As an Angeleno who calls both LAX and BUR home, I may be a little biased, but I was shocked to see my two airports as ranked best in the nation and worst in the world…
In a bid to stay relevant, Fodor’s has entered the travel awards business and just came out with its best and worst lists for 2019. Interestingly (and coincidentally, Fodor’s assures me), the two airports I use most wound up at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Burbank-Hollywood Airport, just a short drive from my house, took the top honor for its “shenanigan-free experience”. I do love Burbank Airport and agree that you can park your car, walk across the street to the terminal, pass through security, and board your flight in under five minutes except perhaps during the early morning rush. That’s why I love it. I can literally leave my house less than an hour before departure and comfortably make my flight. And although there are no lounges and few amenities at the airport, especially in Terminal B, a renovation project is making the airport more comfortable.
Hear us out: it’s not flashy or even state-of-the-art. In fact, we love Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) for everything it’s not. Burbank is an airport free of most of the hassles that take the fun out of travel plans. It’s an agreeable airport in a perfect location, which is why it’s at the top of our list of airports to love.
So I’m not surprised that Burbank received a high ranking, though I would also call it one of the ugliest in the country. But I was taken aback by the poor score that LAX received.
LAX: The Worst?
Here’s why Fodor’s hates LAX:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the fourth busiest airport in the world—87.5 million people flew through it in 2018—but for the poor souls who aren’t merely killing time in a layover, those who woefully call this their point of dis- or embarkation, they are forced to endure the purgatorial nightmare of traffic that leads to and from each of LAX’s nine terminals (as many terminals as Dante’s hell has circles). Thanks to the improbably stupid design of its catastrophic horseshoe motor-loop, it regularly requires 30 minutes to travel the short mile from the outskirts of the airport to most of its terminals. And because Los Angeles was built as a city beholden to the automobile, there is no other way to arrive or depart from this maddening complex of suffering but through the interminable traffic.
That is quite an exaggeration. I won’t dispute that at the height of late-evening rush hour on busy travel days it does take 30 minutes to get from the I-105 airport exit to Terminal 4. But most of the time I can make it from my house to the terminal in under 40 minutes…and I live 20 miles from the airport. Whether for my own trips or for friends or family, I’m at LAX all the time…it is not that bad.
And terminal renovations that are creating clean and modern terminals will further alleviate congestion as construction progresses. Los Angeles will also introduce a “People Mover” / Metro connection t0 LAX. Trust me, it’s not that bad.
> Read More: Will “People Mover” Fundamentally Change LAX?
The Winners
Here’s the full list of “winners” in 2019:
- Best US Airport:
- Winner – Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
- Runner-up – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Best International Airport:
- Winner – Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
- Runner-up – Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN)
- Best Airport Shopping:
- Winner – London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Runner-up – Tokyo Haneda
- Best Airport for Foodies:
- Winner – Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Runner-up – Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Best Tiny Airport:
- Winner – Jackson Hole Airport (JAC)
- Runner-up – Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
- Worst Airport in the World:
- Winner – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
CONCLUSION
I’ll be happy to stipulate that Burbank is one of the top airports in the nation considering its in the heart of Los Angeles County. But I’m not conceding that LAX is the worst airport. Putting my bias aside, LAX has made great progress over the last few years and continues to get better.
Do you find LAX the worst airport in the world?
image: LAWA
horrible airport.
i avoid it at all cost.
traffic in and out of there is horrible 6 am to 10 am, the. from 3 pm to 8 pm due to horrible design.
always under construction,
run down, and ugly.
public transportation is horrible
parking is expensive, and takes long time w horrible shuttle service.
i agree w fodor ranking
I get that Newark Terminal C has put in effort into its food selection, but to describe EWR as the best airport in the WORLD for food is utter ridiculousness. Haneda’s International Terminal food street puts EWR Terminal C to shame. Also, food options in EWR Terminal A and B are still not good at all. This list, like most, is meaningless.
LAX the worst in the world? No, I’ve been to Jeddah. I do agree Changi is #1 though.
