Best and worst airports for winter travel | CNN

Best and worst airports for winter travel

Katia Hetter, CNN
2 minute read
Published 2:34 PM EST, Tue November 11, 2014
The Honolulu airport came out on top of Hopper Research's analysis of winter flight delays at the country's busiest airports, with just 14% of its flights being delayed. And once you land here, you can head to <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2014%2F03%2F18%2Ftravel%2Ftripadvisor-best-beaches%2F">TripAdvisor's No. 1 U.S. beach</a>, Oahu's Lanakai Beach.
Best winter airports: 1. Hawaii —
The Honolulu airport came out on top of Hopper Research's analysis of winter flight delays at the country's busiest airports, with just 14% of its flights being delayed. And once you land here, you can head to TripAdvisor's No. 1 U.S. beach, Oahu's Lanakai Beach.
Malgorzata Litkowska/Shutterstock
Once you land at Miami International Airport, why not head to the beach for some fun in the sun? Winter looks good in Florida.
2. Miami —
Once you land at Miami International Airport, why not head to the beach for some fun in the sun? Winter looks good in Florida.
Hoberman Collection/UIG via Getty Images/FILE
Despite the rain, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport comes in third place. We love visiting Pike Place Market, home to more than 200 independent shops, including flower and butcher shops, seafood restaurants and bakeries.
3. Seattle —
Despite the rain, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport comes in third place. We love visiting Pike Place Market, home to more than 200 independent shops, including flower and butcher shops, seafood restaurants and bakeries.
Adam Hester/ Getty
Though there's plenty to enjoy in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, we're heading to Sedona for some hiking time followed by some spa time. Head to these amazing red sandstone formations for a day hike and at sunset to see the sandstone glow.
4. Phoenix —
Though there's plenty to enjoy in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, we're heading to Sedona for some hiking time followed by some spa time. Head to these amazing red sandstone formations for a day hike and at sunset to see the sandstone glow.
Anton Foltin/shutterstock
Detroit in winter, you say? Why not? The American city built by the American auto industry and put through the wringer in an extraordinarily difficult bankruptcy has many sites worth seeing. One of our favorites is the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heidelberg.org%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Heidelberg Project</a>, an extraordinary collection of of outdoor art build over three decades on Detroit's East Side.
5. Detroit —
Detroit in winter, you say? Why not? The American city built by the American auto industry and put through the wringer in an extraordinarily difficult bankruptcy has many sites worth seeing. One of our favorites is the Heidelberg Project, an extraordinary collection of of outdoor art build over three decades on Detroit's East Side.
Gej Jones/CNN iReport
Once you've seen the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, head to <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zingermans.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Zingerman's</a> in Ann Arbor for a classic Reuben sandwich.
Seriously, Detroit —
Once you've seen the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, head to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor for a classic Reuben sandwich.
Zingerman's
Best winter airports

Story highlights

Bad winter weather can delay your flight

Even flights from warm-weather states can be delayed by weather

In some parts of the country, it pays to pick one airport over another

CNN  — 

Another winter, another season of flight delays? Maybe not, if you pick the right airport for your flight.

As snow has started falling in some parts of the country, it turns out that some airports do better at getting you to your destination on time than others – even within the same regions.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the most likely to have delays during the winter months, with 42% of flights delayed, according to Hopper Research’s analysis of the nation’s 20 most popular airports during winter. (Hopper counts December through March as winter months.)

Honolulu International Airport is the best at getting to you and from the Aloha State, with just 14% of its flights delayed.

Bad winter weather can slow flights in airports where snow isn’t in the forecast.

Take Dallas/Fort Worth, the sunny, warm headquarters to American Airlines and a busy hub for connecting flights to and from snowy regions. About 32% of flights are delayed in winter.

But not all sunny airports are created equal.

Miami International Airport has the second-lowest percentage of delays in the country (22%). Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport – just 45 minutes north – has the second-highest percentage of delays in the country (38%).

That could be because Miami serves a greater number of international and long-haul flights than Fort Lauderdale, and airlines are more likely to pick those more expensive flights to operate when faced with canceling some flights.

The rest of the worst have more than one-third of their flights delayed during the winter. They are Newark Liberty International Airport (37%), Denver International Airport (37%) and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 32%).

The rest of the best are Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (22%), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (24%) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (25%).

Not every airport in a particular part of the country will slow you down. Travelers flying out of the New York-New Jersey metro region are less likely to be delayed flying out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (30%) or LaGuardia Airport (31%) compared with Newark (37%).

Our advice? Head to Hawaii if your budget allows it. Just stay away from the flowing lava. Miami is also an excellent choice this time of year. See you in South Beach!