Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - The Grinches - Airports to Avoid This Holiday Season
The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but some airports seem determined to play the role of the Grinch and steal the Christmas spirit from travelers. These airport Grinches combine crowded terminals, delays, cancellations and other hassles that can turn your holiday travel plans into a nightmare before you ever make it to grandma's house.
One of the biggest offender on the naughty list is Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Not only is ORD one of the busiest airports in the world under normal circumstances, but the holidays bring an influx of passengers that stretches resources to the breaking point. Long security lines, packed terminals, delayed flights and winter weather woes tend to put O'Hare near the top of the list for holiday travel headaches. Travelers report multi-hour waits just to get through security, only to find overcrowded gates and delays once they do make it through. Have a short connection? Good luck. O'Hare is notoriously bad for on-time arrivals and departures in December. Pack your patience if Chicago is on your holiday itinerary.
Newark Liberty International Airport also makes Santa's naughty list year after year. As one of the major New York airports, EWR sees a huge spike in traffic during the holidays as travelers flood into the Big Apple. The airport's aging infrastructure already struggles under normal loads, so when the crowds descend around Christmas it's total gridlock. Passengers have sat on the tarmac for hours waiting for a gate, while snaking security lines stretch through the terminal. Trying to rebook during the inevitable spate of winter delays and cancellations is nearly impossible. Newark does try to get into the holiday spirit with carolers and decorations, but cheer is hard to come by when you've been trapped in the airport for 6 hours.
No list of holiday travel nightmares would be complete without mentioning Los Angeles International Airport. LAX is crowded, confusing and notorious for delays even when it's not peak travel season. But pack in millions of extra passengers flying in and out for the holidays and you have a recipe for total chaos. Parking lots fill to capacity, terminals reach claustrophobic levels of crowding and don't even ask about the security lines. Flight delays and cancellations only compound the misery. Travellers have reported missing their return flights home for the holidays after getting stuck at LAX. And good luck finding an empty seat at any of the restaurants and lounges. If you must connect through LAX around Christmas, brace yourself for holiday humbug.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - Santa's Workshop - Airports Decking the Halls in Cheer
While some airports have earned a spot on Santa's naughty list, others go all out to spread holiday cheer to travelers. You'll know you've landed in one of Santa's workshop airports when you see twinkling lights, Christmas trees, carolers and maybe even an appearance by Old Saint Nick himself. These airports help get everyone into the holiday spirit with decorations and activities fit for the North Pole.
One of the most festive airports is Nashville International. This airport is known for rolling out the red carpet during the holidays, with carolers decked out in Victorian era costumes singing Christmas tunes and greeting travelers. You can even join in for a Christmas singalong at the airport's piano. Nashville Airport also erects enormous holiday trees throughout the terminal, with decorations depicting Music City themes like guitars, banjos and cowboy boots. Kids can visit Santa's sleigh and write letters to the Jolly Old Elf in his workshop mailbox. Before you board your flight, be sure to indulge in one of the airport's special holiday treats like pumpkin pie or snickerdoodles.
Denver International Airport is another Christmas lover's paradise, with dazzling displays like the 39-foot illuminated holiday tree outside the main terminal. Inside, the Great Hall lives up to its name with a 56-foot tall tree ringed by choirs singing beloved carols. Even the outdoor train takes on a festive flair, with rail cars dressed up like Santa's sleigh and gingerbread men. Kids can visit Santa Land, while adults indulge in spiked cocoa and holiday cocktails. And be sure to catch a photo with the larger-than-life polar bear statues dressed in giant scarves and Santa hats.
If you're flying through Dallas-Fort Worth around the holidays, you'll be greeted with over 100 Christmas trees decked out in silver and blue. The airport puts on music and dance performances from local groups like the Children's Chorus of Greater Dallas, and kids can meet Santa and his elves for photos. For travelers feeling hungry after braving the security lines, DFW offers holiday meals in the terminals and seasonal desserts like gingerbread men. Getting into the Christmas spirit has never been easier than a flight through DFW in December.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - No Mistletoe Here - Airports Plagued by Delays and Cancellations
While some airports deck their halls in holiday splendor, others are more likely to leave you saying "bah humbug!" These airports see an onslaught of delays and cancellations around the holidays that can derail your travel plans faster than a runaway sled. Nothing spreads holiday misery quite like staring at the departure boards at one of these problem airports as your flight gets continually delayed before eventually getting the dreaded “cancelled” status.
One of the worst offenders for holiday travel disruptions is San Francisco International Airport. The Bay Area hub is prone to heavy rains and windstorms in December, which leads to a cascade of delays and cancellations. Even on sunny days, SFO struggles to keep up with the high holiday demand, with overcrowding and staffing shortages causing headaches. Passengers report missed connections and being stranded overnight as the delays drag on. Trying to rebook during peak holiday travel is next to impossible. And don’t expect a lot of sympathy from the airport staff - they’re just as stressed out dealing with the disruptions. Pack your patience if San Francisco is on your holiday itinerary.
