Hungover Layover: Miami Airport Ranks Worst in Nation for These Flights

From neon-green liquid oozing through a terminal, to baggage-claim brawls, to exotic bird-smuggling operations, it's no wonder Miami International Airport (MIA) is notorious for its chaotic atmosphere.

On a busy travel day, the traffic-clogged airport roads and unpredictable flight scheduling can make even a mundane visit to MIA a journey in its own right.

As if MIA needed another albatross feather in its cap, a new study has labeled it the worst airport in the country for early-morning flight takeoffs.

The study by travel site Upgraded Points found that 31.6 percent of Miami's early departures were held up, with an average delay time of seven minutes.

Think you can escape the delays by heading to Fort Lauderdale for a late-night flight instead? Think again. The study ranks Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) as the fifth-worst airport in the nation for late-night departures. (Let the long-running debate about which airport is more infuriating, FLL or MIA, rage on!)

If you're flying early out of Florida's Gulf Coast, you're in luck, as Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers ranked third-best for morning flights. There, you can catch your flight with the confidence that you won't be stuck sitting on the tarmac — and who knows, you might even take off ahead of schedule. Only 12.4 percent of early flights at the airport were delayed, according to the study.

The study's methodology involved ranking airports for early morning and late-night travel based on quantity of available flights, percentage of flight delays, and number of places that sell coffee (for the early category) and booze (for the late one) relative to passenger volume. The report drew its flight data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

It might be tempting to savor a few extra hours by the pool to avoid a crack-of-dawn flight out of Miami and the MIA morning madness.

But flight delays have plagued MIA throughout the day in recent months. The airport has struggled intermittently with on-time scheduling as it deals with frequent weather disruptions and increasing passenger volume. More than 52.3 million passengers passed through its gates last year, a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year.

To be fair, the Miami hub has received some accolades based on — believe it or not — traveler satisfaction surveys. MIA earned marks as the "best mega airport in Florida" and fourth-best among the busiest airports in the U.S. and Canada in last year's J.D. Power traveler questionnaire.

If you do find yourself stuck at MIA, fear not, because there are plenty of unique restaurants in which to chow down and drown your traveler's sorrow. And soon, some cozy sleep lounges will be built into the terminals so you can nap through the experience.