The Absolute Worst Airports For Layovers In The US, According To Research

Whether we're talking about a short layover or a long layover, most people tend not to love having their travel plans delayed — no matter how much overbooked flight compensation cash an airline might offer for the trouble. But depending on the crowds, service, and food offerings at the airport you happen to find yourself stuck at, some layovers can be much worse than others. When you're stuck hanging around a terminal for an extra four hours, a good coffee shop and decent seating can go a long way in terms of misery mitigation.

To find out which airports are the worst in the United States for layovers, business news site MarketWatch took a deep dive into some serious hard data. After consulting the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for its list of 29 major airports, MarketWatch gathered data from those airport's websites. They also looked at rankings, reviews, and other data found on U.K.-based airport review website Skytrax, the New York & New Jersey Port Authority, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The study's authors examined each airport across 19 different criteria, looking at factors like how much seating is available, the number of food and shopping options available, and how easy it is to access the airport's Wi-Fi. From slow airport security lines that make leaving the airport on a long layover a truly risky endeavor to crowded terminals with nary a place to rest your weary feet, here's what the research says about the worst airports for layovers.

Based on the included criteria, the MarketWatch study ranked each airport from 1 to 5 points. An airport consistently rated one of the worst in the country, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport came in mid-range on a number of categories, ranking a 3 on seat availability and cleanliness of public areas and a 3.5 on food and beverage staff service rating. However, on access to power and charging points, the airport ranked an abysmal 2.5, tying for last place with three other airports. Although the airport does offer seated power stations in various locations around the airports, it may be tough to find one that's available. While travelers are welcome to use the airport's dedicated charging stations, plugging a phone in means having to stand and wait for it to charge or walk away and hope it's still there when you return.

The airport also ranked mid-range to low on Skytrax customer ratings, rating three out of five stars for terminal seating, cleanliness, and signage. On queuing times and food and beverage selections, DFW performed even worse, pulling in two out of five stars. In Skytrax's user reviews, several reviewers commented that the airport seemed outdated. Reviewer C Lane wrote, "Very limited seating while waiting for a flight. In addition it seems that all the flights are scheduled out of the same gate area which causes the congestion."

Although close to DFW in its mid-to-low rankings, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ranked just slightly lower overall on MarketWatch's ranking of worst airports for layovers. Although the busy airport scored a 4 out of 5 points for its number of available charging stations and carried a mid-range ranking for areas like cleanliness and food and beverage service, there are plenty of reasons you wouldn't want to hang around there too long.

Hartsfield-Jackson's Skytrax average customer ratings rank the airport a three on both signage and terminal cleanliness. However, in terminal seating, airport staff, queuing times, and food and beverages, the airport scored two. The customer reviews for the airport are nothing short of scathing, with one user calling Hartsfield-Jackson "a mad house with no structure." Although many customers complained about the rudeness of airport staff, one of the more common complaints was of the airport's intolerably long security lines — lines that would make leaving the airport and coming back in on a long layover a nightmare.

If you do get stuck at Hartsfield-Jackson on a long layover, Redditor u/rabidstoat advises heading for the international terminals E and F, which are better for napping as they have fewer armrests. Or check out the walkway between A and B terminals, where you'll find dimmed lighting and ambient sounds. "I don't recall ever seeing anyone sleep there, unlike in the terminals, but it is definitely a dark and soothing environment," they wrote.

Another airport that seems to excel at mediocrity and unpleasant layovers is Nashville International Airport, which MarketWatch ranked a 2.5 for both cleanliness of public areas and seat availability. Unlike other low-ranking airports that had a couple of good points like decent food offerings to pull up its ranking, Nashville scored fairly mid-to-low across the board on customer review rankings from Skytrax. The airport scored a three on terminal cleanliness, queuing times, signage, airport staff, and terminal seating.

Food and beverage selection and service is arguably one of the most important metrics for anyone stuck with a long layover, particularly when there's no in-flight food and beverage service on your flight in. In this category, the airport ranked two. While the airport seems to have made significant efforts toward revamping its food and beverage image by bringing in local spots, many airport guests from the local community say they tend to be lower-quality versions of the real deal.

