Worst airport in the USA

[Bubbler]

Much of this was being covered in the Atlanta airport thread, but this struck me as a topic that deserves a thread of its own.

My vote goes to O'Hare. Very rarely have I had a flight there that wasn't delayed. My most recent trip, the flight was delayed because the unionized clean-up crew left before their replacements showed up. The ****ing airplane was sitting there in the gate for 2 1/2 hours, while we waiting there for a clean-up crew to show up.

Bags disappear into some Twilight Zone-ish vortex. If you haven't lost a bag at O'Hare, keep flying there, you will. Maybe that UFO that was sighted there last November is taking them all.

O'Hare doesn't have the worst interior (compared to, say, Miami, which is conceivably the most soul-crushingly boring airport of all-time), but it certainly doesn't have bells and whistles other large airports have.

I hate it. I avoid it at all costs, but if you live in the Midwest, it's hard to avoid.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

O'Hare is the runaway winner... Hartsfield is the second worst...

 

[Armchair_QB]

Dulles. For a major international gateway airport the place is a disgrace to this country.

 

[93Devil]

Dulles. For a major international gateway airport the place is a disgrace to this country.

Go to Atlanta.

 

[Ace]

DFW. Hate that place.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Hey Bub, quit draftin' off my heat! ;D

 

[friend of a friend]

I'll second Bubs on the Miami airport. What a god-awful place.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

For no specific reason, it's been years since I've flown into Dulles or JFK. It's not a conscious effort, I just usually wind up at Reagan or La Guardia or Newark. I don't remember either place being that bad...

I've never had a problem at Logan. I know people ***** about LAX all the time, but I've had good luck there too...

The last time I had a flight booked through O'Hare, I paid out of my own pocket to change it...

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Miami's airport does suck... I always feel like I'm in another country...

I usually try to fly into Lauderdale...

 

[Football_Bat]

DFW. Hate that place.

Love Field is drab as hell, but it's easy in, easy out, the flights are cheap, and starting in 2013 or so, you'll be able to fly just about anywhere you want.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Man, can't believe I forgot about Miami. Absolute horse****.

Everybody who works there speaks at least three languages but none of them are English.

Courtesy vehicles do not have designated pick-up and drop-off areas. You have to stand at the curb and flag them down when they drive by.

Signage is horse****.

If you're changing planes you may have to go back thru security to get to your next gate. Depends on which terminal you arrive at. Never been to another U.S. airport with that set-up.

 

[Football_Bat]

Man, can't believe I forgot about Miami. Absolute horse****.

Everybody who works there speaks at least three languages but none of them are English.

Courtesy vehicles do not have designated pick-up and drop-off areas. You have to stand at the curb and flag them down when they drive by.

Signage is horse****.

If you're changing planes you may have to go back thru security to get to your next gate. Depends on which terminal you arrive at. Never been to another U.S. airport with that set-up.

Hobby Airport in Houston used to be like that.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Man, can't believe I forgot about Miami. Absolute horse****.

Everybody who works there speaks at least three languages but none of them are English.

Courtesy vehicles do not have designated pick-up and drop-off areas. You have to stand at the curb and flag them down when they drive by.

Signage is horse****.

If you're changing planes you may have to go back thru security to get to your next gate. Depends on which terminal you arrive at. Never been to another U.S. airport with that set-up.

Hobby Airport in Houston used to be like that.

Didn't know that. I've flown into Hobby but never connected there.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

O'Hare.
Nothing's close.
Plus, when it screws up, about half the country gets screwed up, too.

 

[Dyno]

Dulles. For a major international gateway airport the place is a disgrace to this country.

Dulles is pretty bad. Those moon buggy/people mover things were probably cool in the 60s, but when you're trying to make a connection or tired and just want to get home, it sucks to have to wait for it to fill up before you can get to where you want to go.

Atlanta sucks because of its sheer size. I almost passed out (literally) running from terminal A to terminal E to make an international flight.

Westchester County/White Plains, NY Airport sucks because there are really only two gates and I've had to wait 45 minutes on more than one occasion to be let off the plane b/c they had too many planes at each gate.

I could go on...

 

[OTD]

Miami's airport does suck... I always feel like I'm in another country...

Exactly. And it's a real crappy Bangladesh-like country.

 

[Gutter]

1. O'Hare (thread title should be changed to 2nd worst airport since this is the hands-down winner)
2. Dulles (only redeeming quality is the California Torilla stand to keep you fed while you're cancelled and delayed for hours on end)
3. JFK
4. McCarren (Vegas, instead of another casino, how bout upgrading the airport?)

 

[old_tony]

Being a midwest type, I'm seeing a lot of hate for O'Hare, but I can honestly say I haven't had too much trouble there. Maybe it's because I go in with low expectations.

Personally, I'm not real high on MSP. There can be some real long treks between connecting gates.

 

[Armchair_QB]

The only entertaining aspect of the Miami airport is strolling by the ticket counters handling check-in for the Latin America flights. The **** people bring as check luggage is hilarious. I saw a guy trying to check a set of tires one time.

That was also the first airport I ever saw the machines you shrink-wrap your luggage with. That was pre-911 so I don't think you can do that anymore.

 

[jgmacg]

Does the airport in Pierre still have a gravel parking lot?