The 20 biggest US airports ranked from worst to best, according to the Wall Street Journal

Thu, 11/16/2023 - 11:38

Tech Insider

empty Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with trees — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock

The Wall Street Journal has revealed its annual list of the best busy airports in the US.
Phoenix took first place while Boston rounded out the list in 10th place.
The WSJ ranking is based on "reliability," "value and convenience," and a traveler survey.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the best airport in the US, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ publishes an annual list of the best large airports in the US. To whittle down the country's 50 busiest airports to this year's selection, the publication used 30 metrics separated into two categories — "reliability" and "value and convenience."

The 10 "reliability" factors — which included data like average arrival and departure delays — carried more weight than the latter, which included aspects like the quality of bathrooms and access to ride-shares and taxis. A traveler satisfaction survey conducted by Dynata about the airports' amenities was also taken into account.

Based on these metrics, Phoenix's bustling airport now sits atop WSJ's 2023 rankings, bolstered by its easy access, airline and flight options, and consistent weather that prevents last-minute flight cancellations and delays, according to the publication. The Arizona hub also had the best taxi-out times of all the airports on this list, which means travelers spend less of their flight waiting on the tarmac. PHX most recently topped this list in 2019.

The other 30 airports were mid-size airports like San Jose's or San Antonio's and were ranked separately.

Take a look at the 20 of the largest US airports WSJ has deemed the best and worst in the country.

20. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)