Bad news for Texans hoping to breeze through the airport this summer: Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been named the most stressful major airport in the country, according to a new study on travel.
The report, from MarketWatch Guides and based on data from the Bureau of Transportation, ranked DFW last among 30 major American airports in its “stress-free” rankings.
Researchers compiled factors such as flight delays, cancellations, TSA wait times, lost luggage reports, and average ticket prices to ultimately determine which airports create the most (and least) anxiety for travelers. DFW earned its unfortunate top spot thanks to a whopping 27% of flights being delayed by at least 15 minutes, the highest rate in the country.
Additionally, travelers at DFW face some of the longest security lines, with maximum TSA wait times averaging over 35 minutes.
To make matters worse, nearly 2% of flights are canceled outright at DFW.
Add in an average domestic airfare price of $415, and it’s easy to see why travelers might start their vacations already stressed out before they even leave the city.
“A stressful airport experience can mean your trip starts off on the wrong foot, putting you in a bad mood. It’s more than that, though. If the stress is because of delays or cancellations that the airport handles poorly, it could impact your ability to even get to your destination. And that could mean lost hotel reservations, a missed cruise connection or having to cancel an excursion. You never want to start your vacation stressed out, but losing money because of an inefficient airport is just as bad,” said Jeremy Churchland, CEO of Seven Corners Travel Insurance, in the report.
According to the report, it doesn’t help that many DFW passengers say the sprawling, sometimes confusing terminal layout only adds to the headaches.
Frequent flyers cite long treks between gates, overcrowded security checkpoints, and congestion throughout the airport as constant frustrations that added to DFW’s high-stress ranking.
By contrast, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was ranked the least stressful major airport in the country, thanks to its quick security lines (averaging under 25 minutes), lower rates of delays and cancellations, and slightly more affordable flights overall.
Other airports rounding out the top five for stress-free travel included Phoenix Sky Harbor, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles International.
A report from The Dallas Express outlines the companies most likely to lose your luggage, adding to the potential stress levels at any airport, regardless of their flight costs or cancellations. Between 2021 and 2024, airlines across the United States mishandled over 7.7 million bags.
American Airlines topped the list as the worst culprit, with 8.7 mishandled bags per 1,000 – more than 1.7 million lost or damaged items out of roughly 200 million handled.