KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Flight delays and cancelations put a damper on the vacation plans of millions of Americans as the summer travel season officially began last week.
FlightAware showed thousands of flights were impacted by weather and other factors following the Memorial Day holiday.
It only adds to the frustration if you end up at a smaller airport with fewer options.
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A consumer research site called ValuePenguin just released its list of best and worst small U.S. airports. Researchers considered metrics such as delays of at least 60 minutes, cancellations, and average fares at 100 small airports in the U.S.
A trio of airports in Hawaii topped the list.
Best Airports
ValuePenguin determined Kailua-Kona, Kahului and Lihue have the best small airports in the U.S. to fly into. The three airports have the lowest rates of arrival delays.
The site says that since Hawaii relies heavily on tourism, it pays to keep travelers happy, which is great news for travelers heading into the tropical paradise.
Hawaii’s wonderful weather also means fewer flight delays.
Worst Airports
Researchers also found Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado is the worst small airport to fly into in the country. That’s because an average of 3.5% of arrivals are canceled and it has an average airfare of $607.
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Four of the next five worst airports are in Texas.
That includes McAllen Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas, with 23% of flights delayed at least an hour.
More than 19% of flights into Corpus Christi international Airport are delayed and it has an average ticket price of more than $400.
While ticket prices are cheaper at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, you’ll also face a better chance of a flight delay because nearly 24% of flights arrive at the airport at least 60 minutes late.
Midland International Airport is only slightly better with an average ticket price of $370, and 21.6% of flights delayed.
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Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville, Arkansas and the Springfield-Branson Airport also made the list of the Top 10 Worst Small Airports to fly.
Go Big
ValuePenguin also says if there is a choice, larger airports have fewer delayed flights that smaller airports in the U.S.
Read the full report and see how other airports stack up on ValuePenguin’s website.
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