In the worst cases, hotel and restaurant options are limited – if any – and the countries are located far from tourist attractions.
Nobody wants to get up before sunrise to get to the airport, but taking the first flight has its advantages, says Gilbert Ott, a travel expert who flies about 200,000 miles each year.
Ott, who shares his insights on air travel on his blog, God Save the Points, said in his experience, the earliest flights are least likely to be delayed.
“If it’s one of the first flights of the day, most of those planes park at that gate overnight. They don’t arrive that early and they don’t get cleaned and moved,” he said.
Ott said some airports can make an early flight a breeze, while others can make your morning flight feel more like torture.
Based on his experience, he told us which airports are best and worst for morning departures.
One of the most important aspects of an airport for an early flight is its location, Ott said.
“In so many cities, the airport is so far away from where anything is happening,” he said. “If you get a 6 a.m. flight, the thought of an hour-plus drive is sickening.”
That’s why Ott prefers to fly from airports like Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which is only a 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas.
Ott also said he appreciates that there are four hotels at the airport: Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Minute Suites, a relaxation center in Terminal D.
“I hate getting up in the middle of the night to catch a flight. I find it’s often worth it to sleep at the airport the night before,” he said.
Although John F. Kennedy International Airport is far from New York’s hotspots, Ott’s experience with its TWA hotel in the terminal makes it one of the best airports for morning flights.
When it comes to airport hotels, Ott prefers a location in the terminal.
“You just get up and roll into the departure lounge,” he said. “For me, that’s an early morning victory.”
Ott said that while John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens is not convenient from New York’s more popular Manhattan borough, it is great for early morning flights if you stay at the TWA hotel, which opened in 2019 and is connected to the Jet Blue terminal the night before.
“The TWA hotel has really changed people’s opinion of JFK,” Ott said. “All the other terminals are a quick Airtrain ride away. There’s a pool and good food. I would recommend this as a nice domestic airport option.”
“Singapore Changi Airport is amazing,” said Ott. “Singapore has so many airport hotels for every budget. Some have pools and club lounges with luxurious, high-end amenities. Others are just simple sleeping pods. Most are open 24 hours a day.”
In addition to hotels, there are also numerous dining options at the airport, so Ott can avoid fast food before his flight.
“Some of the best local food is available at the airport because Singapore’s famous restaurants have branches there,” he said.
Ott said Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (also known as Denpasar International Airport) is one of the worst for early flights because it is usually too hot.
Online reviews of the airport also mention how hot and stuffy it is at the airport while waiting to board the plane.
According to Kayak, there is one hotel at the airport, the Novotel Bali Ngurah Rai, with 214 rooms.
In March, airline AirHelp ranked the airport as one of the worst in the world. While AirHelp found good food and shopping options, the airport landed on the list because of its performance. AirHelp cited in many online customer reviews that customers complained about frequent delays and long lines.
I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ott said London Stansted Airport is one of the worst for early morning flights as it can take one to two hours to get there from the city centre. There are also no hotels in the terminals, according to the airport’s website.
In 2023, travel insurance company Loveit Coverit released a report on the worst international airports in the UK, based on reviews and ratings from Google and Skytrax, a UK-based website that rates airlines and airports.
London Stansted Airport came in fourth place with a score of 2.15 out of 5. Customers complained about overcrowding and inadequate signage, but some reviews noted that the food offering was comparable to other UK airports.
London Stansted Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ott says small regional airports are generally the worst suited for early-stage flights because they typically don’t have hotels or many food options.
“I think there’s just an inherent advantage to being a big airport because big airports can attract retail,” he said.
Ott did not name any specific airports, but the smallest in the U.S. include Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, and Morgantown Municipal Airport in West Virginia.
