Here's where you'll encounter the most—and least!—issues before takeoff. Make sure to plan accordingly (and take a deep breath).
New Study: If You Fly Out of This Airport, Be Prepared to Wait Around 50 Extra Minutes Before Takeoff
Published on Nov. 11, 2024
As someone who more or less commutes by plane for a living, I’ve learned that delays are just part of the journey. To keep your cool, we all need to embrace the ultimate F-word in the world of air travel: flexibility. If we can keep a good attitude and roll with the changes, every delay becomes just another story to tell. After all, planes may not always leave exactly when we want them to, but they get us from Point A to B faster than anything the Orville brothers could’ve dreamed up. I’m genuinely grateful to be able to travel by air at all, quirks and delays included.
Still, some airports can really test our patience (mine included). And a new study from Upgraded Points reveals just how much, highlighting the airports where you’ll waste the most time—including the one where you’ll be waiting the absolute longest for, well, pretty much everything. Read on to find out where you’re most likely to run into potential problems so you can plan accordingly.
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What did the study review?
The Upgraded Points study looked at average flight delays, taxi-out times (the time you’ll spend on the tarmac) and layover durations across 50 of the nation’s largest airports. The source? Data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Google Flights.
To determine the average layover time, researchers pulled data from Google Flights over a five-day period for more than 30,000 flights. It’s also worth noting that this data shows the average layover time for cross-country flights, not international ones.
Which airport has the longest wait time before takeoff?
Miami International Airport (MIA) tops the list with an average wait time before takeoff of 47.1 minutes. According to Keri Stooksbury, the editor-in-chief of Upgraded Points, the airport’s average departure delay is nearly 25 minutes. But that’s not all: “Their taxi-out time is [also] nearly 23 minutes, adding up to close to 50 wasted minutes before takeoff,” she says. In other words, Miami International combines long departure delays and extended tarmac waits, making it a double whammy for those looking to get to their destinations on time.
Also worth noting: Miami International’s wait time is nearly double the 29-minute average of the other airports in the study. The others experienced around 12 minutes of departure delays and another 17 minutes of taxiing on the runway before takeoff. Not great, to be sure, but not the whopping 50 minutes you’ll deal with in Miami.
Which other airports have long waits?
San Francisco International, Dallas Fort Worth International, Philadelphia International and LaGuardia round out the top five. Each of these airports has its own delay dynamic: LaGuardia, for example, has only a slightly longer-than-average departure delay but leads in taxi-out time due to tight runway space.
Here’s the exact breakdown, according to Upgraded Points:
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Average departure delay: 20.5 minutes
- Average taxi-out time: 20.8 minutes
- Total average wasted time: 41.3 minutes
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Average departure delay: 19.2 minutes
- Average taxi-out time: 18.7 minutes
- Total average wasted time: 37.9 minutes
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Average departure delay: 15.8 minutes
- Average taxi-out time: 21.1 minutes
- Total average wasted time: 36.9 minutes
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Average departure delay: 13.5 minutes
- Average taxi-out time: 23 minutes
- Total average wasted time: 36.5 minutes
While JFK in New York didn’t land on the top five (barely—it landed in the No. 6 spot), it does have its own dubious distinction, according to Stooksbury: “JFK has the longest taxi time overall.” There’s an average taxi-out time of 24 minutes at this airport, shocking not a single New York–based editor on the Reader’s Digest team.
Which airports have the shortest wait times?
Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui ranks lowest in wasted time—just 16.2 minutes. That breaks down to an average departure delay of just 5.7 minutes and a taxi-out time of 10.5 minutes.
Here are the top five U.S. airports that earned high marks for the shortest wait times, with the total average wait times noted below:
- Kahului Airport (OGG): 16.2 minutes
- Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC): 18.2 minutes
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): 19.4 minutes
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF): 20.7 minutes
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 22 minutes
Special kudos to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, by the way. This is literally the busiest airport in the world, with the most passenger traffic, and it still landed among the top five in efficiency. According to Upgraded Points, it averaged just six minutes of departure delays.
Which airports have the longest layover times?
Layovers add hours of idle time. The average clocks in at 3 hours and 34 minutes, but for those connecting from far-flung airports, the wait can be even longer. Kahului Airport (OGG) and Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL) in Honolulu top the list with the longest layovers, averaging 5 hours and 8 minutes, and 4 hours and 34 minutes, respectively. Miami International and San Francisco International also rank high for long layovers.
On the other hand, central U.S. airports like San Antonio (SAT) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) typically saw shorter layovers, around 2 hours and 46 minutes. These airports’ central locations allow for more direct flights, reducing the need for extended wait times between the various legs of your trip.
The bottom line
My best advice? Plan ahead, budgeting more time for the airports noted on this list but also remembering that anything can go awry at any airport at any time. And if you’re stuck in the airport for a layover, make the most of your time there. Many airports are stepping up their games with art exhibits, shopping and surprisingly terrific dining. Just recently, I was at San Francisco International Airport and checked out its yoga room, which offers a quiet, peaceful spot to stretch out before a flight. SFO also boasts a world-class museum and a variety of local restaurants, while Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) features an impressive indoor aeroponic garden. Perks like these make the wait a lot more pleasant.
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this story on airport wait times, Lisa Niver tapped her experience as a longtime travel journalist who has visited 102 countries on six continents to ensure all information is accurate. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Upgraded Points: “Airports Where Passengers Can Expect to Waste the Most Time [2024 Data Study]”
- Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief of Upgraded Points; email interview, Nov. 5, 2024
