Go South To Visit America's Only Airport To Earn The Air Flight Equivalent Of A Michelin Star

If there's one thing we know about air travel, it's our collective preoccupation with complaining about airports, as Reddit users rating the world's worst airports are happy to share. But there are occasional surprises that buck the trend, like California's airport that ranks No. 1 for stress-free travel. And to celebrate those profoundly surprising and exceedingly rare exceptions, Skytrax releases an annual list of "five-star" airports, giving us all hope that yes, air travel really can still be civilized. Citing its comfort and cleanliness, customer service, shopping, food, and thoughtful facilities, Houston's William P. Hobby Airport received a 2024 "five-star" rating from world airport rating organization, Skytrax. "Customers will find upgraded interior decor finishes, new play areas for children, and enhanced nursery facilities for families," read the Skytrax recommendation, in part.

Houston's award is in the regional airports category, with a total of seven airports that provide a smaller hub of national and international service to the local region; these even join the 12 hub airports and five individual terminals that received the rating. "We owe it to our passengers to continue delivering excellence at every step of the airport experience," Houston Airports' Director of Aviation Mario Diaz said in a press release.

Introduced in 1999, the World Airport Star Rating audit grades airports on 29 categories, including terminal design and decor, cleanliness, efficiency of passenger flow, seating and Wi-Fi availability, shopping and dining, ease and distance of paths through the airport, leisure and entertainment options, and even the website. It also evaluates the airport's staff on standards like service, efficiency, informational capacity, friendliness, and language skills.

In addition to scoring well on the service and technical categories of the audit, five-star airports tend to include "extras" that make travelers feel a little more calm, relaxed, and taken care of – it's like a little bit of business class for everybody. At Hobby Airport, the large collection of public art, well-designated massage chairs, two interfaith airport chapels, and a spa can help customers feel a bit of that relaxation. An innovative live music program, Harmony in the Air, in the Central Concourse Rotunda rounds out the airport's list of more luxurious amenities.

Hobby Airport joins well-known "luxury" airports like Hamad Airport in Doha (2024's first place winner), Singapore's Changi Airport (second place in 2024), and Seoul Incheon Airport (third place) in the exclusive five-star club. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's the only airport in North America to make the cut. While Asian airports in Korea, China, and Japan are well-represented, only Rome, Munich, and Istanbul Airports made the cut in Europe, and only Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport in South America. The remaining awarded airports are in the Middle East.