And it's not just the standard metrics that make Nashville a terrible place to layover. As one Skytrax reviewer noted, the airport can generally run pretty loud. "Extremely noisy. Loud music, requiring loud announcements," M Williams wrote, adding, "In C terminal floor constantly shakes, it seems to be an engineering flaw."

No matter how long your layover is, you'll probably want to find a decent spot to chill out while you wait. But at San Diego International, it's possible that you could end up sitting on the floor. The airport ranked 2.8 on MarketWatch for seating and scored a mere two points on Skytrax. As one Skytrax reviewer noted, the airport simply does not offer enough seating, and airport guests are frequently forced to sit on the floor if they need to take a load off. This, in turn, creates a safety concern as passengers rushing to make their flights are forced to navigate around the people and luggage blocking terminal walkways.

The airport is also incredibly crowded. Reviewer C Jackson wrote, "This place is so tiny it's a fire trap! Way too many people for either terminal." Another issue that came up frequently in reviews of the airport is the shortage of bathrooms. There is only one bathroom area near the terminals, and guests say it tends to be filthy.

The good news is that the airport is undergoing major renovations that will hopefully help mitigate some of these issues. According to the airport's website, the first phase of the project will include 19 gates and a number of outdoor check-in pavilions, both of which should help to thin out some of that traffic. Passengers should expect the project's first phase to be completed in the summer of 2025.

How well you'll fare through a layover at San Francisco International Airport may just depend on who you're traveling with. MarketWatch ranked the airport in its number 10 spot for families enduring layovers, specifically citing the airport's terminal-to-terminal transportation, children's play areas, and availability of seating. But the airport also tied for last place with MarketWatch's lowest-ranked airport for layovers for its ranking on food and beverage staff service with a rating of 2.5. Skytrax was less generous in other categories. Although the airport received a three on seating availability, signage, and terminal cleanliness, San Francisco International scored a two for queuing times, airport staff, and food and beverage. Several reviewers also ranked the airport down for its shopping selections.

It's not all bad news, though. As one Skytrax reviewer noted, the airport features an array of roomy chairs that make a decent spot for napping on a long layover, and many are located conveniently close to charging ports or outlets. Another plus is the airport's Freshen Up! service. Open 24 hours a day and located in terminal G, Freshen Up! features nap rooms and shower facilities — not to mention a place to buy toiletries and undergarments or iron your clothing. The airport even features a yoga room if you just need a place to unwind during your layover.

Newark Liberty might have only scored low on MarketWatch's rankings for cleanliness of public areas and access to power and charging ports, but the airport pulled a mere two out of five stars in every category on SkyTrax. According to the review site, Newark comes up short on airport cleanliness, terminal seating, food and beverages, airport staff, terminal signs, and queuing times. The airport also tied with MCO for MarketWatch's worst mid-priced shop selection. A common talking point among SkyTrax reviewers is the airport's generally terrible service, with passengers complaining that airport employees considered serving customers a disruption to time better spent doing other things. Rude security personnel were another common complaint.

Like San Diego International Airport, Newark Liberty has a reputation for being woefully behind in keeping up with its modern traffic patterns. Particularly problematic is Terminal B, which passengers say remains severely overcrowded despite the award-winning $2.7 billion remodel of Terminal A (completed in 2023). As German SkyTrax reviewer Sandra Grube wrote in March 2024, "This airport was an insult. A five-hour layover at Terminal B between two flights was torture." Grube went on to complain that she found most of the lounges closed or under renovation when she was in Newark. She also added that when her party finally managed to find a place to eat, the restaurant was completely out of stock on healthy menu items, and what was available was fairly expensive.

It might boast a Mario Kart-esque neon rainbow pedestrian tunnel and the distinction of earning Global Traveler's Best Airport in North America Award for going on two decades, but according to SkyTrax and MarketWatch, you still wouldn't want to be stuck in Chicago O'Hare for six hours between flights. MarketWatch ranked it fourth worst in the country for layovers. Although SkyTrax gave the airport fairly high marks in several categories, including walking distances and food and beverage prices, the airport scored low in many key areas that directly impact layovers. Specifically, the airport ranked a dismal two stars on seat types and comfort, access to charging points, restroom cleanliness, and food and beverage selections. SkyTrax's customer reviews also ranked the airport low in terminal signage, airport queueing times, and airport staff.

