10 airports to avoid this year
Discover 10 major U.S. airports where disruptions tend to snowball. At these hubs, travelers may want extra buffer time this year
No airport sets out to ruin a trip, and most delays start small.
A late inbound flight. A crowded taxiway. A bag that takes the scenic route to baggage claim. The problem is scale. At the busiest airports, minor disruptions compound quickly, and travelers absorb the cost.
A recent analysis by JB, a gambling website, combines delay rates, passenger volume, airport size, passenger density, and lost-and-found volume into a single score. No single metric makes an airport painful. Together, however, they can highlight where stress clusters.
If you are planning 2026 travel and have options, these are the airports where extra buffer time helps, tight connections deserve skepticism, and disruptions tend to escalate fast.
Here are ten major U.S. airports where small problems have a habit of snowballing, according to JB.
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Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
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According to the analysis, Atlanta moves more than 108 million passengers with a delay rate near 21%.
3 / 11
Newark Liberty International Airport
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Nearly 29% of flights are delayed, the highest share in the ranking. According to JB's analysis, passenger density is also the most intense. Reliability remains Newark’s weakest link, per the report.
4 / 11
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
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Sea-Tac faces rising passenger volume with limited space, according to the report; delay rates hover around 21%, and congestion shows up early and often.
5 / 11
Harry Reid International Airport
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Las Vegas handles close to 60 million passengers, according to the analysis, and posts delays above 21%.
6 / 11
Los Angeles International Airport
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LAX posts a lower delay rate than some peers, yet density remains high, according to the report. Volume strains movement across terminals, and time on the ground adds up.
7 / 11
Miami International Airport
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According to the analysis, roughly 24% of flights are delayed here.
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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
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Passenger density is lower, but delays still approach 19%, says JB. Soaring temperatures can add to slow-downs.
9 / 11
Orlando International Airport
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According to the analysis, nearly one-quarter of flights run late. Passenger concentrations create choke points across a large campus.
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Denver International Airport
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Denver’s footprint is vast but its delays still exceed 22%, notes JB. Long distances and weather complications slow recovery, and connections through here can require extra patience — and sometimes an overnight stay.
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O’Hare International Airport
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Delay rates push past 23% despite moderate density, according to the report. Too many moving parts keep performance uneven, and small delays rarely stay small, per JB.