These Are the Best and Worst U.S. Airports for TSA Complaints
While Newark receives the most TSA complaints per passenger, Charlotte Douglas International receives the fewest
Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport.
Passing through airport security is an unavoidable part of flying commercially. While the process is typically straightforward, there are instances when it can become a stressful ordeal due to mishandled personal property, inadequate customer service, or other procedural issues.
According to a new report by Upgraded Points, the chances of having a bad experience when passing through airport security may depend on which airport you’re flying out of.
Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport.
The study analyzed complaints data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) across 44 of the largest airports in the U.S. between 2015 and 2023. By comparing the total number of complaints received by each airport against their respective passenger numbers, it found which airports are the worst—and the best—for traveling through TSA.
“Security checks are an unavoidable part of air travel, but the experience can vary greatly depending on the airport,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief of Upgraded Points. “And since navigating security can be such a high-stress experience, we identified where passengers are most and least satisfied with TSA, providing valuable insights for travelers.”
Airports with the Most Complaints
According to the study, the airport with the most TSA complaints is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), which has 6.83 complaints per 100,000 passengers. That’s more than one complaint per 100,000 passengers above the second worst offender and almost twice the average.
Photo: Courtesy of Newark Airport
Even when looking more recently, Newark received the most TSA complaints in 2023, too, with an even higher rate of 12.84 complaints per 100,000 passengers.
The airport with the second-most TSA complaints since 2015 is Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), with 5.78 complaints per 100,000 passengers, followed by Orlando International Airport (MCO) in third place with 5.6 complaints per 100,000 passengers.
Here are the ten airports with the most TSA complaints from 2015 to 2023:
| Rank | Airport | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | 6.83 |
| 2 | Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) | 5.78 |
| 3 | Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 5.6 |
| 4 | Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | 5.5 |
| 5 | Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) | 5.38 |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | 5.25 |
| 7 | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) | 4.72 |
| 8 | Tampa International Airport (TPA) | 4.68 |
| 9 | Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) | 4.67 |
| 10 | LaGuardia Airport (LGA) | 4.37 |
Airports with the Least Complaints
While the above airports received higher-than-average complaints about their security processes, the report also revealed which airports received the fewest, offering a greater chance of a simple and mishap-free experience.
Photo: American Airlines gates. Courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
According to the report, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) received the fewest complaints of any airport at just 1.97 per 100,000 passengers – the only airport to receive less than two complaints per 100,000. In second place is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), with 2.63 TSA complaints per 100,000 passengers, followed by Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), with 2.74 complaints per 100,000.
Here are the ten airports with the least TSA complaints from 2015 to 2023:
| Rank | Airport | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) | 1.97 |
| 2 | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | 2.63 |
| 3 | Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) | 2.74 |
| 4 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | 2.75 |
| 5 | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) | 2.8 |
| 5 | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) | 2.8 |
| 7 | Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) | 2.85 |
| 8 | San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | 2.87 |
| 9 | Dallas Love Field (DAL) | 2.89 |
| 10 | Kansas City International Airport (MCI) | 3.02 |
The report also analyzed the most common types of TSA complaints nationwide. Over a third (37.98 percent) of complaints were issues with the TSA PreCheck program. In contrast, the worst offending airport for this type of complaint was San Francisco International Airport (SFO), where 59.7 percent of all its complaints were of this category.
The second-most common complaint was the mishandling of passenger property (19.45 percent). At the same time, Miami International Airport (MIA) was revealed as the worst airport for this, where mishandled property made up 31.36 percent of all complaints.
The next biggest complaint was over customer service (13.06 percent), while the airport with the highest percentage of customer service complaints was Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) at 20.42 percent.
Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport
Upgraded Points also calculated which months of the year see the highest number of TSA complaints on average, with the last three months of the year receiving the highest – December with 1,457 complaints per day, October with 1,450 complaints per day, and November with 1,398 complaints per day.
This is somewhat unsurprising given the traditional build-up of passenger volumes in the run-up to the holiday period, while the typically less busy early months—January and February—see the fewest TSA complaints at just 1,135 and 1,165 per day, respectively.