Jeddah and Riyadh leave LAX for dead. Not only does LAX have the worst terminals and shuttle but abysmal hotels as well. But it’s not significantly worse than some east coast airports.
Maybe my experience of LAX is old: it’s 5 years since I went through it , as I deliberately try to street clear of it.
LAX has all the charm and friendliness of Damascus airport.
LAX has bad traffic, but the worst terminals? Not by a long shot. LAX has come a long way.
I exaggerated a little…
Also, Riyadh doesn’t sound great from the link below. I’ve only been through it in J, several times, and it was fine ( not that I’d rush back now there is no compelling reason to do so).
I’m currently sitting in the food area at LAX and have to agree with the collective negative press.
Multiple employees here seemed totally spaced out and disorganized and like they’re lacking leadership and direction. Which then causes frustration among travelers.
And agree:
-traffic was abysmal -left 3 hours ahead of flight just to combat that
-nearby airport hotel I just stayed at looked like a scene out of Scarface. I was wondering if I might get shot.
-$7 for aluminum bottle of water?!
Pros: it’s reasonably modern looking and has places to eat & shop
Then there is this: https://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/jeddah-airport/
I didn’t mention Riyadh – for a reason.
Heneda’s international terminal has a Yoshinoya! Can’t beat that!
But Heneda’s international terminal does not have a Prioity Pass lounge or restaurant. Use Nartia instead since both terminals have the amazing iASS lounge which is Prioity Pass.
Is it REALLY called iASS? I sure hope not!
Agreed. EWR is beyond terrible. Faux-local food at jacked up OTC prices. iPad “service”.
Fodor’s lost all credibility with this one.
OTG at EWR is awful. Anytime I’m there I’ll go to one of the remaining non OTG establishments, Garden State Diner.
Agreed. The iPads are the worst. Mandatory tipping before any service. Awful awful idea.
Half an hour to get from Sepulveda to terminal 5 last night at midnight. Its the worst airport that I fly out of with regularity in terms of traffic, design, and amenities. But good prices, especially transpacific. So I don’t complain, because San Diego, my home airport, can be quite expensive. Hoping that Tijuana will expand and start offering more international flights.
It is that bad. I too go to LAX all the time but I prefer the fly out of Ontario. I remember before I can get to my place in Pomona to LAX within an hour, parked. But now its at least 1.5-2 hours each way. The 30 mins inside the airport and getting off the 105 to the airport area is ridiculous. I avoid LAX at all costs if I can and even if I need to pay a bit more to fly out of ONT, I will do so unless it really is much cheaper to fly out of LAX.
Sounds like one San Fernando Valley-based intern was tasked with writing this list for Fodor’s. Pitifully lacking in any kind of depth or true analysis.
I am optimistic about LAX — in it’s heyday (i.e., before traffic) I’m sure it would have been considered one of the best in the world. Hopefully some of that lustre will be restored once these key improvements are made.
Can’t believe Seoul Incheon gets runner up for best international airport. They should be disqualified for have carpets on arrival before immigration that hate bags with wheels.
TXL is by far the worst airport in the world. Poorly designed, a pain to get to and decrepit—the last time I flew out of there, there was an inch of filthy standing water inexplicably covering all the men’s room floors. Not to mention no real lounge options and stifling crowding due to at-gate security. Just a terrible representation for an otherwise efficient, enjoyable and progressive country.
I’ve been telling my fellow New Yorkers for years that LA has infamous rush hours—although this has been mitigated in recent years by technologies such as Waze. But outside of those time periods, I find traffic in Southern California to be pretty manageable compared to SF, Washington DC, NYC, Seattle et al.
I’ve heard many complaints about EWR, but I never feel EWR is as bad as LAX. I’m in -&-out LAX and EWR a lot- I have to say I love EWR 100 times more than LAX. LAX traffic has gone from bad to worse in the recent years, and it will continue to become the worst in the nation, I guarantee you. Don’t forget LA is going to host 2028 Olympic. A lot needs to be done before LAX can accommodate the increasing traffic. I love EWR and I hate LAX so much.
