anyone in Illinois. Because Chicago Midway Airport ranks worst in the nation for flight delays and flight cancellations. Furthermore, things aren’t much better at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. They rank 8th in the nation for most flight delays and 6th for most flight cancellations.
Not to mention the security line wait times at Chicago’s two major airports are awful. Chicago O’Hare ranks second with an average 19.5-minute wait. Chicago Midway follows closely behind in third with an average 18.4-minute security line trip.
In summary, here are other airports to avoid due to numerous holiday travel delays:
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
- Denver International Airport
- Orlando International Airport
As far as flight cancellations are concerned, here are the worst in the nation:
- Chicago Midway International Airport
- LaGuardia International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Logan International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Holiday Travel Delays: The Best
So, which airports have the best on-time flight records over the past decade? Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii tops the list with 88% on-time flights. However, this airport also holds the dubious honor of having the longest security line wait time at an average of 20.5 minutes. You can’t win them all.
In any case, here are some of the other airports where you can rely on your flight departing on time:
- Salt Lake City International Airport
- Seattle/Tacoma International Airport
- Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
- Detroit Metro Wayne County
- San Diego International
Be that as it may, weather always affects holiday flight delays, travel times, and cancellations. It’s always a tough time to make travel plans, but hopefully, this information will help. If you’d like to check out the full report, click here.
8 Seemingly Unreal Places to Add to Your Travel Bucket List
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
This Arizona canyon was naturally carved by rainwater streams within the sandstone. The Navajo Nation gave it the name ‘The place where water runs through rocks.’ Visit Arizona explains that the Upper Antelope Canyon tour is more frequented due to increased sunlight and towering walls reaching 120 feet. Alternatively, the Lower Antelope Canyon tour is equally remarkable, providing visitors with an immersive encounter among the swirling sandstone walls.
Left_Coast_Photographer/ Getty Images
Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Among the world’s largest springs, the Grand Prismatic measures an expansive 370 feet in diameter, exceeding the size of a football field. Its vibrant appearance stems from bands of orange, yellow, and green that encircle the deep blue waters. These diverse colors originate from different strains of thermophile bacteria, thriving in the progressively cooler waters around the spring, as explained by Yellowstone National Park. For a bird’s-eye-like view of the Grand Prismatic, they suggest visitors follow the half-mile Fairy Falls trail to a lookout.
jvazquezm/ Getty Images
The Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
Located in Turkmenistan’s Karakum Desert, the Door to Hell is a large fiery crater. It emerged when a natural gas field accidentally caught fire in 1971 and has been burning continuously since then, according to National Geographic. A well-visited tourist spot, the Door to Hell permits visitors to hike down into the crater for a close view of the flames and an opportunity to experience the unique atmosphere of the site. The Door to Hell, also referred to as the Darvaza Gas Crater, is located in a rural part of the country.
EdoTealdi/ Getty Images
Diamond Beach, Iceland
Found along Iceland’s South Coast, the Diamond Beach is a volcanic black sand shoreline adjacent to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Ice blocks from the glacier lagoon wash ashore after breaking into smaller pieces at sea, as mentioned in the Diamond Beach Travel Guide. The beach is also a natural habitat for seals.
NicoElNino/ Getty Images
Mendenhall Glacier Caves, Alaska
According to the Tongass National Forest, the Mendenhall Glacier is among the numerous expansive glaciers originating from the Juneau Icefield, an area spanning 1500 square miles of rock, snow, and ice. The glacier gradually advances under the influence of gravity, descending down the slope. Over time, it carves the bedrock and erodes during its 13-mile path until it reaches Mendenhall Lake.
SeanT313/ Getty Images
Thor’s Well, Oregon
Located on the Oregon coast near Cape Perpetua, there’s a large sinkhole that appears to swallow seawater continuously, resembling a bottomless pit. According to Yachats Oregon, it’s often called the “drainpipe of the Pacific.” They explain that the well is actually a hole in the rock that gives the impression of draining ocean water. Some researchers believe this well might have started as a sea cave shaped by waves. Over time, its roof likely collapsed, creating openings at the top and bottom, which spray ocean water.
Morgan Somers/ Getty Images
Crooked Forest, Poland
MikeMareen/ Getty Images
Found close to the town of Gryfino in West Pomerania, Poland, the Crooked Forest consists of 400 peculiarly contorted pine trees. As revealed by Discovery, these pine trees were planted approximately in 1930, back when the area was part of the German province of Pomerania. Starting from the ground, the pine trees exhibit a distinctive feature: they grow with a sharp 90-degree bend towards the north, before gracefully straightening up towards the sky.
Pink Beach, Padar Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Jordan Comley/ Getty Images
The beach is named for its pink sand, which comes from tiny organisms in the coral reefs nearby. Visitors can swim, snorkel, and see marine life like sea turtles and manta rays in the clear water. The beach also has great views of hills and turquoise waters.
Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.
