Constant Delays At These Two New York City Airports Make Them Some Of The Worst In America

If you're flying in and out of New York City, you have multiple airports to choose from, including JFK and LaGuardia (LGA). But if you're worried about constant delays, it's really no choice at all. According to a study of delays and disruptions by AirHelp (via Time Out) in 2025, both of these airports were some of the worst in the country. JFK was the fourth-worst airport, with 26.9% of its flights disrupted, while LaGuardia was No. 6, with 26.5% of flights delayed. What makes this a bummer is that the recently revitalized LaGuardia was called one of the best airports in North America in 2024 and received five stars from Skytrax in 2023.

Your other option for flights in the area is New Jersey's Newark, which has had its own share of issues and cancellations. If delays are a worry for you, heading to Newark may not help you out much, as it ranked between JFK and LaGuardia in fifth place with 26.7% of its flights delayed. That's a huge issue for anyone flying in and out of the most visited city in America. Of course, this is a major metropolitan area, and as AirHelp's list proves, NYC isn't the only big city with a high rate of delays. Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., took the top spot, followed by Boston Logan International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

So, what can you do about flight delays? First, you should know what you're entitled to. The Department of Transportation's website has a dashboard that lists what you can expect from each of the major domestic airlines if you experience a controllable delay. For instance, Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United will rebook you on the same airline at no additional cost and give you a meal or a voucher/cash for one if you're delayed three hours or more. However, only a few will give you a credit or travel voucher for the same amount of time. But these benefits are only if the delay is in the airline's control (which weather is not). You should also know that, if your domestic flight has a controllable delay of more than three hours, and you choose not to accept a rebooking or travel credit, you are entitled to an automatic refund within seven days if you paid with a credit card, and 20 days if you paid in cash. 

However, if you want the rebooking, you should move quickly to get the best option. Get right to a ticket counter to rebook (seats may be limited, and the whole plane may want those spots), but at the same time, contact your airline through its app. You can also call (the international number may get you connected faster), as well as message the carrier on social media. It's a good idea to have airline customer service numbers, the app, and social media handles saved in your phone before you even leave for the airport. Finally, keep an eye on FlightAware to look at delay trends. If the weather is bad and the airline offers you any waivers before your flight, take them while you can.