http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-24/a-survival-guide-to-the-10-worst-airports-in-north-america#p1
Some 3.55 million people are expected to fly this Thanksgiving weekend, making this year’s busiest travel weekend the most crowded since 2007, according to AAA. (If it’s any consolation, the roads will also be jammed.) It’s going to be just as bad as it sounds: the new Bloomberg Airport Frustration Index reveals that some of the more annoying airports in North America—including LaGuardia, O’Hare, Miami, and LAX—are also among the most heavily traveled.
To give airports a Frustration Score, we measured how long it takes to reach them during rush hours, compiled on-time arrival and departure data, and weighed comments and opinions from an online survey of more than 3,000 travelers. And while our respondents had some choice words for their favorite airfields—one traveler’s advice for LaGuardia’s central terminal: “Close your eyes”—they also had tips. The most frustrating airports tend to be disliked because of one or two specific problem areas, be it delayed or cancelled flights, long treks or public transportation shortcomings. That means there are ways to massage the pain points. If you find yourself at one of these top-10-and-not-in-a-good-way airports, here’s what you need to know.
New York City’s LaGuardia Airport has earned its special place in U.S. aviation by combining horrendously crowded gate areas with miniature, foul restrooms and a lack of convenient transportation access. No subway gets near it, leaving taxis, buses and pricey private car services as the main public options to get there. Arriving at LaGuardia at certain times of the day means taxi lines a mile long. Still, seasoned travelers know they can find a taxi stand with a shorter line just a few feet to the left or right, and standing in line is infinitely better than paying double for one of the gypsy cabs soliciting passengers.
LaGuardia, however, is not uniformly frightening. Terminal D, which Delta Air Lines (DAL) and concessions operator OTG have tried to modernize, has an array of trendy eateries and shops, along with hundreds of iPads for Web surfing—a glimpse of what other, better airports do. Delta has the best LaGuardia real estate and may be a better carrier choice than some of the others there. Still, if you must traipse into the ancient Central Terminal for an American (AAL), Southwest (LUV) or United(UAL) flight, well, there’s nothing you can say about it that Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t already.
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