Flying to one of America’s numerous satellite airports can be faster and easier than charging into a congestion clogged airport that suffers delays on the sunniest days. Travel guru Peter Greenberg and his staff compiled a list of unlikely airports that can save you from the long lines and endless waits that plague traveler’s nightmares.

• New York: MacArthur Airport in Islip is far, far away from the preferred outer-borough airports, but it is serviced by Southwest and accessible with a $10 Long Island Rail Road ticket.
• Miami: South Florida has two viable options: Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Both have regular service to Miami via Tri-Rail for $5.50.
• Chicago: No, Midway—our favorite Flight Simulator airport—is not the preferred alternate. Consider Milwaukee. Yes, Milwaukee.
  

  Not only is it a hub of the highly-regarded Midwest Airlines, but also Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service makes seven roundtrips a day between Chicago and the Milwaukee Airport. Each 90-minute one-way trip costs $21, much cheaper (and often faster) than using a cab.

• Los Angeles: West Coast visitors can choose from Burbank, Long Beach, Ontario, Orange County and Palmdale airports. Long Beach has the best on-time arrival stats and good access to transportation.
• San Francisco: Oakland is a good alternative, but may soon be as congested as San Francisco International.

Visit Peter Greenberg’s site for the more information on on-time statistics and departure destinations.

America’s Best Alternate Airports [Peter Greenberg]

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