Two NY airports land on best-in-U.S. list — But just barely
Using responses from over 2,000 readers, more than 450,000 Yelp reviews and location services data, the Washington Post compiled a list of the 50 best airports in the U.S.
"The airport has become so synonymous with misery that we often grit our teeth and power through it ... We wanted to find the exceptions," the Washington Post's analysis stated. "Beyond the gray halls of monotony, there exist airports where you may actually want to stay awhile. So we set out to rank the best in the United States."
Here's what to know.
Portland International Airport
Long Beach Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
Seattle Paine Field International Airport
Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport
Albuquerque International Sunport
Indianapolis International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport
Detroit Metro Airport
Two downstate airports — Long Island MacArthur Airport and LaGuardia Airport — narrowly made the Washington Post's list.
Long Island MacArthur, which claimed the No. 46 spot, saw over 1.2 million passengers in 2023, according to the airport's website. LaGuardia, which the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said saw 33.5 million passengers in 2024, was ranked No. 49.
What you had to say: Rochester airport reviewed on social
While reader votes made up a large part of each airport's overall score — which were adjusted so they weren't skewed toward places with the most Washington Post readers — the newspaper also took into account the quantity and quality of all restaurants and shops in the airports with the help of Yelp reviews.
Additionally, the Washington Post calculated how long it would take you to reach each airport on public transit using location service TravelTime, how far you could get both to and from the airport during weekday afternoon traffic and how much public parking could be found nearby through Mapbox's location services.
Also in consideration for the ranking were possible obstacles such as long TSA wait times and screening challenges, how many gates an airport had relative to their 2024 passenger volume and "tough to quantify quirk(s) that gave your favorite airport a bit of humanity or personality" like new terminals and restrooms with fresh flowers.
Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: LaGuardia and MacArthur airports sneak into U.S. top 50 list
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