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Five Best Airports for a Layover
Power Trip · October 18, 2002

Airport layovers are as inevitable these days as cramped economy class seats, annoying security checkpoints and nitpicky ticket agents. But unlike the other realities of flying, you've often got a choice about the terminal you're trapped in.

Which airport should you pick? J.D. Power and Associates tried to answer that question a few years ago when it released its "inaugural" customer satisfaction study on U.S. airports. It named Orlando, Fla., the No. 1 airport, a choice I'm inclined to agree with. But then it offered a bizarre selection for runner-up: Las Vegas (Nev.) McCarran International Airport.

What's wrong with McCarran? Well, just walk through the doors and take a whiff. If you're a nonsmoker, you'll know what I mean. Even though passengers are only allowed to light up in limited smoking "areas" in the terminal, those places seem to be everywhere — in bars, waiting areas and almost anywhere there's a slot machine. I dread landing in Las Vegas.

My point is that customer satisfaction surveys seem to be just about as reliable as calling a few frequent travelers and asking them which airports they like. So that's what I decided to do.

Here are five favorite airports for layovers, as determined by my completely unscientific, random poll of road warriors. And by me.

Orlando International Airport (MCO). I've been stuck at Orlando several times for up to a whole day, have flown into and out of every one of its terminals, and I think J.D. and company are right about this one. Orlando is the best airport in the United States for a layover, bar none. It's easy to find, parking isn't a problem and the terminals are incredibly user-friendly. Like some of the other highly-rated Florida airports, notably Tampa, Orlando has the airy feel of a European train station. And the layover? There's plenty to do, to hear travelers like Lisa Turner talk about it: "It has lots of shopping, Starbucks coffee and even a Hyatt Regency," she tells me. "It's my favorite airport." The only problem I have with Orlando is its super-long security lines, which I hope will shrink with time.

Denver International Airport (DEN). Wait a minute, did I really say Denver? Yes, I did. This could be controversial. After all, Denver International is the airport travelers loved to hate when it opened a few years ago. (Remember its hopelessly busted baggage system?) Surprise: Denver has turned a corner and is now good enough to make us forget about Stapleton, the airfield it replaced. The layout of its terminals is highly intuitive and the food is palatable, which is more than I can say for a lot of other airports. Plus, it looks great. "It's the coolest-looking airport," raves Patricia Handschiegel, a communications consultant in Chicago. However, the airport did lose a couple of points for being so far away from Denver — I once spent an entire day at Denver International after a blizzard and, believe me, when you're trapped there, you're really trapped.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). This airport was completely ignored by J.D. and friends, which I think is a shame. The international terminal is really a work of art. And how can anyone overlook an airport where you can buy a real Chicago hot dog? If it's any consolation to my friends at O'Hare, they did win the "Best Airport in North America" designation by the readers of Business Traveler International magazine for the last four consecutive years, which has to count for something. "I travel twice a week on United Airlines and my favorite airport by far is O'Hare," seconds Ann Winter, an information technology consultant in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. "Check-in is very convenient with the automated kiosks, security lines move quickly, and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and specialty shops to kill the time while you wait for your overdue plane." I'm not a fan of Chicago's spread-out design, though. Some connections are so far apart that you feel as if you're starring in a Nike commercial.

Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (ATL). I've been a fan of Hartsfield since the 1996 Summer Olympics, when this airport gave itself a much-needed facelift and opened a new international terminal. As someone who's been stuck on a layover in that terminal a time or two, I can say that it's really a pleasure. Honestly. The shopping, the dining — all first-rate. Another bonus: If you feel like making a longer stopover in Atlanta, it's extremely easy to take the train into town. Hartsfield also is an easy airport to get around, according to travelers like Bette Price. "Moving from one area to another is easier than at many airports," says Price, a professional speaker who lives in Dallas. She also likes the fact that most stores stay open late, so she doesn't have to worry about missing dinner or suffering from terminal boredom. My only beef with Hartsfield Atlanta is that there's a tendency for crowds to bottleneck at some of the exits at key times of day. Chalk that one up to poor planning, I guess.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Look, if you just spent $2.4 billion on, among other things, a mine-is-bigger international terminal that features a museum, 30 specialty shopping stores and restaurants on a par with those found in the city of San Francisco, you'd throw a tantrum if you didn't make someone's list. So here you go: The new San Francisco International is much better than what it was, and it's still improving. I like to think of it as a work in progress, with coming-soon train service, redesigned road and new parking facilities, which accounts for its relatively low ranking. Dave Lakhani, a vice president for a San Francisco computer company, counts the new SFO among his favorites. He ought to know: He travels more than 200 days out of the year. But the airport's biggest drawback — once the dust settles from the construction — may be the weather. Runways are often fogged in, slowing down air traffic. Unfortunately, that's something even another $2.4 billion can't fix.

OK, I know what you're thinking. I left out your favorite airport. Was there a vote in there for Phoenix, Baltimore or maybe Seattle-Tacoma? Sure, I talked to a lot of people and I've landed in many more airports and experienced the best and the worst they have to offer. But remember, my primary criterion was how the airport fares with passengers on a layover.

To be perfectly blunt, I think this list sends a disturbing message to airport officials: Tax your passengers to death and spend billions of dollars on a new international terminal, with an IMAX theater and a water theme park, and they will come.

But then, isn't that what we want?

Christopher Elliott is a travel writer based in Key Largo, Fla. This column also appeared on Microsoft's bCentral site.