Philadelphia International Airport is another spot that tends to land on the naughty list for holiday travelers. Philly is victim to the infamous nor’easters that pound the Northeast in December, dumping piles of snow and causing mass cancellations. Even when the weather cooperates, PHL grapples with overcrowding, outdated infrastructure and short staffing during its busiest season. Departure boards overflow with delay notifications, gates reach claustrophobic levels of crowdedness and hours-long lines form at customer service as stranded passengers try to rebook flights home for the holidays. Pack light - you may end up spending one or more unplanned nights in Philly.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - All I Want for Christmas - Airports with Great Amenities for Travelers
While delays and crowds can turn some airports into the Grinch during the holidays, others really embrace the role of Santa and offer amenities to help travelers survive the chaos with cheer. From unlimited free hot cocoa to Christmas movies and comfy pods to nap in, these airports give road-weary passengers a home away from home.
Portland International Airport pampers travelers with an array of holiday perks to make PDX feel like Santa's living room. Unlimited free hot cocoa and cider flow from barista stands, so you can get cozy with a sweet cup o' cheer. Seasonal beer and wine tastings help take the edge off crowded concourses. The airport's movie theater screens Christmas classics to get you in the spirit before boarding, and you can score free gift wrapping for any last minute presents picked up on the go. Thousands of sparkling lights and festive decorations transform PDX into a winter wonderland. And the airport's yoga room, with its plush flooring and soft lighting, is the perfect spot to find your zen during the rush.
For passengers facing delays or overnight layovers around the holidays, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has your back. MSP offers private sleeping "cabins" that can be rented by the hour, giving road warriors a cozy nest to recharge between flights. The pods include comfy chairs that convert into beds, along with USB ports and work spaces. Travelers can reserve a pod for a quick power nap or an overnight snooze. MSP also offers free coat check and baggage storage, so you don't have to lug your stuff around during extended connections. With perks like these, MSP aims to take the stress out of holiday travel disruptions.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - Beware the Ghosts of Christmas Past - Airports Still Recovering from Prior Holiday Debacles
While most airports learn from prior mistakes and improve each holiday travel season, some seem doomed to relive their Christmas calamities year after year. These airports are still haunted by the “ghosts” of holiday travel debacles past, with the same issues plaguing passengers’ plans each December. Nothing spreads Christmas misery like an airport stuck in a time loop of yuletide dysfunction.
One of the biggest offenders is London Gatwick, which continues struggling to recover from the drone debacle of 2018. Mass drone sightings around the airport caused complete shutdowns over multiple days right before Christmas, stranding over 100,000 passengers. Flights were grounded for nearly 36 hours straight, with cancellations and delays dragging on for weeks. Three years later, Gatwick has yet to fully exorcise the ghosts of that holiday disaster. Travelers report lingering anxiety about drones, while staffing shortages and aging infrastructure still strain operations during peak demand. The slightest hiccup causes a ripple effect through the fragile system. Even when things run smoothly, the collective PTSD from 2018 lingers at Gatwick during the holidays.
Honolulu International Airport also battles the recurring ghosts of Christmas past, particularly the Phantom of the Runway Repairs. For the past four holiday seasons, HNL has embarked on major runway renovations that severely reduce capacity and lead to cancellations, delays and overcrowded concourses. The lengthy repairs cause back-ups even on blue sky days. And when storms roll in off the Pacific, it's air travel gridlock. Stranded passengers shell out big bucks for last minute hotel rooms as delays drag on for days. Yet every year the airport resuscitates these runway ghosts, much to the frustration of frequent holiday fliers.
So while most airports use past stumbles as opportunities for growth, some seem destined to endlessly relive their holiday horrors. As Yogi Berra famously said, "It's deja vu all over again." Travelers should research an airport's past track record before booking flights, or risk getting haunted by ghosts of Christmas past. The best defense is avoiding airports prone to replaying the same holiday travel nightmares year after year. Otherwise, you may find your Christmas spirit vanishing like Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly visitors when the clock strikes midnight. The holidays are hard enough without airports resurrecting old demons.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - No More Chestnuts Roasting - Airports Banning Open Flames and Holiday Treats
The smells and tastes of the holidays are as much a tradition as trimming the tree or hanging stockings by the chimney. Yet many airports are cracking down on classic Christmas cuisine, banning open flames and other supposed “hazards” from terminal restaurants and lounges. Forget roasting chestnuts or lighting the Advent wreath candles—some Grinchy airports won’t even allow a birthday cake candle.
Take Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for example. SEA banned open flames years ago, forcing airport restaurants to ax dishes like Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee from their holiday menus. You won’t find any tableside Caesar salad preparation either. And while games like dreidel traditionally use candles, the airport had to nix that Hanukkah tradition too. Even pilot birthday celebrations are flame-free. It’s enough to make Santa leave nothing but coal in SEA’s stocking.
