CHICAGO, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The thought of flying during the holidays normally conjures up images of screaming kids with colds, cancelled flights and less-than-enthused flight attendants who keep bumping into your elbow with the drink cart. But holiday travel isn't all bad news. With AXE's "Best and Worst Airports to Make a Connection" study, which was announced today, you can easily identify the airports that give you the best chance for meeting that special someone this holiday travel season.

AXE, a leader in men's grooming and known commentator on the chemistry between 18-24 year-old guys and girls, worked with Sperling's BestPlaces to commission a study targeting the country's largest metropolitan airports and unveiled some surprising results.

AXE's Best Airports For AXE's Worst Airports For "Making a Connection" "Making A Connection" (1) Philadelphia Int'l (1) Oakland Int'l (2) Newark Int'l (2) San Jose Int'l (3) John F. Kennedy Int'l (3) McCarran Int'l (New York, NY) (Las Vegas, NV) (4) Washington-Dulles Int'l (4) Orlando Int'l (5) LaGuardia Int'l (New York, NY) (5) Los Angeles Int'l (6) Port Columbus Int'l (OH) (6) Sky Harbor Int'l (Phoenix, AZ) (7) Detroit Metropolitan (7) Midway Int'l (Chicago, IL) (8) Logan Int'l (Boston, MA) (8) Tampa Int'l (9) Dallas/Ft. Worth Int'l (9) Sacramento Int'l (10) San Francisco Int'l (10) Hobby (Houston, TX) More Than Just Brotherly Love

Surprisingly, the best airport for connecting with someone is Philadelphia International. Thanks to some of the nation's longest and most frequent flight delays (32 percent of all flights, averaging 60 minutes), getting stuck in "The Airport of Brotherly Love" gives you a chance to hang your hat in one of 16 bars and seven lounges or grab a cheese steak at one of 57 restaurants. If you've got an extra-long layover, impress the object of your desire with smooth moves at the airport's magic shop.

Top Scorers

Other top airports in "AXE's Best and Worst Airports to Make a Connection" study include Newark (lots of time during 70-minute delays), JFK (plant yourself at a beer garden), LaGuardia (half of connecting flights are delayed) and Washington-Dulles, where you can spark up a conversation over a glass of Shiraz at a wine bar. Tiny Port Columbus International in Ohio comes in sixth, where the college set can ease the stress of holiday traveling in the airport's meditation room.

And while not in the top ten overall, Miami International has endless bars, lounges and even a hair salon where one can be sure to find the ladies.

Better Luck Next Time

While you'd think it would be a cinch to find "a peach" at Atlanta's packed Hartsfield airport or find someone with whom to dig into a deep-dish pizza at Chicago's O'Hare, "These airports have amenities, but relatively few for the number of passengers which pass through their gates," said Bert Sperling, president of Sperling's BestPlaces. "At these busy airports, a little snow or fog can strand a huge number of travelers, and a potentially enjoyable time could turn into a frustrating wait for a table or service."

Where else will you run high and dry? Best to avoid dead-last Oakland International (too few amenities), San Jose International (few bars on-site, but a plethora of laptop stations), and Orlando International (too many kids lugging oversized mouse dolls). And even with all the beautiful people floating through security in their designer duds, the Los Angeles International airport is the fifth worst airport in the country to score a date.

Who's Getting Together?

According to StrategyOne, the research firm AXE commissioned to survey more than 860 respondents, travelers are using airports to connect with more than just flights. Nearly one in ten adults has personally gone out or knows someone who has gone out with someone they met at the airport or during a flight. The survey also showed people are taking advantage of their flight time: one-third of adults would rather sit next to someone they find attractive or interesting than have an entire row to themselves.

Airport "Connection" Tips

Johnny Jet, editor-in-chief of travel website JohnnyJet.com, spends most of his time flying in and out of airports and knows the holiday season offers even more opportunities to make a connection with fellow travelers. "There's a different set of rules for meeting people while traveling and guys and girls need to know what they can do to make sure their game isn't grounded even when their flight is," he says.

