North America's Least Traveler-Friendly And Inefficient Airports In 2025

Not all airports are created equally. When you're transiting through a spacious and thoughtfully laid out and executed airport, you really feel it. But when you're stuck in a tedious, uncomfortable, and inefficient one, that's when you start to question why you ever wanted to travel in the first place. While some airports in America, like Minneapolis-Saint Paul International and Phoenix Sky Harbor International, topped the list of America's most traveler-friendly and efficient airports in 2025, there were many others who didn't impress in the latest J.D. Power's 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

This particular study has been conducted annually for the last 20 years, and this year's version used more than 30,000 surveys from U.S. and Canadian travelers who transited through various sized airports in North America between July 2024 and July 2025. These travelers, who could've used one airport or multiple, were asked about their personal transit experience. Elements like efficiency, trust, comfort, accessibility, staff, dining, shopping, and other facilities were all covered to gather overall satisfaction rates with specific airports. J.D. Power was also sure to only survey passengers who had arrived at or departed from each airport within 30 days of their transit. This way, their experiences were still fresh and valid.

Airport satisfaction was scored on a 1,000-point scale, so it's quite alarming to see so many of North America's mega airports (serving more than 33 million passengers annually) only achieving slightly better than 50% scores. The following five mega airports scored between 565 and 586 points, well below the industry average for airports of their size and passenger capacity. This isn't to say you can't transit through them. Just don't expect the most pleasant or efficient experience most of the time.

It's generally accepted that large, busy airports are going to be less enjoyable for transiting than smaller, quieter ones. When it comes to a mega airport like Newark Liberty International, denser crowding has resulted in longer wait times at security. But should an airport that sees nearly 49 million passengers each year be given a break when it comes to efficiency? Maybe, but probably not when considering overall passenger satisfaction.

Newark Liberty International Airport was found to be the worst of its category among passengers, scoring 565 points out of a potential 1,000. This put it almost 100 points below the top-ranked airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, in its category. According to Skytrax, Newark Liberty is a certified Three-Star Airport, known for having "arduous and inconvenient" transfers, including "extensive immigration waits and slow security processing for connecting flights". It's also not winning anyone over with comfort, as its restrooms and decor both score poorly.

A 2025 Business Insider article also highlighted how the airport has experienced ongoing issues that cause frustrations and delays for passengers. Problems with air traffic and power outages even forced the airport to cancel more than 100 flights in one month. While safety is rarely a concern at Newark Liberty, this still isn't an airport you want to encounter right now.

Unfortunately, you can't always choose which airport you need to use to visit your dream destinations. Toronto Pearson International is the main entry point for anyone wanting to visit Canada, welcoming roughly 50 million passengers in a typical year. That means you'll probably have to land here if you want to visit alluring Canadian destinations like Muskoka, an underrated lakeside region that's a joyful burst of fall colors.

Toronto Pearson barely avoided earning the infamous title of cellar dweller in this year's rankings, scoring 567 points. With only two additional points than Newark Liberty International, Toronto Pearson poses many similar scenarios for anyone looking to transit here. It's actually not surprising to see what is, without a doubt, North America's most stressful airport in this group.

Canada's extreme weather patterns certainly don't help, with flights at Toronto Pearson often delayed or cancelled due to snowstorms and other severe winter conditions. Customer service also seems to be a sore point, especially when it comes to unhelpful or rude airport staff. One traveler on Skytrax called out being treated poorly by unempathetic staff who refused to help, while also calling the airport "disgustingly dirty." But there are still some passengers who enjoy their transits here, too, commending the smooth check-in and security processes. You may need to just hope you're passing through at a good time.

Coming in at third-last with a score of 581 out of 1,000 points, Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) also proves that busier airports often struggle to maintain passenger satisfaction. According to an official press release, CLT saw almost 59 million passengers in 2024 and over 53 million the year before. Those numbers position it as the sixth-busiest airport in the world.

Unfortunately, the airport's current setup and facilities don't accommodate these passenger numbers well enough. It's why CLT has multiple improvements underway, including adding more terminal lobby space and a $1 billion project for expanding its runways. It has also recently completed projects that have increased the number of TSA screening lanes and added 10 new gates for passengers. Depending on how these and other improvements fare, Charlotte Douglas International may avoid such a low ranking in the coming years.

The airport certainly needs more to facilitate its record-breaking air traffic. In the past, planes have had to wait after landing for gates to become available, stopping passengers from disembarking on time, according to Axios. Passengers have also struggled to see where one line ends and another begins due to poor signage and heavy crowds. CLT is also notorious for being unclean and forcing passengers to wait a long time to collect their bags. "Slowest baggage claim in the U.S. I travel all over the U.S. and Canada. Seldom do I check a bag, but when I must, CLT has the slowest baggage return of any airport," one passenger, Dennis S, said to Axios.

If you want to visit Vashon Island, a scenic uncrowded escape with charming restaurants, chances are you'll be flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). Unfortunately, Sea-Tac has failed to impress travelers over the last year, earning an overall satisfaction score of 583 points. This airport is certainly doing the hard yards, servicing over 52 million passengers in 2024.

However, it's not handling this traffic well, posting one of the worst wait times at customs in the U.S. at over 31 minutes. This is about eight minutes longer than the national average, but it also includes baggage collection, so it may not be as arduous as many believe. Still, Sea-Tac is known for closing skybridge walkways, having low-ceiling spaces lacking natural light, and needing a serious update for its facilities.

Fortunately for anyone who uses this airport frequently, certain expansion and upgrade projects are already underway. A $400 million expansion will eventually provide four additional floors between concourses C and D. This space should accommodate new dining and shopping options, as well as restrooms, a meditation room, an outdoor relaxation area, and premium airport lounges. Other ongoing upgrades, according to Port of Seattle, include optimizing baggage collection, renovating restrooms, improving curbside pickups, and automating parking. All of these will hopefully go a long way to helping Seattle-Tacoma International Airport move higher up this list.

Despite its inclusion on this list, Chicago O'Hare International deserves a small pat on the back for only being the fifth-least traveler friendly (scoring 586 points), because it served around 80 million passengers in 2024. That makes it far busier than any of the other airports included here. With so many daily passengers, O'Hare International faces an uphill battle keeping everyone happy. It's no surprise it was one of America's worst airports for flight disruptions in March 2025, according to AirHelp data reported by WGN9.

Chicago is popular among American and international tourists, which is why it's been voted the Best Big City in the U.S. for nine years running by Condé Nast Traveler readers. You can see why with neighborhoods like Pilsen, a walkable, 2-mile art zone offering nonstop color and fun for free. Although the airport is doing better than in 2024, when it was the third-worst for customer satisfaction, it still has a long way to go when it comes to parking and facilities.

Upgrades and renovations are in the works and should improve passenger experiences while transiting. A multi-billion-dollar renovation for O'Hare aims to create around 19 new gates for passengers, hopefully spreading out crowds and allowing more streamlined arrivals and departures. Weather will also always play a factor here, as severe snow, wind, and ice are known to cause delays throughout the year.