Or consider Philadelphia International Airport, which famously banned Christmas cookies from a terminal shop because sugar cookies apparently constitute an “unhealthy treat”. Along with the cookies, Philly airports prohibited candy canes, gingerbread men, fruitcakes and other iconic holiday edibles from being sold in terminal shops. Only pre-packaged snacks made the nice list. Talk about a food Grinch trying to steal Christmas.
To be fair, some flame and food bans come from legitimate safety concerns. But by overreaching in the name of safety, airports risk sucking the joy right out of holiday travel. The months between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are meant to be magical times filled with the sights, sounds, scents and flavors of the season. Yet the Grinches running these airports seem determined to trim anything fun, festive or delicious from the holiday travel experience.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - Yule Be Sorry - Airports with Long Security Lines During Peak Times
After surviving the jostling crowds and traffic jams just getting to the airport, the last thing harried holiday travelers want is an epic security line to further delay their Christmas plans. Yet some airports are notorious for letting their TSA checkpoints turn into the "Highway to the Danger Zone" during the peak holiday rush. Grim tales of winding security queues that stretch through terminals have scared generations of holiday flyers. Nothing zaps the Christmas spirit faster than the fear of getting stuck in one of those notorious ultra-long security lines, watching your flight departure time inch ever closer as you creep toward the checkpoints one shuffle step at a time.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport is one of the usual suspects when it comes to horrific holiday security lines. The crowds that pack O'Hare's concourses between Thanksgiving and New Years create a perfect storm for inferior security queue management. Even on normal days, ORD's TSA staffing fails to keep up with passenger volumes. But on peak travel days around Christmas, the security wait times balloon exponentially. Horror stories abound of passengers waiting 3+ hours just to clear security at O'Hare's checkpoints, only to later miss flights while still stuck in line. Parents trying to wrangle excited kids and all their carry-ons describe the nightmare of inching through interminable queues with no end in sight. Sporting a Santa hat while you wait doesn't make it feel much like the North Pole.
Newark Liberty is another airport prone to humbug-worthy security lines during the holiday hustle. Already stressed by overcrowding and outdated infrastructure, Newark's checkpoints crack under the pressure of peak seasonal loads. Understaffing and clumsy TSA queue design cause headaches even on normal days. But when hordes of Christmas travelers converge on EWR, the security wait times shoot through the roof. Tales of 2+ hour queues winding through terminals are common, even on supposedly "good" weather days. Trying to plan that crucial 90 minute pre-flight window becomes laughable. Newark's security Grinches seem determined to thwart travelers from making their holiday connections. If you hope to actually spend Christmas at grandma's house and not stranded at EWR, pad your layover time generously.
No roundup of holiday security line nightmares would be complete without a special shout-out to Los Angeles International Airport. LAX is the perfect storm of huge passenger volumes, dated terminals and overall West Coast chill when it comes to queue management. Even modest crowds can cripple TSA operations and back up the checkpoints. But when teeming holiday masses fill LAX's concourses to the breaking point, the security lines pass from purgatory into outright hell. Tales of 3+ hour queues are commonplace, as harried flyers struggle to inch their way closer to the X-ray machines and pat downs. All while their precious vacation time ticks away along with their departure gates. For the poor unlucky souls booked through LAX this Christmas, may Saint Nicholas bless you with speedy security lines.
Ho Ho No! The Naughty and Nice Airports for Holiday Travel - Jingle Bell Rock Bottom - Airports Offering Affordable Parking and Transport Options
After ponying up for flights and hotels, the last thing holiday travelers want is to get sleighed by high airport parking fees. Finding affordable parking can be key to keeping your Christmas travel budget out of the red. Fortunately, some airports deck the parking lots with deals to put holiday travelers in the black.
Savvy flyers aim to land at airports offering jingle bell rock bottom pricing on parking and ground transport. Chicago Midway International Airport often makes the nice list for its thrifty on-site parking options. Midway offers an online booking discount that can net you up to 50% off standard daily parking rates. Pretty sweet savings for an airport located right in the heart of a major metro area.
Another wallet-friendly option is Dallas Love Field, conveniently situated near downtown Dallas. Love Field's parking garages offer some of the most competitive rates in the country, with prices as low as $7-10 per day. Online reservations also snag you discounts at Love Field. And the airport doesn't levy nuisance fees for paying upon exit or anything tricky like that. Just pure holiday parking savings in the heart of Big D.
Of course parking on-site isn't your only affordable option for getting to the airport. Savvy travelers also utilize shared ride services, which offer door-to-door airport transport for a fraction of the cost of a solo cab ride or driving your own wheels. Shared ride services like SuperShuttle frequent many airports nationwide with rates as low as $15-20 per person. Grab the family and you can save a bundle, with plenty of room for presents in the van. That's the kind of curbside service Santa would love.
For an even cheaper lift, check if your airport offers public transit connections. Cities like Atlanta, Minneapolis and Oakland have direct train or bus links between their airports and downtowns, with one-way fares starting around $2-3 per rider. Nothing spreads holiday cheer like a few extra jingles in your pocket thanks to discount public transpo.