In an August study, Casago, a full-service rental property management company, analyzed passenger reviews on airlinequality.com, that rate waiting times for lines like check-in, baggage drop, baggage pickup, customs and more on a scale of one to five stars.
Individual airports and locations were then ranked to identify which one has the highest percentages of positive reviews.
Every one of the best airports in North America for wait times according to passengers is located in the U.S. In contrast, the worst airports on the continent are spread out across different countries.
The best airport in North America based on wait times: Southwest Florida International Airport
The Southwest Florida International Airport ranked No. 1 on the list. It had 66.67% of four to five-star reviews. The biggest airlines that fly out of RSW are American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United.
According to a previous report from Travel Lens, the airport ranked the best in the U.S. based on wait times, passenger satisfaction, and Google review ratings—with a score of 8.06/10. The airport is located in the South Fort Myers area and has a Google review rating of 4.5/5.
The airport isn't the biggest in Florida, but it is currently the second-busiest single-runway airport in America, according to Travel Lens.
The Southwest Florida International Airport covers 13,555 acres, making it the third-largest airport in the U.S. in terms of land, according to the Casago report.
The 10 best airports in North America based on wait times
- Southwest Florida International (RSW)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Detroit Metro (DTW)
- Tampa International (TPA)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Raleigh-Durham International (RDU)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Nashville International (BNA)
- Orlando Sanford International (SFB)
- Chicago Midway International (MDW)
Portland International in Oregon was the second-best airport in North America for wait times. It is the largest airport in the state and accounts for 90% of the state's passenger air travel, according to the Centre for Aviation.
J.D. Power ranked PDX as one of the best for large passenger airports in 2015, 2016, and 2019 based on the overall passenger satisfaction. The airport offers passengers a light rail connection to downtown, free Wi-Fi and tax-free shopping.
The worst airport in North America based on wait times: Sangster International Airport in Jamaica
The Sangster International Airport is three miles east of Montego Bay, Jamaica.
It services 45 destinations and has 25 airlines operating out of the location. According to the airport's website, the Sangster International handled 4.4 million passengers in 2022.
It is the largest of Jamaica's three international airports and 72% of the country's visitors use it as their primary airport, according to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority. The airport is undergoing a massive expansion, including an upgrade to the runway that cost $34 million.
According to the Jamaica Sun, the MBJ Chief Executive Officer Shane Munroe stated that the extension would bring in more passengers from more locations since it would enable the airport to welcome larger planes.
The 10 worst airports in North America based on wait times
- Sangster International (MBJ)
- Punta Cana International (PUJ)
- Newark International (EWR)
- Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL)
- Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
- Toronto Pearson International (YYZ)
- Salt Lake City International (SLC)
- Tocumen International (PTY)
- Miami International (MIA)
- Mexico City International (MEX)
Punta Cana International in the Dominican Republic came in second on the list of worst North American airports based on wait times. The airport only had 6.98% of four to five-star reviews.
The Punta Cana International Airport is the busiest in the country and the second-busiest in the Caribbean. In 2022, more than 8.3 million passengers traveled through the Dominican Republic airport, and in 2023, it accounted for 60% of all air arrivals in the country, Héctor Porcella, the General Director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), said on Color Visión, Canal 9, in March.
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