Trip guide
California has best and worst airports for holiday travel
California has the best of both worlds when it comes to airports. In a new study by Upgraded Points, a travel guide, several California international airports made it on the list of best and worst places for international holiday travel.
“In 2023, international travel rebounded significantly and surpassed 2019 levels for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Upgraded Points stated in its study. “
As a result, experts predict a bustling winter holiday travel season this year.”
The guide rated 41 airports across the country, analyzing data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It looked at factors such as wait times for travelers at customs during winter 2022, the average maximum wait time for U.S. citizens and non-citizens, and the percentage of travelers that go through customs in under 15 minutes.
John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana ranked No. 1 as the best international airport during the holiday season. It has a 4.6-minute average wait time and its average maximum wait time is 11.4 minutes.
Fresno Yosemite International Airport followed up at No. 5 and Sacramento International Airport at No. 8.
Oakland International Airport also landed in the top 10 at No. 9. Here’s the full list:
1. John Wayne Airport — Santa Ana
2. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport — Phoenix
3. Palm Beach International Airport — West Palm, Florida
4. Baltimore/washington International Airport — Baltimore
5. Fresno Yosemite International Airport — Fresno
6. Portland International Airport — Portland
7. Philadelphia International Airport — Philadelphia
8. Sacramento International Airport — Sacramento
9. Oakland International Airport — Oakland
10. Denver International Airport — Denver
California also has some of the worst airports to travel to and from during the season.
Ontario International Airport is the worst in the state at No. 7 on the list. Its average wait time is 25.1 minutes and the average maximum wait time is 48.5 minutes.
San Francisco International Airport is No. 8 on this list with an average wait time of 23.8 minutes and an average maximum wait
time of 56.2 minutes.
San Diego International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport follow at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
Here’s the full list:
1. Seattle–tacoma International Airport — Seattle
2. Miami International Airport — Miami
3. Austin–bergstrom International Airport — Austin
4. Orlando International Airport — Orlando
5. John F. Kennedy International Airport — New York
6. Washington Dulles International Airport — Washington, D.C.
7. Ontario (California) International Airport — Ontario
8. San Francisco International Airport — San Francisco
9. San Diego International Airport — San Diego
10. Los Angeles International Airport — Los Angeles