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Florida Airports You Should Avoid This Holiday Season

passengers in line at an airport in front of a large glass window with sun shinng through the Florida Airports Holiday Season

Travel experts say this week is the time to book travel for Thanksgiving. Fares are a little lower and there are more options. However, if you are flying from or through airports in the state other than RSW in Fort Myers, this list is something to consider. Here are the Florida Airports you should avoid this holiday season. There are four in the sunshine state that have the highest percentage of flight disruptions. Spoiler alert. None are in Southwest Florida. But you might want to think twice about Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

There are a few things to know about Florida Airports Holiday season that might help you deal with flight disruptions. In addition, here is a list of airports nationwide to try and avoid.

In fact, flights from RSW have been on time this summer 70%. Many Southwest Floridians visit the New York City area around the holidays. It can be a dilemma when it comes to which of three airports to land. If you want the best chance of being on time and having few disruptions, opt for LaGuardia. More than 70% of flights here have been on time. The info is from AirHelp using data from the busy summer months.

Before we get the worst airports for disruptions, here is a list of the ten best starting with #1:

  • Honolulu (HNL)
  • Portland (PDX)
  • Minneapolis (MSP)
  • Salt Lake (SLC)
  • San Jose (SIC)
  • San Antonio (SAT)
  • Sacramento (SMF)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Seattle (SEA)
  • Phoenix (PHX)

It's the holidays, and sometimes all bets are off when it comes to flying. However, here is the complete list of  airports to avoid this holiday season. And if you can't avoid them, just be prepared physically and mentally for possible delays and disruptions.

#1 Fort Lauderdale (FLL)

This is the worst airport in Florida according to these numbers. Worst airport for flight disruptions. 42.6% of all flights were disrupted for summer travel.

#2 Orlando (MCO)

Orlando is a hub for many Florida travelers. Often times flights to and from SWFL go through here. Keep looking if that is your route. Orlando flights were disrupted 42.63% of the time in the last few months.

#3 Newark (EWR)

Flying to NYC to visit friends or see the city lights? You might want to look at one of the regions other airports. Flights to Newark were disrupted 39.19% over the summer.

#4 Baltimore (BWI)

Many people flying to DC and surrounding areas consider Baltimore. IF that is you, keep this in mind. Over the summer this airport saw 39.10% of its flights disrupted.

 

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#5 Chicago (MDW)

The number for Chicago could get worse as the winter storm season approaches. However, over the summer 36.28% of flights were disrupted to the Windy City.

#6 Denver (DEN)

The Mile High City comes in at #6. This summer, the airport in Denver saw 35.02% of its flights in and out experience disruptions.

#7 Boston (BOS)

Southwest Florida has a great connection to this city. New England is beautiful to visit. But if you can avoid flying into Boston, try to. Its flights were disrupted 34.6% of the time over the summer months.

#8 Las Vegas (LAS)

Vegas could be a fun way to spend the holidays. But the city's airport, Harry Reid International, has lots of disruptions according to this report. 34.26% of flights were delayed over the summer.

Gloria Trevi blows a kiss to the audience as she performs at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas,

Miami (MIA)

Oh Miami. I love the city. The airport...not so much. It seems to always be under construction and the traffic is crazy. But you can often times get great deals from here. The downside is that over the summer 34.23% of the flights were disrupted.

 

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Tampa (TPA)

I've always enjoyed flying out of Tampa. The terminal design is easy to navigate and there is some decent shopping in the hub while you wait. However, over the summer 33.2% of flights into and out of here were disrupted.

Gina Birch brings the sunshine to Sunny 106.3 every weekday morning from 6-10. She has worked in radio, television and print in Southwest Florida for nearly 30 years. During that time, she has become an advocate for numerous charities including those that support animals, children, women and wellness. In addition, she has written for numerous local, regional and national publications about food, wine and travel. Those are her longtime passions...along with shoes.