United States Airport Statistics & Travel Data

In an effort to help empower travelers to make more informed decisions when it comes to holiday travel preparations, InsureMyTrip predicts which US airports will likely be the busiest, and reviews how the latest data trends can aid travelers when comparing travel insurance benefits.

Summary:

• Chicago O’Hare International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International will be the busiest airports in the country during the 2019 holiday season
• Passengers should check crowd-sourced airport security wait times by using the My TSA application and prepare for longer lines during Christmas week
• Passengers with departing flights at busier airports are more likely to utilize a travel delay benefit and, therefore, may want to compare travel insurance policies with better delay protection

Busiest Airports This Christmas

According to InsureMyTrip, this is the list of busiest airports for Christmas week, based on total domestic flights reported for 2019 thus far:

InsureMyTrip analyzed non-stop domestic flights by major air carriers collected in 2019 thus far by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Longest Estimated Security Wait Times

According to InsureMyTrip, here’s a general look at the time of the week when security wait times for passengers tend to be the longest:

Both the TSA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provide information on wait times at airports and border crossings. While security wait times are dynamic, travelers can check crowd-sourced airport security wait times by using the My TSA app prior to departure.

Best Protection for Flight Delays

Based on these data results, travelers can make smarter choices about their travel plans and travel insurance purchases. For example, passengers with departing flights at busier airports are more likely to utilize a travel delay benefit and, therefore, may want to compare travel insurance policies with better delay protection.

Travel delay benefits vary with each travel insurance provider, generally between a 5 and 24-hour window. The benefit is designed to provide reimbursement for reasonable meals and accommodations while unable to travel.

Tip: Travelers must be delayed for a certain number of hours before this benefit can be applied. When comparing travel insurance, look for the minimum delay time (typically, starting at 5 hours) to start qualifying for coverage as soon as possible.

Best Protection for Delayed Bags

Travelers may also want to ensure baggage delay coverage is included under a selected comprehensive travel insurance plan. Baggage delay coverage generally becomes active after belongings have been delayed for a specified period of time, typically 12 or 24 hours.

Tip: When comparing travel insurance, look for a maximum per-person coverage amount as well as a per-day limit. For example, some policies may offer $500 per person to purchase incidentals, but only allow $200 to be spent per day.

Best Protection for Missing Cruise Departure

For those concerned about a delayed flight adversely affecting a cruise or tour departure, travelers may also want to ensure a missed connection benefit is included under a selected comprehensive travel insurance plan. This benefit is designed to provide travelers with coverage if a delayed flight (for example, of 3 hours or more) causes a traveler to miss a cruise departure.

InsureMyTrip issues its latest airport rankings for flight cancellations

Summary

• Hawaii airports are considered the least stressful followed by Salt Lake City and Atlanta.
• InsureMyTrip predicts New York's LaGuardia (LGA) will no longer be most stressful for travelers this 2019 Thanksgiving. LGA has improved its cancellation rate this year. The airport previously reported the highest percentage of canceled flights in the country for both 2018 and 2017 (winter storms a factor).
• Chicago airports have endured a rough patch with on-time performance issues. Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and Chicago Midway International (MDW) are currently experiencing the highest cancellation rates in the country, based on available 2019 data. Those numbers don’t yet include last week’s snow storms which grounded over 1,000 flights.
• Flights scheduled for departure between 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm are more susceptible to delays and cancellations.
• If a flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook travelers on the next available flight at no additional charge. However, airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight.

This ranking shows the percentages of flights canceled in 2019 at U.S. airports from lowest to highest.