The etiquette for meeting people while traveling in airports differs from the rules people follow in typical social situations. "Since there's no mutual friend to vouch for you, it's always better to just ask for the person's email," says Johnny Jet. "But don't ask for it in the first 15 minutes of meeting someone because you can use that time waiting for your flight as an opportunity for them to get to know you."

Regardless of what airport in which you get stuck waiting for lost luggage or being herded through gate changes, focus less on the travel grind and instead take AXE's advice: make it worth your while by making a "connection" while waiting for flights during the holiday travel season.

Complete List of Airport "Connection" Rankings (1) Philadelphia Int'l (PHL) (19) Washington National (DCA) (2) Newark Int'l (EWR) (20) Baltimore/Washington Int'l (BWI) (3) John F Kennedy Int'l (JFK) (21) Denver Int'l (DEN) (4) Washington-Dulles Int'l (IAD) (22) San Antonio Int'l (SAT) (5) La Guardia Int'l (LGA) (23) Hopkins Int'l (CLE) (6) Port Columbus Int'l (CMH) (24) Houston Hobby (IAH) (7) Detroit Metropolitan (DTW) (25) San Diego Int'l (SAN) (8) Logan Int'l (BOS) (26) Portland Int'l (PDX) (9) Dallas/Ft. Worth Int'l (DFW) (27) Kansas City Int'l (MCI) (10) San Francisco Int'l (SFO) (28) Houston Hobby (HOU) (11) Lambert-St. Louis Int'l (STL) (29) Sacramento Int'l (SMF) (12) Cincinnati Int'l (CVG) (30) Tampa Int'l (TPA) (13) O'Hare Int'l (ORD) (31) Midway Int'l (MDW) (14) Minneapolis/St. Paul Int'l (MSP)(32) Sky Harbor Int'l (PHX) (15) Miami Int'l (MIA) (33) Los Angeles Int'l (LAX) (16) Seattle Tacoma Int'l (SEA) (34) Orlando Int'l (MCO) (17) Pittsburgh Int'l (PIT) (35) McCarran Int'l (LAS) (18) Hartsfield Int'l (ATL) (36) San Jose Int'l (SJC) (37) Oakland Int'l (OAK) AXE-ology

"AXE's Best and Worst Airports to Make a Connection" study was based on 37 airports serving the 30 largest metro areas in the country and aimed to learn which airports give you the best shot for "making a connection" with a fellow traveler. It took into consideration everything from the number of bars and restaurants per capita (in this case, per passenger per airport) to the number of connecting, delayed and missed flights in each airport.

Unilever/AXE

While AXE is best known for its deodorant bodyspray, the Unilever-manufactured brand also is available in an anti-perspirant, deodorant and a shower gel. Axe is the No. 1 male Anti-Perspirant Deodorant brand in the U.S. The shower gel, launched in 2005, reached No. 1 status five months after hitting shelves. The brand's mission is to help guys get the girl with fragrances that reflect individual personality and lifestyle. AXE products are sold in North America at food, drug and mass outlets.

Sperling's BestPlaces

For over 20 years, Bert Sperling has been helping people find their own "Best Place" to live. His firm, Sperling's BestPlaces, puts facts about cities and quality of life in the hands of the public, so they can make better decisions about best places to live, work, retire, play, or relocate. Sperling's has authored two best-sellers, "Cities Ranked and Rated" and "Best Places to Raise your Family," published by John Wiley. More information about Bert Sperling and Sperling's BestPlaces is available at http://www.bestplaces.net/.

For more information, please contact: Matt Kohan Lauren Kuzniar 312/240.2695 312/297.7470 Matt.Kohan@edelman.comLauren.Kuzniar@edelman.com

CONTACT: Matt Kohan, +1-312-240-2695, Matt.Kohan@edelman.com, or Lauren
Kuzniar, +1-312-297-7470, Lauren.Kuzniar@edelman.com, both for Unilever

Web site: http://www.bestplaces.net/