http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-24/a-survival-guide-to-the-10-worst-airports-in-north-america#p1
The District of Columbia’s closest airport, Reagan-National, is a flight-restricted, mostly-domestic operation. For longer trips, you’re heading to Washington Dulles International. Plan ahead—more often than not, the 30-mile haul isn’t some quick and easy drive or train ride. When you finally arrive, security can be a bottleneck, another critical factor that adds to the frustration most travelers feel at IAD. Like at Newark, frequent travelers recommend TSA Pre-Check. The best advice for navigating Dulles is to allow plenty of time and, if Congress is in session, “Try not to fly on Friday afternoons,” one IAD regular suggests: That’s when legislative folks are trying to get back to their home districts for the weekend.
One of the world’s largest airports, Chicago’s O’Hare International is plagued by flight delays, which means you’ll probably have plenty of time to hang out. One of the best spots if you’re stuck? The airport’s two-story “aeroponic” vertical garden between Terminals 2 and 3 that grows greens used at several O’Hare restaurants. “Great place for Wi-Fi or getting away from the crowds if you have a layover,” says one traveler. There’s also a yoga room near the same area. As for dining options, O’Hare has plenty. Our favorite: Rick Bayless’s Tortas Frontera has three locations open until 9 p.m. The smoked pork mollete goes a long way toward ameliorating an O’Hare delay.
Although better than its Queens cousin LaGuardia, getting to and from John F. Kennedy Airport requires navigating a patchwork of subway and terminal trains—along with the Long Island Rail Road—that vexes visitors and frustrates locals. Even so, many people suggest that JFK is best tackled with a combination of the subway—the A for the Brooklyn-bound or E into midtown Manhattan—and the $5 AirTran that transits the airport’s eight terminals. If you must take a taxi, “NEVER take the Van Wyck, always ask the driver to take you up/down Woodhaven Boulevard,” says one respondent, calling out the highway so notoriously sluggish it got a special mention on Seinfeld. As for the terminals, JFK is like its metro-area peers: A mix of stylish new amenities and dated, dungeon-like warrens, depending on which airline you fly. JetBlue’s Terminal 5 may be the best bet: it has free Wi-Fi, a children’s play area, and a slew of restaurants, including Piquillo, the first tapas restaurant in a U.S. airport. Regardless of terminal, “Use the curbside check-in,” advises one traveler. “And tip generously.”
The District of Columbia’s closest airport, Reagan-National, is a flight-restricted, mostly-domestic operation. For longer trips, you’re heading to Washington Dulles International. Plan ahead—more often than not, the 30-mile haul isn’t some quick and easy drive or train ride. When you finally arrive, security can be a bottleneck, another critical factor that adds to the frustration most travelers feel at IAD. Like at Newark, frequent travelers recommend TSA Pre-Check. The best advice for navigating Dulles is to allow plenty of time and, if Congress is in session, “Try not to fly on Friday afternoons,” one IAD regular suggests: That’s when legislative folks are trying to get back to their home districts for the weekend.
One of the world’s largest airports, Chicago’s O’Hare International is plagued by flight delays, which means you’ll probably have plenty of time to hang out. One of the best spots if you’re stuck? The airport’s two-story “aeroponic” vertical garden between Terminals 2 and 3 that grows greens used at several O’Hare restaurants. “Great place for Wi-Fi or getting away from the crowds if you have a layover,” says one traveler. There’s also a yoga room near the same area. As for dining options, O’Hare has plenty. Our favorite: Rick Bayless’s Tortas Frontera has three locations open until 9 p.m. The smoked pork mollete goes a long way toward ameliorating an O’Hare delay.
Although better than its Queens cousin LaGuardia, getting to and from John F. Kennedy Airport requires navigating a patchwork of subway and terminal trains—along with the Long Island Rail Road—that vexes visitors and frustrates locals. Even so, many people suggest that JFK is best tackled with a combination of the subway—the A for the Brooklyn-bound or E into midtown Manhattan—and the $5 AirTran that transits the airport’s eight terminals. If you must take a taxi, “NEVER take the Van Wyck, always ask the driver to take you up/down Woodhaven Boulevard,” says one respondent, calling out the highway so notoriously sluggish it got a special mention on Seinfeld. As for the terminals, JFK is like its metro-area peers: A mix of stylish new amenities and dated, dungeon-like warrens, depending on which airline you fly. JetBlue’s Terminal 5 may be the best bet: it has free Wi-Fi, a children’s play area, and a slew of restaurants, including Piquillo, the first tapas restaurant in a U.S. airport. Regardless of terminal, “Use the curbside check-in,” advises one traveler. “And tip generously.”
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