Rank/Airport

1. Honolulu, HI: Daniel K Inouye International (Lowest Cancellation Rate)
2. Kahului, HI: Kahului Airport
3. Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake City International
4. Atlanta, GA: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
5. Boise, ID: Boise Air Terminal
6. Portland, OR: Portland International
7. Spokane, WA: Spokane International
8. San Juan, PR: Luis Munoz Marin International
9. Seattle, WA: Seattle/Tacoma International
10. Minneapolis, MN: Minneapolis-St Paul International
11. Detroit, MI: Detroit Metro Wayne County
12. Anchorage, AK: Ted Stevens Anchorage International
13. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles International
14. Santa Ana, CA: John Wayne Airport-Orange County
15. Fort Myers, FL: Southwest Florida International
16. Miami, FL: Miami International
17. Las Vegas, NV: McCarran International
18. Albuquerque, NM: Albuquerque International Sunport
19. Tucson, AZ: Tucson International
20. Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Sky Harbor International
21. Sacramento, CA: Sacramento International
22. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
23. Reno, NV: Reno/Tahoe International
24. Austin, TX: Austin - Bergstrom International
25. San Antonio, TX: San Antonio International
26. Tampa, FL: Tampa International
27. Houston, TX: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston
28. Ontario, CA: Ontario International
29. San Diego, CA: San Diego International
30. New York, NY: John F. Kennedy International
31. Washington, DC: Washington Dulles International
32. San Jose, CA: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International
33. Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
34. Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International
35. Nashville, TN: Nashville International
36. West Palm Beach/Palm Beach, FL: Palm Beach International
37. Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International
38. Knoxville, TN: McGhee Tyson
39. Orlando, FL: Orlando International
40. Louisville, KY: Louisville Muhammad Ali International
41. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh International
42. Denver, CO: Denver International
43. New Orleans, LA: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
44. Oakland, CA: Metropolitan Oakland International
45. Jacksonville, FL: Jacksonville International
46. Hartford, CT: Bradley International
47. Omaha, NE: Eppley Airfield
48. Oklahoma City, OK: Will Rogers World
49. Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis International
50. Columbus, OH: John Glenn Columbus International
51. Boston, MA: Logan International
52. Kansas City, MO: Kansas City International
53. Memphis, TN: Memphis International
54. San Francisco, CA: San Francisco International
55. Richmond, VA: Richmond International
56. Birmingham, AL: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International
57. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland-Hopkins International
58. St. Louis, MO: St Louis Lambert International
59. LAX Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles International
60. Providence, RI: Theodore Francis Green State
61. Milwaukee, WI: General Mitchell International
62. Charleston, SC: Charleston AFB/International
63. Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia International
64. Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National
65. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
66. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX: Dallas/Fort Worth International
67. Norfolk, VA: Norfolk International
68. Grand Rapids, MI: Gerald R. Ford International
69. New York, NY: LaGuardia
70. Dallas, TX: Dallas Love Field
71. Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Niagara International
72. Burbank, CA: Bob Hope
73. Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International
74. Houston, TX: William P Hobby
75. Chicago, IL: Chicago O'Hare International
76. Chicago, IL: Chicago Midway International

This table contains data for non-stop domestic flights by major air carriers collected in 2019 thus far by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and analyzed by InsureMyTrip.

Airline Cancellation Policies

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.

Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight. These losses may include such as a prepaid, non-refundable:

• Hotel room
• All-inclusive vacation or resort
• A cruise
• A tour or safari
• Concert or entertainment tickets

Travelers concerned about protecting any trip expenses should buy travel insurance.

Dealing With Flight Delays

Each airline has its own flight delay policy for passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. Travelers concerned about delays should be aware of the following:

• Generally, early departures are less likely to be delayed.
• Book a non-stop flight (no stops).
• When booking, ask the airline about the on-time performance percentage for an individual flight.
• Closer to departure, check real-time airport data. This will provide timely information on weather concerns or air traffic delays.
• Be aware of "creeping delays." This is when an airline continues to push back a departure time it can sometimes be extended for hours or lead to a cancellation.
• If a flight is delayed, try to learn the reason why to better gauge if the flight is in jeopardy of being canceled. Reasons for delays may include maintenance, fueling, crew issues, weather, previous flight with the same aircraft arrived late, causing the present flight to depart late, or security issues.
• Some flights will be delayed on the tarmac before or after take-off. As a general rule, DOT prohibits flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours.

Passengers with departing flights at busier airports should consider travel insurance with robust travel delay benefits.

To schedule an interview with an expert or to request specific research data, please contact news@insuremytrip.com.