Swedish SkyTrax reviewer P Sirkka summed up the O'Hare layover experience on their 11-hour layover, writing that their party had been grateful to see the lines seemed to be far shorter than originally anticipated. But things quickly took a turn for the worse when they hit the security line, where they encountered several frustrated employees, a few of whom were shouting. When they stopped to purchase food, Sirkka's party was met with even more hostility from an airport employee. And that wasn't the worst of it — according to Sirkka, the seats were next-level uncomfortable."I hurt all over when we finally got in our plane," they wrote.

The biggest issue with Chicago Midway International Airport is the scarcity of food options, particularly for passengers coming through during the wee hours. According to SkyTrax reviews, none of the shops open before 5 a.m. and tend to close early at night. Many reviewers note this wouldn't be an issue if the airport featured a decent selection of well-stocked and working vending machines. Unfortunately, it does not. Take it from SkyTrax reviewer H Kuhns, who complained, "Ever since covid, Midway has been a third-rate airport with almost no options for food." When restaurants do happen to be open, reviewers advised that bad service and limited options are the norm. Anyone with special dietary needs will be hard-pressed to find passable nutrition, so if you plan to layover here, you might need to load up on protein bars before traveling. Overall, SkyTrax rated the airport a pitiful one star for its landside food offerings in three categories.

Passengers who prefer to spend their layovers shopping may be disappointed at the airport's shopping selections, which earned two stars for landside shopping and one star for luxury shopping. SkyTrax also gave the airport one-star ratings for its children's play areas and spaces dedicated to quiet and relaxation, neither of which bode well for folks traveling with their families. The airport was also ranked down for its bathroom cleanliness and availability, seat cleanliness, decor, terminal maps, and airport help staff.

As the second-to-worst airport in the country for riding out layovers (according to MarketWatch), it should come as no surprise that Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International is also short on good eats and long on a range of miscellaneous traveler miseries. MarketWatch ranked the airport a 2.9 for seat availability, a 2.8 for cleanliness of public areas and access to charge points, and a 2.6 for food and beverage staff service. Not great, to say the least.

Compared to SkyTrax's rankings, MarketWatch was generous; SkyTrax's customer reviews gave the airport a one-star rating for food and beverage selection and two stars for cleanliness, signage, seating, airport staff, and queuing times. The site's certified ratings included a one-star ranking for quiet and relaxation areas and two-star ratings across a number of categories, including cleanliness of public areas, cleanliness of washrooms, and cleanliness of seats. The airport also ranked low on the site's certified rankings regarding comfortable seating, shop availability, walking distance, access to charge ports, and signage to transfer areas, among other criteria. Take it from SkyTrax user P Keefer's depressing review: "This was the worst airport I've been in [...] No seating in this area so we had to sit on the floor — I'm 81 years old so this was quite uncomfortable."

The fact that Orlando International Airport offers nonstop flights to the Caribbean these days is certainly a point in the airport's favor. However, according to MarketWatch and SkyTrax, that probably isn't enough to make up for all the discomfort you'll have to endure while you're laying over at MCO. A number of factors went into MarketWatch's decision to rank the southern airport the absolute worst for layovers in the U.S. Besides tying with Newark for worst mid-priced shop selection and San Francisco's low food and beverage ranking, the airport's slim selection of decent airport seating ultimately helped to tank the airport's ranking. The site also ranked the airport down for charge port availability and cleanliness of public areas.

In their certified ratings, SkyTrax ranked the airport one star for its children's play areas, which might seem surprising for an airport so near to Walt Disney World. The airport also scored one star for quiet relaxation areas. Many metrics ranked two stars, including staff attitude, wayfinding and signage, terminal maps, airport help, toilet availability, walking distances, congestion, access to charging ports, and cleanliness of bathrooms, seating, and public areas. Although SkyTrax customer reviews were a little more generous on cleanliness and signage, they gave the airport two stars for seating, queuing times, airport staff, and food and beverage selections.