Holiday travel prep: The best and worst airports for flight delays

Traveling for the holidays this year? Before you pack up and head out of Boston, plan ahead for the potential down time you might experience at some of the nation's most popular airports.

Travel + Leisure recently ranked America's best and worst airports for flight delays, based on data gathered from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics over a 12-month period (July 2010 to June 2011). The good news: travelers heading to Seattle are likely to spend less time on the ground. Seattle's Sea-Tac airport nabbed the top spot for the best airport to avoid a flight delay. The bad news: not everyone is flying in and out of Seattle. Traveling through Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco can result in some extra time perusing airport retail stores.

Photo: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Flickr, timnatl
While you can't control air traffic, or in some cases what airports you will fly through to get to your destination, you can plan ahead to avoid wasted time. The report also notes the time of day when you have a 90 percent or better chance of leaving on time. In the event you do get stuck waiting, don't pace around the gate area. Stretch your legs with a walk around the terminal or power-up the laptop to get through some emails. If all else fails, it's likely you'll find something to shop for among the hundreds of retail outlets in these airports.