Flight cancellation policies vary by airline and circumstance. When an airline cancels a flight due to bad weather, most will try to rebook passengers on the next available flight.

Airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight, including:

• Hotel fees
• All-inclusive vacation or resort fees
• Cruise payment
• A pre-paid tour or safari
• Concert or entertainment tickets

Travelers concerned about protecting any pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses should buy a travel insurance policy that features flight insurance benefits.

In an effort to help empower passengers to make more informed decisions while traveling during the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, InsureMyTrip predicts which US airports are most prone to delays and cancellations and what passengers should know about airline policies.

Airpot Delay Data Summary:

• Researchers ranked the on-time performance for the busiest airports in the Eastern US, the part of the country that is most impacted by tropical storms.*
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is ranked the best overall for handling delays and cancellations during hurricane season. It is also the busiest.
• Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy International are ranked the worst overall for delays and cancellations during hurricane season. All three airports are twice as likely to report a weather delay than any other airport on the list.
• Passengers should anticipate flight disruptions when a storm develops. Nationwide, flight cancellations soared for major US airports in August and September last year due to storms.

Overall US Airport Data Ranking (Worst to Best)

1. Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International
2. New York, NY: LaGuardia
3. New York, NY: John F. Kennedy International
4. Houston, TX: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston
5. Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National
6. Dallas/Fort Worth, TX: Dallas/Fort Worth International
7. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
8. Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia International
9. Boston, MA: Logan International
10. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
11. Dallas, TX: Dallas Love Field
12. Orlando, FL: Orlando International
13. Houston, TX: William P Hobby
14. Miami, FL: Miami International
15. Washington, DC: Washington Dulles International
16. Fort Myers, FL: Southwest Florida International
17. Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International
18. Austin, TX: Austin - Bergstrom International
19. Tampa, FL: Tampa International
20. Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International
21. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh International
22. Nashville, TN: Nashville International
23. San Antonio, TX: San Antonio International
24. New Orleans, LA: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
25. Atlanta, GA: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International

Data Methodology

*US airports were ranked by the InsureMyTrip travel data team. Data combined three years of on-time performance statistics for the 25 busiest airports (based on the volume of flight operations) located in Eastern US. On-time performance data included weather delays for airports — including those attributed to extreme weather conditions and delays under the control of the National Airspace System (NAS). The proportion of weather delays to the number of flights was also calculated in addition to the overall number of delays and minutes of delays. Researchers also reviewed the percentage of cancellations (domestic arrivals and departures). Data was obtained by the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the agency that tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.

Researchers evaluated on-time data for selected airports during the 2015, 2016, and 2017 hurricane season. The official hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th (Source: NOAA).

Peak months for hurricane and tropical storm activity also appears to correlate with a higher number of canceled flights nationwide. For example, the highest percentage of all flights canceled in 2017 were reported during August and September. These months also experienced high storm activity along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast.

Top reasons given for a flight cancellation in 2017 by all reportable US airports.

Flight data obtained by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. National Aviation System cancellations can also be due to weather.

US Airport Data Summary

• New York's LaGuardia reports the highest percentage of canceled flights in 2017. Winter Storm Stella was a contributing factor, causing the number of grounded flights to soar last March.
• For the first time in five years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) reports more flight cancellations than Chicago O'Hare International (ORD). December's power outage at ATL contributed to the spike. Data analysts predicted this outcome.
• Despite the rise in canceled flights for Atlanta, the airport was average, in terms of percentages — with 1.49 percent of scheduled departures calling it quits.
• Bad weather is the top reason for flight delays and cancellations.
• Overall, flight delays are far more common than canceled flights.
• The list shows the airports with the biggest percentages of flights canceled in 2017.

Data Source: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers.

US Airport Flight Cancellation Summary

• For the first time in five years, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) is reporting more flight cancellations than Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and this doesn't even include the power outage cancellations from this week.
• Weather is the top reason for flight cancellations and delays nationwide.
• If a flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook travelers on next available flight at no additional charge. However, airlines are not required to reimburse travelers for losses incurred as a result of a canceled flight.