Last week we discussed airline seating, and which airlines were trying to stuff two hundred pounds of American into a 100 lb. bag. This week, thanks to U.S. News and World Report, we consider what airports to avoid.While most of the time travelers buzz from one terminal to another, barely noting the bad food and overpriced golf clothes for sale along the way, every once in a great while a snowstorm or terrorist attack traps thousands of visitors for days at a time. Where would you rather sleep on the floor?
USNWR's Airport Misery Index, developed in cooperation with The Boyd Group, breaks their subject into two classes, large airports and small. The candidates for the most miserable large airports:
- Detroit, MI -- Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) --Hub --Northwest
- Chicago, IL -- O'Hare (ORD) --Hub- American (NYSE:AMR), United (NASDAQ: UAUA)
- Charlotte, NC -- Charlotte Douglas Intl (CLT) -- Hub -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC)
- New York NY -- Kennedy (JFK) --Hub -- Delta (NYSE: DAL), JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU)
- Newark, NJ -- Liberty Intl (EWR) (The airport People's Airlines made famous has brought ignominity upon the Garden State. Ask most people what they know of NJ, and they'll likely refer to the Newark Airport and Tony Soprano, neither favorably.) -- Hub -- Continental (NYSE: CAL)
- Oakland, CA -- Metro Oakland Intl (OAK)
- Houston TX -- Wm. P.
LHobby (HOU) - San Jose CA -- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl (SJC)
- Dallas, TX -- Love Field (DAL) -- Hub -- Southwest (NYSE: LUV)
- St. Louis, MO -- Lambert Intl (STL) -- Hub -- American
Best & Worst in Money 2008: Most shocking financial collapse
Closing Bell: Stocks slump as AMD, AT&T, GM and Merck decline
Global Q&A: A rocky road, but profits ahead
