Best/Worst Airports For Connections,Dining,Amenities
By Jim Donovan: It's been said that half the fun is in getting there. But if you have a connecting flight through Chicago O'Hare, you may not have any fun at all. That's according to a new survey from Travel Leaders Group which ranked O'Hare as the top domestic airport to avoid if making a connection. Philadelphia made that list too, taking the #8 spot. On the flip side, Atlanta was ranked as the top domestic airport when it comes to good experiences with connecting flights.
The Travel Leaders Group survey also inquired about the best airports for business travel services, amenities, dining, and accomodating travelers with kids.
Here's a look at the results:
Best U.S. Airports for Connecting Flights:
Travel Leaders Group owners, managers and agents were asked, "If your clients are flying and need to connect through a hub airport, which hub do they prefer?" Respondents were allowed to choose up to three airports. The following list displays the Top 10 domestic airports.
|
1 |
Atlanta |
40.5% |
|
2 |
Charlotte |
25.2% |
|
3 |
Dallas/Ft. Worth |
24.3% |
|
4 |
Houston Intercontinental |
18.2% |
|
5 |
Detroit |
17.5% |
|
6 |
Minneapolis/St. Paul |
16.7% |
|
7 |
Chicago O'Hare |
14.1% |
|
8 |
Phoenix |
10.1% |
|
9 |
Denver |
8.0% |
|
10 (tie) |
New York (JFK) |
7.9% |
|
10 (tie) |
Salt Lake City |
7.9% |
Worst U.S. Airports for Connecting Flights:
When asked, "If your clients are flying and need to connect through a hub airport, which hub do they try to avoid?" the top responses were as follows. (Again, those polled were able to choose up to three different airports.)
|
1 |
Chicago O'Hare |
56.3% |
|
2 |
New York (JFK) |
39.4% |
|
3 |
Atlanta |
33.0% |
|
4 |
New York (LGA) |
13.7% |
|
5 |
Newark |
12.2% |
|
6 |
Miami |
11.5% |
|
7 |
Denver |
10.3% |
|
8 |
Philadelphia |
10.0% |
|
9 |
Dallas/Ft. Worth |
9.4% |
|
10 |
Los Angeles |
9.1% |
Top U.S. Airports for Business Travel Services:
When asked, "Which airport(s) would you and your clients say offers the best services for business travelers?" nearly 700 agents responded with the following list of Top 10 airports:
|
1 |
Atlanta |
42.2% |
|
2 |
Chicago O'Hare |
29.8% |
|
3 |
Dallas/Ft. Worth |
20.5% |
|
4 |
Minneapolis/St. Paul |
18.3% |
|
5 |
New York (JFK) |
15.2% |
|
6 |
Detroit |
12.7% |
|
7 |
Houston Intercontinental |
10.3% |
|
8 |
Los Angeles |
9.0% |
|
9 |
New York (LGA) |
7.5% |
|
10 (tie) |
Newark |
6.3% |
|
10 (tie) |
San Francisco |
6.3% |
|
10 (tie) |
Washington D.C. (Dulles) |
6.3% |
Top U.S. Airports for Amenities
Today, airport amenities can range from spas and yoga rooms to art exhibits and putting greens. When asked, "What do you and your clients consider the top airport for amenities?" Travel Leaders Group agents named (1) Atlanta, (2) Minneapolis/St. Paul, (3) Chicago O'Hare, (4) Dallas/Ft. Worth, and (5) Las Vegas as their Top 5 U.S. airports for amenities. This particular question is based on responses from 489 agents.
Top U.S. Airports for Dining
Some of the most significant upgrades at airport have been to the dining options available to air travelers. When asked, "What do you and your clients consider the top airports for dining?" Travel Leaders Group agents identified (1) Atlanta, (2) Minneapolis/St. Paul, (3) Chicago O'Hare, (4) Dallas/Ft. Worth, and (5) San Francisco as their Top 5. This particular question is based on responses from 526 agents.
Top U.S. Airports for Families with Kids
Traveling with kids poses additional challenges, particularly when trying to keep kids entertained while spending time in airports. When asked, "Which airport(s) would you and your clients say are the best for helping to keep kids entertained and occupied?" Travel Leaders Group agents listed their Top 5 U.S. airports as: (1) Orlando, (2) Minneapolis/St. Paul, (3) Atlanta, (4) Chicago O'Hare and (5) Dallas/Ft. Worth. This particular question is based on responses from 314 agents.
These trends are part of a comprehensive travel trends survey which included responses from 1,045 U.S.-based travel agency owners, managers and frontline travel agents from the flagship Travel Leaders brand, along with those affiliated with Travel Leaders Group's Luxury Travel Network, Nexion, Results! Travel, Travel Leaders Corporate, Tzell Travel Group and Vacation.com units.
