Flying High: San Diego Airport Ranked Third Best in U.S.

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego's Lindbergh Field was ranked the third-best airport in the U.S. in a study released Nov. 3 by the travel website The Points Guy.

The rankings were based on timeliness, accessibility and amenities, but not public opinion, according to the website. The authors used both federal data and published information from the airports themselves.

In a list of the 30 busiest airports in the country, Lindbergh Field ranked behind only No. 1 Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and Portland International in Oregon.

San Diego also ranked fourth in a sub-category of shortest waits in security lines. Other timeliness factors included flight delays and cancellations.

The accessibility criterion included drive time to and from the city center or other popular destination, number of public transportation transfers required and public transit time to and from airport. Amenities included the number of restaurants and lounges, Wi-Fi fees and parking costs.

"At No. 3, San Diego is a serious contender that could compete for the top spot in the future — but it will have to do something about its middling flight cancellation rate," the site in its analysis. "Its overall timeliness score was surprisingly low, despite the fact that it has near-perfect weather all year long."

Lindbergh Field was the only California airport ranked in the top 10.

The worst-rated airports were the New York-area trio of LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International. Los Angeles International was ranked No. 9 on the worst airports list.

By City News Service/Image via Shutterstock