Airports in North America

LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is situated in the borough of Queens, 8 miles (13km) east of Manhattan. It is New York’s primary domestic airport, and is the smallest of the city’s main commercial airports, despite the fact that more than 24 million passengers make their way through it each year.

According to a customer satisfaction survey by JD Power and Associates, LGA is ranked last out of 66 US airports. It’s also ranked last out of 31 airports for on-time arrivals. The customs and immigration facilities often come under fire from frustrated travelers arriving on international flights to LaGuardia Airport – so be prepared to queue at peak times, especially after midday.

Despite its downfalls, LaGuardia is a fairly popular airport due to its close proximity to Manhattan. Although not lavishly designed or decorated, the airport is clean and pleasant enough while the staff are generally friendly and helpful. The Port Authority is exploring development options, the result of which may actually lead to the demolition and rebuilding of LGA in an attempt to create a more efficient, smooth-running airport.

Lambert-St Louis International Airport (STL), or Lamberts as it's affectionately known, is located 10 miles (17km) northwest of the city of St Louis, Missouri, and is in close proximity to connecting interstate highways. With four long runways and more than 12 million passengers per year, Lamberts is the state’s busiest airport; nonstop flights to Lambert-St Louis International Airport arrive from 88 domestic and international hubs.

Lambert-St Louis has a certain historical pedigree, too. It served as a balloon-launching base in the 19^th century and was later visited by the Wright Brothers on one of their early flights. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt took a flight from here, becoming the first US President to fly, and a few years later the first experimental parachute jump took place over the airfield.

A new construction project – launched in spring 2011 – is set to improve passenger services, boost airport operations and offer good views of the establishment. Terminal 1 is already an architectural spectacle, with exciting LED lighting that may be viewed from the interior and exterior of the building, as well as new flooring, ticket counters, signs, security checkpoints and an atrium, all of which have resulted in a completely new and attractive look for Lambert-St Louis International Airport.

Lansing Capital City Airport (LAN), also known as Capital Region International Airport, is located 3 miles (5km) northwest of Lansing in the DeWitt Township of Michigan. It’s a tiny facility, with only 257,350 passengers catching flights to Lansing Capital City Airport in 2010.

2006 saw the release of renovation plans for the airport, including the building of a new control tower, terminal building, baggage claims area, car rental and parking facilities - however, construction has yet to start.

This is a small airport with limited facilities, so if you're here for a while, you'll probably want to bring something to do. It's also rated by many passengers as one of the most expensive airports to fly out of in the US. However, in Lansing versus Detroit: 6 Things You Should Know, the airport claims that the additional cost of flying from Detroit rather than from Lansing adds about $250 to the cost of a cheap flight from Detroit.

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is only 14 miles (22.5km) from downtown Toronto. Despite being Canada’s busiest airport, it’s a pleasant facility to experience, largely due to the staff who have a reputation for being friendly and helpful.

Toronto Pearson International is well-equipped to deal with most passenger needs. It has a great selection of shopping and dining options and it is well-serviced by public transport.

It’s also well served by major airlines. More than 50 carriers offer flights to Toronto International Airport. It is a hub for Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Transat, CanJet, SunWing Airlines and WestJet.

With its two terminals and great connectivity both locally and internationally, Toronto Pearson International Airport is a great choice when flying to Canada.

Logan International Airport (BOS), or General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, is located in Boston, Massachusetts – only 3 miles (4.8km) northeast of downtown Boston. With a workforce of approximately 16,000 people and four well-laid out terminals, this easy-to-use airport is renowned for its efficiency. More than 25 million passengers catch flights to Logan International Airport from across US and around the world.

Almost entirely surrounded by water, traveling to and from Logan International Airport is easiest via ferry. However, this is not to say that the airport is without alternative transport - in fact, due to a number of service providers operating at Logan International, including taxis, trains, buses and shuttles, the airport was dubbed “Easiest Airport to Get To” by aviation.com in 2007.

One of the airport’s main attractions is the Boston Logan International Airport 9/11 Memorial, a 2.5-acre site dedicated to honoring the passengers and crew aboard the two planes that departed from Logan International on 11 September 2001. Against a pristine landscape of trees and stone walls, with a central glass commemorative sculpture, the site is a place of reflection and remembrance.

Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) serves as an alternative hub for passengers accessing the New York area. The airport is situated 7 miles (11km) northeast of the central business district of Islip. The town of Islip owns the airport, which provides service to more than 2 million passengers per year, primarily from the Nassau and Suffolk counties.

As it’s a small airport, it serves as a more convenient and less congested alternative to other, busier airports in the area, such as JFK or LaGuardia. Flights to Long Island MacArthur Airport arrive from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

You can expect a quiet and friendly atmosphere at the airport, and can enjoy browsing through the bookshop or one of the newsagents before your flight takes off.  

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is located 16 miles (26km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. As the sixth-busiest airport in the world, it’s hardly surprising that LAX serves as a primary gateway to this region of the United States. Flights to Los Angeles International Airport arrive daily from major international hubs across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Los Angeles International has nine terminal buildings and on average it serves approximately 60 million passengers per year, and handles more than 600,000 aircraft take-offs and landings. Currently there is a project underway to build an additional terminal building west from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The terminal will have ten gates, and is expected to be completed in 2012.

As this is a busy mega-airport, queues can be long and chaotic. The best thing to do would be to give yourself plenty of time to get all of the hassles of checking in and clearing customs over with, and then relax at one of the restaurants or pubs and get a nice big meal and a refreshing drink. Then, if you still have some time to spare, you could do a little gift shopping for that special someone.

Located just 14km (9 miles) east of San Juan, Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) is the main international gateway to sunny Puerto Rico.

Known to many as San Juan International, this is Puerto Rico's only international airport, and it serves more than 4 million passengers per year. Flights to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport arrive daily, with some of the major operators American Eagle, Cape Air, JetBlue Airways and Executive Airlines. There is one main terminal building with a number of concourses. There is a second terminal building due to open in late 2011.

The facility is clean and well maintained and visitors can expect to breeze through the efficient customs and immigration without having to queue too long. If you're in transit or have a long wait, however, be aware that most shops and restaurants stick to island time, and will close by 5pm.

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), often referred to locally as simply Manchester Airport, is a small airport about three miles (5km) from Manchester, New Hampshire. It handles roughly 4 million passengers a year and functions as a low-cost alternative to the airport in Boston, about 50 miles (80km) south and accessible by bus. Flights to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport come in mainly from hubs across the US, although Air Canada also operates a route from Toronto.

The biggest city in the state, Manchester is home to a number of historic sports venues, a few museums and a couple of colleges. There are some beautiful historic buildings in the downtown area, which is experiencing a revival, although most of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport’s traffic is still headed south to Boston and New York City.

No matter where you’re headed, Manchester-Boston is an efficient and friendly gateway to the delights of New England.

Located five miles (8km) south of Las Vegas’s central business district, McCarran International Airport (LAS) is the largest airport serving the notorious Sin City, handling a whopping 40 million passengers each year.

Flights to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport come from all over the world. However, the most popular routes are short domestic flights from US cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and Salt Lake City.

The facilities at McCarran are good, and staff members are friendly and efficient. The newer – and smaller - Terminal 2 has less to occupy your time and fewer places to sit, which can get annoying at peak times. Other than that there are few complaints to be made about the airport, so relax and try your luck at the slots while you wait for your flight.