EWR is a disaster pit of design flaws and now insane overpriced food.
LAX traffic sucks but most of the terminals are quite nice and security is good. EWR C is an epic fail half the time with forcing people onto the mid-level just to wait to get UP to security.
The hotel/rental car shuttle situation at LAX is a hot mess these days, but as a semi-frequent user, I’d hardly call it the *worst* airport in the world. And as a connecting passenger, once you get used to the layout, it’s actually pretty easy now that Terminals 4-8 are connected airside (personally I like LAX for connections because there’s like 20 flights a day to either DFW or DAL, thus I can construct a reasonably timed connection pretty much whenever). Clearly the writer of the article has never set foot in LaGuardia…
Sorry, but Burbank as the best airport in the country? That is absolutely wild to me. How about the LONG walk to rental cars? No jet bridges? The traffic when you enter from the South airport entrance (trying to get to rental? Weather delays and airspace congestion? I’ll admit that when I fly in and out of SoCal I do typically pick Burbank, but that’s mainly because it is so much more convenient compared to LAX.
My vote of comparable size is Dayton. Large space, not crowded, decent amenities, 100% jet bridges, quick baggage claim, close in rental cars, no traffic. Can’t be beat!
Gotta agree Sam.
Akron-Canton in Ohio is very pleasant too, especially with all the expansion over the last 10 years. And there’s never been more than 1 person ahead of me in Pre Check!
Now if they could only get a lounge.
I’ve not been to all airports in the world, but have been to dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens such of major city gateways around the world. And I have to say that whilst LAX is not the worst airport as a whole, I would say it’s traffic and transport is the worst of any major gateway airport in the world. I’ve been using LAX as my hometown airport for 12 years and I have to say if your flight arrives or departs at 5am Wednesday or 10pm Saturday – it really doesn’t seem to matter – that roadway and traffic is just pure hell. It’s one massive disorganized mess. You can arrive at MAD during peak hour and there is zero traffic. Arrive at LAX at 3am Wednesday and all 8 lames are gridlocked like a freeway. It’s a joke.
There’s JFK… try going thru security at Terminal 7 during BA rush hour in less than 45 minutes.
Where is all this food at EWR? I often use Terminal A at EWR. There is not that much food. After security, there’s not many choices.
LAX is not the worse airport. If the dropped off passenger can walk, there are many ways to avoid traffic.
Last night, I live on the east side, and made it to the I405 and I105 in under 30 minutes (about 30 miles). The last mile took over 30 minutes even using my backup access point. LAX traffic is really bad some days.
What I love about LAX is both the short distance from gate to curb and also the many hotels within easy walking distance.
Completely agree, and then a fun evening having dinner down at Manhattan Beach on a layover (which is 20 minutes away). What’s not to love about the colossus that is LAX.
HKG best for foodies ? I’d heartily disagree with that.
Worst airport, Manila, by a mile.
Most overrated airport, Narita.
They have obviously never flown in or out of Manila. Worlds worst airport by a decent stretch.
Agree. Great point @souths70.
Yes, need to add MNL to JED. Both abysmal.
I was just thinking, “Boy, Manila is pretty terrible too.” Especially the first time I visited and I was coming from Changi. The very definition of opposite!
Glad to see I’m not alone in my opinion. Coming in is not so bad, but departures…. Between the unorganized cues, terrible misinformation, rambling lines to pay the departure tax (CASH ONLY!)…. the Philippine Government makes sure you never think twice about NOT wanting to return. 🙂
Definitely not the worst. Just the most annoying. But the Uber/Lyft situation there has been getting pathetic. Two weeks in a row, waited >30mins for Lyft or Uber at T7. The new Uber scam seems to be, driver pulls up to one of the other pick-up points, and starts the ride. Calls you to see where you are, and since you are not at the point where they stopped, they then see if they want to go to your destination. If they don’t, then they cancel the ride.
