These Are The Top 3 Airports In The U.S. Right Now According To New Report

Last Updated 3 weeks ago

Traveling is not always a smooth, pleasant experience from beginning to end, especially when you factor in the stressful commute from your home to the nearest airport, the long lines starting at security, and the general state of agitation that comes with being in an environment as chaotic as an aviation hub.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport. View of the McNamara Terminal and Delta Express Tram at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, in Romulus, Michigan, USA

This is particularly true in the United States: after the resumption of normality, airports across the territory have struggled to cope with the surging demand for travel, resulting in disruptive delays, a steep decline in customer satisfaction, and skyrocketing rates of mishandled luggage in the last two years.

Not every Stateside airport is a traveler’s worst nightmare, though, and there are 3 in particular regular passengers don’t actually mind transiting or flying out of:

Three Top Airports Based On On-Time Performance, Customer Opinion And Entertainment

young family going through security checkl at airport

According to a new survey conducted by AirHelp, an air passenger rights company, there are three hubs in the United States that rank the highest for overall satisfaction based on three main factors: on-time performance, customer opinion, and food and shops.

More specifically, they queried passengers on wait times, the cleanliness in common areas, the availability of products, and the infrastructure of retail, seeing that entertainment and shopping play an equally important part in improving public opinion on the timeliness of flights.

After all, the experience of passengers on long layovers, who spend hours on end at an international airport waiting for the next leg of their journey to resume, must also be taken into account.

Based on these measurements, these are the top three best airports in the States:

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

A major hub for Delta Air Lines, as well as an important base for budget carrier Spirit, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, commonly shortened to DTW, in line with the IATA code, is the third best in the U.S. with a rate of 7.91/10.

It outpeaks both New York-JFK and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, two of the busiest and best connected in America, and it has been recognized time and again for its impressive connectivity, great infrastructure, and accessibility by public transport.

When opting to travel car-free, Detroit-based passengers can easily access the airport using SMART, a shuttle service serving both the Evans and McNamara Terminals via Route 125. Similarly, those based in Ann Arbor can use AirRide, linking the city directly west of Detroit to the airport.

Solo Traveler At Airport, Unspecified Location

In total, DTW offers direct links to as many as 39 states and over 30 international destinations, including all of your holiday favorites like Cancun and Punta Cana.

Popular Transatlantic destinations include Reykjavik in Iceland, Rome in Italy, and Frankfurt in Germany.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

The busiest airport in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) ranks second on the list, with a whopping 91 domestic and 28 international destinations served in North America, Europe, and beyond, and over 90 dining, retail, and service options.

From tasty grab-and-go snacks to high-end eating at the renowned Africa Lounge, a tourist attraction in its own right and the star of Concourse A, passengers are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to pre-flight dining experiences.

Other than the amazing connectivity, diverse eateries, and daily entertainment events designed to help visitors pass the time, SEA is expected to see further improvements with at least 30 new development projects expected to be fulfilled by 2035.

Among them, there is a new 19-gate terminal, the introduction of automated parking, expansion of Concourse C, and roadway extensions. In terms of accessibility, it is incredibly easy to reach from Downtown Seattle, being integrated with 1 Line of Seattle’s light rail system.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Number one on the list, Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP), a joint civil and military airport in Minnesota, is a strategic port for Delta Air Lines, whose affiliates account for roughly 70% of the total traffic, and we can’t say we’re surprised.

Minneapolis Airport interior in Minnesota. Passengers sitting at the bar

Delta has been one of the top performing airlines in the post-crisis scene, being named the most ‘on-time’ airline in the U.S. last year, and their commitment to the well-being of customers at one of their major hubs clearly shows: in 2023, MSP has higher ‘on-time’ departure rates than the U.S. average.

Spending time at the airport, travelers have a plethora of dining options to choose from, including local favorite Angel Food Bakery, where fresh pastries are sold, Auntie Anne’s, famous for their fresh-out-the-oven pretzels, and good ol’ Chick-fil-A.

Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport Tarmac, Minnesota, United States

Furthermore, the airport is equipped with a Delta Sky Club, conveniently located near the entrance of Concourse F, and it serves up to 156 destinations, both within the United States and abroad, including Amsterdam and Frankfurt in Europe and Japan in Asia.

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com