Arrive extra-early at these 15 U.S. airports—up to 3 hours—if you don't want to miss your flight
Upgraded Points analyzed factors like airport size, number of passengers, and the average TSA wait times to rank major U.S. airports.
JimMin
Going to the airport is often a daunting task. Between long security lines and the crowds in the terminal, giving yourself enough time to make it to your gate is essential.
In a 2022 study, the travel experts at Upgraded Points analyzed 15 factors at 50 major U.S. airports to find the ones where it's most important for passengers to arrive early for domestic flights.
number of enplanementsnumber of passengersairport sizeaverage TSA wait timenumber of terminalsnumber of gatesnumber of airport employeesnumber of airport loungesnumber of restaurants/barsnumber of shopsnumber of parking lots/deckspercentage of on-time departurespercentage of delayed departurescar traffic volumecar traffic indexThe study found that the airports where passengers need the most time before boarding are Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The airport where passengers don't need to arrive as early and ranked at the bottom of the list was John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio.
The 15 U.S. airports where you need to arrive the earliest
Upgraded Points' study found that flying out of the Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) requires passengers to arrive 3 hours and 4 minutes early to board smoothly.
In 2021, the airport recorded a whopping 54,020,399 passengers. ORD also has 193 gates, more than any other airport included in the study. Upgraded Points also found that the airport is understaffed, with 3,606 badged airport employees per square mile, which is 9% below the national average.
The following two airports nearly tied for second and third place: LAX and JFK. Based on the ranking, passengers should arrive at LAX 2 hours and 59 minutes before their scheduled departure. With over eight terminals, 146 gates, and an overwhelming number of car traffic outside the airport, it's no wonder people need extra time to get to their designated boarding areas.
JFK was a close third, with passengers expected to arrive 2 hours and 58 minutes before their scheduled departure. The average TSA wait time at the NYC airport is 16.40 minutes, and in 2021, the airport reported it had over 30 million passengers.
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