I am in Orange County, so not all drivers want to take a long trip that direction late at night, but it’s also a $60-80 fare (depending on demand pricing) and drivers do have the ability to select a general direction they would like to head for their next fare.
If your “world” is limited to Los Angeles, then BUR is the best and LAX is the worst.
Taking traffic and cost into account, EWR is the worst airport in the US. It is acceptable as a connection.
The only positive in AUS is Salt Lick Barbeque.
DEN is #1 in the US, with snow in the winter and mountains year round. BUR has…smog.
LAX the worst airport in the world?
Not even close. This is just stupid piling-on.
LAX is certainly not worse than DEL (Indira Gandhi International), or Aurangabad or Kolkata…. All dreary, have horrific bathrooms that smell like outdoor port-a-potties and uncomfortable seating whether in the terminal or one of the lounges. Colombo’s capital airport is in that same vain too. Moscow is a relic of 40 years ago. So please, “worst in the world” is ridiculous.
At least LAX has the Bradley International Terminal and has been updating steadily for 10+ years.
Others below LAX in the US?
O’Hare, Hartsfield-Jackson or LaGuardia are all are much, much worse. Boston Logan has dumpy outside busses than run between terminals…or you can you walk literally blocks through parking garages. But an East Coast-based company is always going to dump on the West Coast
I am an LAX-based frequent flier and it is definitely not the worst in the U.S., let alone the world. The refurbished Delta and United terminals are very nice. Tom Bradley International Terminal is lovely, and being expanded. The People Mover between terminals will connect with two light rail lines by 2023. There is a lot of utility relocation work and car rental facility consolidation needed for this type of project, so progress is slow. Here’s an exciting overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_7jaXDtZ2o
As for shopping, I just came from HND, which is beautiful, but hardly great shopping. For me, that award goes to MUC! And I think TXL may not be the “worst” in the world, but probably the most disappointing for a major tourist destination.
Blessed to live in Orange County so have a choice of 3 (actually 4 if you include Ontario) airports:
SNA and LGB are both awesome
LAX certainly not the worst Traffic not great but coming up from the OC always is better traffic-wise than coming from West LA and the Valley.
I think JFK ORD EWR LGA are far far worse than LAX
Thirty minutes to get through the loop is NOT an exaggeration. I departed LAX the night of June 11 and returned last night (June 16). I made it to the start of the loop at 9:05 p.m. but could not reach terminal 7 until 9:47 p.m. Last night, it took 40 minutes for my friend to traverse the loop. You cannot get to or away from this lousy airport without suffering in traffic. And that’s the case whether someone is dropping you off and picking you up or you use the available shuttles like the Flyaway. LAX will only cease being a nightmare when an automated people mover is built and the subway is connected. The experience inside LAX is quite pleasant, but outside it’s chaos. An experience this bad was decades in the making and it is going to take a lot of money and smart planning to fix it.
Well, it might not be as bad as Damascus International during an Israeli bombing run.
Last night around 9pm, took me 50 min from 405 Century Blvd exist to the Airport “Entrance” where those color-changing light columns are (about 2 miles). Than another 25 min to Tom Bradley Terminal’s parking lot P3 (something like 1.4 miles). Than another 30 min just tried to get out of the airport. This is definitely the World Class Worst Airport. By the way, there was no accident, no security checks, no any kind of attacks.
Hell yes, LAX is the worst. I found this article suffering through a 40+ minute shuttle ride at 11:30pm from Parking Lot E to terminal 7. Now I’m being generous with the 40+ mins because I’m only at terminal 1 now and only God knows when I will actually get to t7. With the 2028 Olympics looming and major construction ongoing for the foreseeable future, LAX will be a dynasty winning the worst airport award for the next decade.
So disgusted with the lack of respect and treatment from a number of the employees at the LAX airport when emergency help is needed……apparently they aren’t trained to help their customers when there is an issue or emergency…..Thank God for the kind individuals that don’t work at the shitty airport for all your support and help…..
