We all know that traveling can be inherently stressful. Between worrying about what we forgot to pack, to wandering around unfamiliar places while hoping we get to where we’re supposed to be on time, there’s a lot of unknowns for people who are about to leave town. But, according to new research, people who are flying out of certain airports may experience a lot more stress than the rest of us.
That’s because these airports have been nominated as some of the most stressful by people who participated in a study organized by Sail Croatia. Curious as to whether or not your airport makes the list? Here’s what they found after comparing large international airports around the globe.
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These are the 4 most frustrating airports
The research reviewed data on 50 major airports, taking three factors into consideration. First, they looked at how often flights were delayed at the airport, next, they checked to see just how crowded the terminals are, and lastly, they looked into how many people have to find help looking for lost luggage. Each of the airports were then given a rating from 0 to 100, with the higher numbers indicating a worse experience.
According to the findings, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was the worst U.S. airport on the list, and the second airport globally. “This is the world’s busiest airport by passenger count, with 108 million people moving through annually, and terminals here are always overcrowded,” the data concluded. “With so many flights to handle, the bags are often misplaced, as each year, 35,000 people look up online how to track down their lost luggage from Hartsfield-Jackson.”
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From there, these airports gave travelers the biggest headaches:
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Newark Liberty Intl Airport, which experiences delays 20.98 percent of the time, sees 5.68 million passengers, and has an annual 35,810 lost and found claims, for a final score of 51.24
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Seattle–Tacoma Intl Airport, which experiences delays 28.89 percent of the time, sees 5.95 million passengers, and has an annual 1,400 lost and found claims, for a final score of 45.16
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Harry Reid Intl Airport, which experiences delays 21.59 percent of the time, sees 5.16 million passengers, and has an annual 1,400 lost and found claims, for a final score of 34.90
“Air travel used to be expensive and something most people only did once or twice a year. Budget airlines changed that completely about 20 years ago. Passenger numbers have gone from 2 billion to nearly 10 billion today,” a spokesperson from Sail Croatia said about the study via email. “More people can afford to fly now, which sounds great until you realize airports weren’t built to handle this many passengers. So it’s no wonder that even famous terminals like Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle are struggling these days.”
Related: This is the least expensive airport in the U.S.
What can travelers do to avoid common stressors when traveling
Flying out of one of these spots, or else just interested in figuring out how you can avoid problems during your next visit to the airport? Maybe setting expectations can help. That’s because a lot of the issues that appear to stress travelers out the most are outside of their control. For example, delays and cancellations can happen at any time, and there’s very little you can do about it. Instead, you may be able to make these unexpected setbacks feel a lot less stressful if you prepare yourself for them in advance.
That’s especially true if you are planning on flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where delays are known to be a common occurrence. As for crowd sizes, when flying out of an airport that is know to get pretty packed, consider booking your flights during off-peak hours. Not only will you have fewer people to navigate while you look for parking or your gate, you may also save a few bucks by traveling during the times when few people are looking to fly.
Lastly, if you’re making a short trip, consider packing everything you can in your carryon to avoid issues with your luggage.
This story was originally published by TravelHost on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Airlines section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.