Ever jump out of bed before the sun comes up or stay up way past your bedtime only to rush to the airport and find your flight has been delayed? For night owls, early birds and everyone else who wants to avoid an overly hectic terminal while saving some cash, there’s an airport for you.
A new study by UpGraded Points looks at the best (and worst) airports for early bird and red-eye flights when it comes to the number of flights and flight delays. See how your local airport stacks up, so you’re ready the next time you fly out before the sun rises or after it sets.
And, in a quirky twist, there are even airports that have the best drinks for these unreasonable times of day (coffee in the morning vs. cocktails at night). There are lots of coffee spots at Cleveland Hopkins. Want a martini? Then Jacksonville's your airport.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The best U.S. airports for early-bird flights
Early birds typically find a higher percentage of their flights departing before 8 a.m., a lower percentage of early flights being delayed, and a shorter average delay time. They also have more places to get a coffee (per passenger) than at other airports.
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
Scored - 39.9 out of 50
Percent of flights departing before 8 a.m. - 38.5%
Percent of early flights delayed - 13.9% - Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
Scored - 38.5 out of 50
Percent of flights departing before 8 a.m. - 39%
Places That Sell Coffee - 1 per 1 million passengers - Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Scored - 36.6 out of 50
Percent of early flights delayed - 12.4%
Places that sell coffee - 0.79 per 1 million passengers
Early flights at these three U.S. airports actually take off earlier than scheduled. All take off up to two minutes early on average.
- Kahului Airport (OGG)
- William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)
- Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
The worst airports for early-morning flights
Considering these are the first flights of the day at these airports, it’s abundantly clear these airports aren’t ideal for early-rising travelers
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
Scored - 9.2 out of 50
Percent of early flights delayed - 31.6% (highest in the study)
Average delay of early flights - 7 minutes - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Scored - 15.6 out of 50
Percent of flights departing before 8 a.m. - 9.4%
Places that sell coffee - 0.33 per 1 million passengers - Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
Score - 16.4 out of 50
Percent of flights departing before 8 a.m. - 4.7% (lowest in the study)
Average delay of early flights - 6 minutes
Early flights at five major U.S. airports are delayed longer than 10 minutes, on average.
- 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 U.S. Airports for Late-Night Flights
If you’re a night owl who prefers to let the frenzy of the day pass you by and instead save money by hopping on a late-night flight, check out these best (and worst) airports for late-night flights. As a bonus, the number of places in each airport that sell alcohol was considered for this ranking, just for fun.
- Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
Scored 36.5 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 21.7%
Average Delay of Late Flights - 8 minutes - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
Scored 36.1 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 22%
Places that sell alcohol - 0.79 per 1 million passengers - Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
Scored 33.7 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 19.6%
Average delay of late flights - 9 minutes
Late flights at three airports experience 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 Late-Night Flights
If you intend to put off your travel plans until much later in the day, other airports should be considered before these.
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Scored 3.1 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 1%
Percent of late flights delayed - 77.8% - San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
Score - 14.6 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 1.4%
Average delay of late flights - 31 minutes - Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Scored - 16 out of 50
Percent of flights departing after 8 p.m. - 1.1%
Percent of late flights delayed - 50%
Late flights at three airports experience an average delay of longer than 30 minutes.
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (45 minutes)
- Miami International Airport (34 minutes)
- San Antonio International Airport (31 minutes)
Since you got up early or you’re going to bed late, why not enjoy your flight with a bit more legroom? Check out These Airlines That Have the Most Legroom — and Which Have the Least?
Related Content
-
S&P, Nasdaq Hit New Highs: Stock Market TodayA late-day rally wasn't enough to lift the Dow into the green as its six-session winning streak came to an end.
-
Five Things to Consider Now If You Want to Retire in 2026To retire with confidence in the year ahead, tackle these essential tasks right now.
-
Savvy Savings Moves to Make Now – Or You Could Lose ThousandsDespite a rate cut and inflation, these moves can still help you reach your savings goals quickly.
-
Escaping the New Golden Handcuffs: A Financial Expert Has a Plan for Today's ExecutivesFeeling stuck in your job? It could be your complicated compensation package, but it also could be where you live, your family or even how you view yourself.
-
A Comfortable Retirement is About More Than MoneyWhen it comes to a happy retirement, money can’t buy these things.
-
Four Ways a Massive Emergency Fund Can Hurt You More Than It HelpsSaving too much could mean you're missing opportunities to put your money to work. Redirect some of that money toward paying off debt, building retirement funds, fulfilling a dream or investing in higher-growth options.
-
Noctourism: The New Travel Trend For Your Next Trip"Noctourism" is a new trend of building travel and vacations around events and plans that take place at night. Take a look at some inspiring noctourism ideas.
-
Eight Tricks to Shop for Glasses if You're Over 50Shopping for glasses often gets trickier — and more expensive — as you age. If you've over 50, take these steps when you set out to buy a new pair.
-
My First $1 Million: Electric Utility Executive, 56, South CarolinaEver wonder how someone who's made a million dollars or more did it? Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series uncovers the answers.
-
How to Turn Amazon Prime Day Into a Travel WindfallDuring Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, skip the fluff — here’s how to extract real travel value via gear, services and strategic credit cards.
