Have you ever jumped out of bed before dawn or stayed up much later, only to rush to the airport and find that your flight is delayed? For night owls, early risers and anyone else who wants to avoid a busy terminal and save some money in the process, there is an airport.
A new study from UpGraded Points looks at the best (and worst) airports for early and late flights when it comes to the number of flights and flight delays. See how your local airport stacks up so you’re prepared the next time you’re flying out before sunrise or after sunset.
And, even more bizarrely, there are even airports that offer the best drinks for those inconvenient times of day (morning coffee vs. evening cocktails). There are plenty of cafes in Cleveland Hopkins. Fancy a martini? Then Jacksonville is your airport.
Subscribe Kiplinger’s personal finances
Be a smarter and more informed investor.
Save up to 74%
Sign up for Kiplinger’s free e-newsletter
Build profit and wealth with the best expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more – delivered straight to your email inbox.
Profit and thrive with the best expert advice – straight to your email inbox.
The best US airports for early bird flights
Early risers can generally expect a higher percentage of flights departing before 8am, a lower percentage of early flight delays, and a shorter average delay time. There are also more opportunities to get a coffee (per passenger) than at other airports.
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Rated – 39.9 out of 50
Share of flights departing before 8 a.m.: 38.5%
Share of delayed early flights: 13.9% - Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
Rated – 38.5 out of 50
Share of flights departing before 8 a.m.: 39%
Places where coffee is sold – 1 per 1 million passengers - Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Rated – 36.6 out of 50
Share of delayed early flights: 12.4%
Places where coffee is sold: 0.79 per 1 million passengers
At these three US airports, early morning flights actually depart earlier than scheduled. All depart on average up to two minutes earlier.
- Kahului Airport (OGG)
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
The worst airports for early morning flights
Considering that these are the first flights of the day at these airports, it is quite clear that these airports are not ideal for early risers.
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
Rated – 9.2 out of 50
Proportion of delayed early flights: 31.6% (highest value in the study)
Average delay of early flights – 7 minutes - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Rated – 15.6 out of 50
Share of flights departing before 8 a.m.: 9.4%
Places where coffee is sold: 0.33 per 1 million passengers - Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport (ATL)
Score – 16.4 out of 50
Percentage of flights departing before 8 a.m.: 4.7% (lowest value in the study)
Average delay of early flights – 6 minutes
At five major U.S. airports, early flights are delayed by an average of more than ten minutes.
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
The best US airports for night flights
If you’re a night owl who prefers to leave the stress of the day behind and save money by taking a night flight instead, check out these best (and worst) airports for night flights. As a bonus, this ranking takes into account the number of establishments in each airport that sell alcohol, just for fun.
- Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport (ATL)
36.5 out of 50 points
Share of flights departing after 8 p.m.: 21.7%
Average delay for delayed flights: 8 minutes - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
36.1 out of 50 points
Share of flights departing after 8 p.m.: 22%
Places where alcohol is sold: 0.79 per 1 million passengers - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
33.7 out of 50 points
Share of flights departing after 8 p.m.: 19.6%
Average delay for delayed flights – 9 minutes
At three airports, delayed flights have an average delay of less than 5 minutes:
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Kahului Airport (OGG).
The worst airports for night flights
If you want to postpone your travel plans significantly until later in the day, you should consider other airports first.
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
3.1 out of 50 points
Share of flights departing after 8:00 p.m.: 1%
Share of delayed flights: 77.8% - San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
Score – 14.6 out of 50
Share of flights departing after 8:00 p.m.: 1.4%
Average delay for delayed flights – 31 minutes - Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Rated – 16 out of 50
Share of flights departing after 8:00 p.m.: 1.1%
Percentage of delayed flights: 50%
At three airports, delayed flights experience an average delay of more than 30 minutes.
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (45 minutes)
- Miami International Airport (34 minutes)
- San Antonio International Airport (31 minutes)
Since you get up early or go to bed late, why not enjoy your flight with a little more legroom? Check out Which airlines offer the most legroom – and which offer the least?