Worst airport in America?

On the road again!

You all know I love to travel and do it a lot. In an "orange alert" world we all have travel trauma, usually due to the airlines or overzealous TSA screeners.

Now, I have been through most of the major US airports since 2001 including LaGuardia, LAX, Atlanta (more times than I can count), Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Charlotte, Raleigh Durham, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Memphis, Las Vegas, Detroit, Indy, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reagan, Dulles, Baltimore....ok, you get the picture.

Basically, if it is a hub for any major airline I have been there. Many have their drawbacks...Memphis is like a cave. Detroit, despite major renovations, still just plain sucks. Doing the one mile dash from one end of the terminal to the other is horrible and the tram that only goes HALF WAY across helps no one. St. Louis - well, I hate Missouri and that airport is the devil. Minneapolis - good luck making a tight connection from a regional jet to a "real" plane there - it just won't happen. Last time I had 10 minutes to make a 3 mile hike through the airport. Security at Reagan - well, since it is so close to everything in DC be prepared to give a DNA sample.

Yes, my friends, all these airports suck in one way or another. Though, I do love the mall in the Pittsburgh airport and I think considering Atlanta is the world's busiest airport it is very well run (and it has a Moe's now in the C Concourse). However, after traveling to Chicago O'Hare twice in the last two weeks, I have drawn the conclusion it is, indeed, the worst airport in America.

When I was a Chapter Consultant (aka Professional Sorority Girl), O'Hare was the only place I ever missed a connection when traveling to exciting places like Muncie, Ind. and Dubuqe, Iowa. However, the last two weeks proved O'Hare is more than a connector's nightmare. I could rant and rave on about why but let me just give a summary:

Basically, the signage is awful. Expect the signs to "ground transportation" to lead to nowehere. When you finally do find the airport shuttles good luck figuring out what lane you have to wait in. I ended up having to walk to the airport hotel in the rain to get a shuttle to another hotel because I couldn't find the terminal pickup! Shuttles just kept flying by me, spraying stagnant rain water on me and my luggage.

Don't ask for directions because the airport employees won't help you. If you are trying to take a cab in a normal airport, say LaGuardia, there is a little man at the cab stand helping you. O'Hare has the cab stand but no little man. So, if you need a cab who will take a credit card or drive you to the suburbs you are screwed. There are no arrival/departure boards anywhere until you pass security. So, if you check in online and don't get a gate assignment, you're screwed. Real people have been replaced with machines so there is no one to ask. And, if you find someone they will tell you to re-check in at a machine. So, if you don't do this you run a major risk of going through the wrong security line for the terminal you are trying to get to! Security is a nightmare. Expect to wait at least an hour and to get YELLED at by the TSA screeners for no reason. Expect them to treat you poorly because they hate their jobs.

So, just a warning for those of you traveling to or through O'Hare any time soon.