Memorial Day Weekend is just around the corner, and airports nationwide will be full of travelers.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) predicted that the Memorial Day weekend flier amount will be 3.51 million, which is nearly 5 percent higher than last year’s number.
However, for the 10 most stressful U.S. airports ranked by StressFreeCarRental.com, this increase may not matter.
StressFreeCarRental.com created this year’s list by analyzing the data from their most popular U.S. airport rankings to find the worst ones for travelers to pass through.
The website based its analysis on five factors: passenger numbers, distance from a commercial area, the number of flight destinations, car parking prices and the airport’s overall satisfaction score.
1. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Chicago O’Hare International in Illinois is ranked the most stressful airport in America this year.
It is a large hub for American Airlines and United Airlines, which is headquartered in Chicago.
The airport has more than 40 airlines and gives its travelers the choice to book a non-stop flight to more than 200 destinations worldwide.
Travelers that are flying out of Chicago O’Hare International should get there early since more than 800,000 fliers have booked flights out of that airport from May 23 to May 28.
According to WGN 9, Chicago has also been named as one of the most searched destinations for airfare.
2. John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport, known to travelers as JFK, is one of the biggest airports in New York.
More than 70 airlines are available at the airport in Queens and Bloomberg reported that 62.5 million passengers flew out of JFK last year.
This Memorial Day weekend, fliers may not be pleased that they must deal with the $19 billion redevelopment construction that is currently happening at JFK.
‘We are completely rebuilding JFK Airport, so the construction impact on the roads and on traffic is going to be significant,’ said Rick Cotton, the executive director of the Port Authority, at a Monday news conference.
3. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas serves around 73 million customers each year, and it is considered one of the busiest airports in the world for passenger traffic.
The busy airport has not released many details on what passengers can expect this year, but if it’s anything like last year, more than a million fliers will pass through Dallas Fort Worth International.
‘For Texas, it’s the second highest Memorial Day travel volume that we would have seen since 2000,’ Daniel Armbruster with AAA said last year.
‘You want to book early,’ he said. ‘The earlier you book, you’re probably going to save.’
4. Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport in Colorado is one of the largest airports in the US, covering a whopping 53 square miles, according to Metro Denver EDC.
More than 69 million passengers travel through that airport annually, and it has more than 25 airlines.
One of the memorable features of Denver International is the peaked roof at the Jeppesen Terminal.
The roof was designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects as a way to bring a bit of Colorado history to the airport.
This year, officials expect an increase in fliers from today to May 27 at Denver International and they have predicted a record-breaking number of nearly 450,000 travelers for the next few days.
5. Los Angeles International Airport
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The California-based airport known as LAX has been around for nearly 100 years and is a primary international gateway.
With more than 65 airlines, LAX will soon be ‘reimagined’ as part of a $15 billion Capital Improvement Program.
This plan will help update the airport’s terminals, better guest experiences, increase airfield safety and improve access.
Millions of travelers will likely enjoy these improvements, but the nearly 772,000 passengers flying out of LAX from May 23 to May 28 this year may just be focused on making their flights on time.
6. Miami International Airport
Miami International is the biggest airport in Florida, and it handled more than 52 million passengers in 2023.
According to its website, Miami International is America’s busiest airport for international freight and the second busiest for international passengers.
It’s a home for more than 90 airlines and earns an annual $31.9 billion in business revenue.
Like others in the US, the airport is preparing for a busy summer travel season this year.
Starting Memorial Day weekend, it expects to welcome over 160,000 daily visitors.
WSVN 7 News provided multiple tips to help travelers fly out of Miami International successfully, including using ride-sharing services and completing airline check-in online.
7. Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport (MCO) has over 40 airlines available for millions of travelers.
Airport employees confirmed in their 2023 fact sheet that they helped more than 50 million passengers in 2022 and more than 5.5 million travelers who flew on international flights.
According to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority via West Orlando News, more than 57 million passengers flew out of MCO last year.
The airport is preparing for the Memorial Day weekend travel period and employees are expecting more than one million travelers at their airport between May 25 and May 31.
MCO also announced in a press release that it would open the West Park Place parking lot due to the high parking demand for Memorial Day weekend.
8. Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport is not as big as JFK, but it is still a busy airport for travelers nationwide.
More than 30 airlines, including United, Delta and Alaska Airlines, operate out of the New Jersey airport.
As of March 2024, according to a traffic report completed by Port Authority NY NJ, more than four million passengers fly out of Newark Liberty every month.
A local press release from TSA on May 20 indicated that thousands more travelers than usual will be flying out of this airport during Memorial Day weekend.
‘Here at Newark, we expect to see approximately 11,000 more travelers per day for Memorial Day Weekend than we see in an average weekend,’ said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.
‘The most important things that travelers can do is to get to the airport early and come prepared to go through the checkpoint screening process.’
9. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the biggest airport in Georgia that served more than 100 million travelers in 2023.
More than 20 domestic and international carriers fly out of the Atlanta airport, its primary airline being Delta.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is considered to be one of the busiest airports in the world and it is preparing to expect an increase of more than 6 percent of Memorial Day weekend travelers compared to last year.
According to the FAA via FOX 5, more than 100,000 travelers are expected to fly out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International on Friday.
Atlanta airport officials are expecting more than 119,000 travelers than last year.
10. Harry Reid International Airport
Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is a place where travelers can gamble while waiting to board their flight.
More than 30 airlines fly out of this Nevada airport, which also serves as an operating base for Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.
Harry Reid International Airport had a record-breaking 57.6 million passengers fly out last year and like other US airports, it is expected to have a surge in fliers this Memorial Day weekend.
The airport has not released too many details on what it will be like, but an X (formerly Twitter) post from its official account about its parking forecast hinted that ride services like Uber or Lyft may be a transportation option.
‘Be prepared: Airport parking is in HIGH DEMAND this week,’ their post read.
According to its parking forecast, long-term and economy parking in terminal one is expected to be full from Thursday through Saturday.
Terminal 3’s long-term lot may have extra parking spaces, but the remote lot is expected to be open throughout the entire holiday weekend.