10:40pm lax terminal 7 no signs to show where to enter airport found an escalator entrance that was very narrow looked around for an employee to assist us in getting luggage up but no one was around. Since we had no help We had no choice but to enter with an elderly mother who then fell backwards down the escalator from the middle of who I tried to catch but fell backwards as well all the way down.
I screamed a number of times for help and someone to stop the escalator but no lax employee came to help after screaming help and stop a number of times loudly. A number of other flyers ran up to help us and one of our children ran up escalator to stop and looked for help for us but no one came. The other flyers were able to help us up and took our luggage up for us making sure we were ok and directed us inside to reach out to the lax employees for additional help.
Bleeding and bruised up we walked inside airport walked up and down the tsa entrances asked 5-10 people to please help telling them what happened no one did anything. We stood their with my mom bleeding and me bruised limping for 10 mins. Had to limp farther down to finally find some one to call some one to help us then sat there another 5-10 minutes waiting where a lady name Lisa and another gentleman showed up. During our interaction they took notes and tried to deflect the situation on us whispering to one another on occasion. Lisa managed to try and find any holes in our story to deflect back on us (look at the videos if you don’t believe us is what I was thinking).
From 10:40 to 11:30 we had nothing but wait time with minimal help more of delaying time because they knew we were pushed for time to catch our 2nd flight home….
A number of times I explained to Lisa my mom was diabetic stating she felt dizzy nauseous and light headed needing to eat now. She kept insisting we wait for the wheel chair and paramedics never once getting her something to eat or drink. The paramedics came 3 the lead was Louie asked what happened we told him he said I see you got a bunch of band aids on your cuts already so that’s good (never once offered to look at the wounds) he then seen my foot was swollen bruised with a lot of marks from falling and asked me how it felt I said it hurt and he then said we can take you to the hospital I said she told you we have a flight in 40 minutes where he said so you are saying you are ok I then pissed off said yup. I explained to them I was worried about my diabetic mother and asked them to take her blood pressure or could they check her levels he then stated no we don’t have any equipment here to do any of that but we can take her to the hospital, which again I said well that’s funny since she already told u we have a flight to catch in 40 mins. I then asked y are u even here then ( how does a paramedic not have the tools to check a persons blood pressure) he then said seems like you are ok never once looking at either of us (about 3ft away at all times) he then spoke with Lisa at LAX and signed of whatever waiver she gave him. Another flyer sitting there even said that was horrible and could not believe how we were treated (she was the one that helped with aid for my mother). We then sat and waited for wheelchairs to come over and over again being told they will be here shortly again I stated I need to get my mother something to eat and drink. Lisa then said they were going to us $10 vouchers to get something to eat once we get through TSA . We were told we would get moved thru TSA easily with the help of our wheelchair guides. Once we got to the front of the line we were forced to walk thru a number of times since we couldn’t walk straight it caused the machine to go off. Once we got through the checks we had to stand and collect all of our items with no support from our guides since they were only worried about there items going thru….what a joke…once we got through we sat back in our chairs where one of the guides told Lisa so you gave them vouchers for food that stated expire today but now everything is closed don’t you think you should go get them something. We then got on the elevator once we reached our floor Lisa was standing there with burritos from Taco Bell. She gave each of us 2, which was nice but again my mom is diabetic she needs something to help her levels and to drink a burrito won’t do it. We got off the elevator and were dropped off at our gate and handed a device to sign off. I asked what happens from here and got no response. Once it was time to board no wheelchair showed up to transfer my mom and no one at the gate or during the flight was notified of the situation. We had to go to the agent to ask for disability support on the plane and then on the plane I had to notify the attendants for support, which they were blown away on the lack of support provided by the lax team.
Accidents happen which we are aware, but the way we were treated from the time we entered the airport to the time we got on the plane was disgusting. I have to say this was by far the worst experience we have ever had. I honestly cried the entire flight on how neglected my mother was treated from the time she entered the airport until the time we got on the plane. I am sad to say that this experience at LAX airport has so negatively impacted my mother that she will never use an escalator or fly from an airport again in her life. Shame on all of you!!!!