The most wonderful time of year can actually be pretty stressful, with the shopping and the hosting and the travel planning. Which is why, when it comes to flying over the holidays, we make it our personal mission to avoid the chaos as much as humanly possible. If you feel the same, you might want to steer clear of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport this season.
According to a new study by travel guide LocalsInsider.com, South Florida’s second-largest travel hub ranks No. 1 in the nation for the worst airports for holiday travel. The study analyzed flight departure data during the holiday season from the 50 busiest airports in the U.S. and found that nearly 3 in 10 (29.2%) of flights were delayed or canceled last holiday season at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Here are the highlights for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International:
- Total canceled holiday flights: 2,667
- Total delayed holiday flights: 31
- Total delayed and canceled holiday flights: 2,698
- Percent delayed and canceled holiday flights: 29.2%
This is all in addition to another recent study showing that Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has the longest TSA security lines in the nation, with travelers spending an average of 15 minutes and 27 seconds ambling through the line. People like to complain about Miami International Airport, but it seems to have improved its delays since being ranked one of the world’s worst airports in 2022. It might be a major hub for Allegiant Air, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, but we’d choose MIA over FLL any day.
Miami was spared from the top 10 this time (it ranked No. 25 on the list). Instead, Orlando International Airport (No. 2), Southwest Florida International Airport (No. 4) and Tampa International (No. 6) all have some explaining to do. If you’re planning on flying to or from Florida over the holidays, it’d be smart to include some buffer time for the inevitable delays.
Or maybe consider skipping the Sunshine State altogether—especially if you’re into the idea of a cold, white Christmas. The best airports for holiday travel were Washington Dulles International (VA), Minneapolis-St Paul International (MN) and Salt Lake City International (UT). Curious to see how the rest of the country’s airports stack up this holiday season? Check out the top 10 worst airports for holiday travel below.
Top 10 worst airports for holiday travel in the U.S.
1. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (Fort Lauderdale, FL): 29.2% canceled or delayed flights
2. Orlando International (Orlando, Florida): 25.8%
3. Chicago Midway International (Chicago, IL): 25.2%
4. Southwest Florida International (Fort Myers, FL): 23.3%
5. San Francisco International (San Francisco, CA): 23.1%
6. Tampa International (Tampa, FL): 22.9%
7. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (Baltimore, MD): 22.4%
8. William P Hobby (Houston, TX): 22%
9. Logan International (Boston, MA): 21.5%
10. Kansas City International (Kansas City, MO): 21.4%
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