Midway is ranked worst airport in the country

Chicago’s smaller Midway airport was ranked as the worst among 50 of the busiest airports in the country. Some may not be surprised, especially with O’Hare’s billion-dollar terminal and other upgrades.

One reason Midway ranked so low is because it’s “bare-bones” when it comes to amenities, according to the travel news site, The Points Guy. In its analysis, the rankings considered factors like sustainability, how fast visitors can get to the airport, and how likely it is that your flight will take off or land on time.

Currently, Midway has just one lounge (a USO center for military and their families). Plus, the construction, long grey hallways, crowded gates, flight delays didn’t do the airport much of a favor, according to the site’s review.

In other area’s Midway did better. It ranked decently for commute at 33rd, which was likely because of the CTA’s Orange Line route. For on-time flights and amenities it was at the bottom coming in at 46th.

The airport did start a massive $323 million modernization project in 2017. The projects include an expanded security checkpoint, a new parking garage and pedway, and more local concessions which is similar to O’Hare. The construction is expected to finish in 2020 and aims to improve passenger experience.

On the other side of the city, O’Hare was ranked 30th overall. As a much larger airport and one of the busiest in the country, it simply has more to offer. According to the ranking, it was 39th for commute, 43rd for on-time flights, and 6th for amenities.