airport satisfaction

Study finds rise in overall airport satisfaction

Airports, ,

There may still be a pilot shortage and plenty of issues causing airport terminals to be crowded and confusing.

However according to J.D. Power’s latest Airport study of North American airports, out today, travelers are feeling more satisfied with airports now than they were a year ago.

J.D. Power’s 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, shows an uptick of 3 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year, driven by improvements in three factors: terminal facilities; food and beverage and retail service; and baggage claim.

“While airports are doing a good job coping with the current issues, there is still more they could do to improve [the] passenger experience while also improving their own bottom lines,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “Happy passengers spend a lot more money at the airport, so ongoing efforts to spread passenger volumes throughout the day and deliver superior service at all customer touchpoints will be critical.”

Did your favorite airport shine?

The Airport Satisfaction Study measures overall traveler satisfaction with mega, large, and medium North American airports and looks at six factors (in order of importance):

terminal facilities;

airport arrival/departure; baggage claim;

security check;

check-in/baggage check;

and food, beverage & retail.

This year’s study was conducted from August 2022 through July 2023.

Here are the top rankings:

Mega Airports

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked highest with 800 points (out of 1000),

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (796), ranked second

And Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas ranked thrid (787).

Large Airports

Tampa International Airport ranks highest with a score of 832.

John Wayne Airport, Orange County (829) ranks second

And Salt Lake City International Airport (825) ranks third.

Of note among large airports is the ranking this year for New York’s LaGuardia Airport, one of the airports where recently completed construction and redevelopment projects have greatly improved the passenger experience.

LaGuardia Airport, which ranked last in passenger satisfaction in 2019, now ranks at the large airport segment average, tied with Kansas City International Airport, which just opened its shiny new terminal, and just below Portland International Airport, which is about to.

Medium Airports

For a second consecutive year, Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest among medium airports, with a score of 843.

Southwest Florida International Airport (839) ranks second and Ontario International Airport (834) ranks third.


How satisfied are passengers with airports right now?

Airports,

Flown anywhere lately?

After being grounded by the pandemic, most folks are pretty darn excited to go to the airport to fly to just about anywhere.

But once at the airport, the excitement seems to fade.

That’s what the J.D. Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released on Wednesday, tells us.

According to the study, satisfaction is down 25 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year because travelers are disappointed with fewer flights, more cancellations, crowded terminals, limited food and beverage offerings in the terminals, and limited places to park.

“The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage, and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water has created a scenario in which airports are extremely crowded and passengers are increasingly frustrated—and it is likely to continue through 2023,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power.

“In some ways, this is a return to normal as larger crowds at airports tend to make travelers more frazzled, but in cases where parking lots are over capacity, gates are standing room only and restaurants and bars are not even open to offer some reprieve, it is clear that increased capacity in airports can’t come soon enough.”

Airport Rankings

That doesn’t mean travelers are more pleased with some airports than others.

In the ‘mega’ category – Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranks highest in passenger satisfaction, followed by San Francisco International Airport. Both Detroit Metropolitan
Wayne County Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport land in a third-place tie.

Among large airports, Tampa International Airport ranks highest, followed by John Wayne Airport,
Orange County and Dallas Love Field.


And in the medium airport category, Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest, with Pittsburgh
International Airport in second place and Jacksonville International Airport and Southwest
Florida International Airport in a third-place tie.


The 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study measures traveler satisfaction by looking at six factors. In order of importance) those factors are terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.

Where does your favorite airport land in the ratings this year?

Travelers not getting more airport satisfaction

Airports, ,

A new study out today finds that travelers are getting weary of battling the detours and delays caused by expansion projects at many airports.

According to the J.D. Power 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released today, overall passenger satisfaction with North American airports has risen only a single point (on a 1,000-point scale) year over year, following several years of steady improvement.

Satisfaction stagnates, but there’s hope

According to the report, the overall customer satisfaction score this year for North American airports is 762, up 1 point from 2018. The issue? Lower-than-average facility access scores, with larger numbers of travelers citing construction-related delays getting into and out of the airport.

But there’s hope. Airports that offer travelers relatively new facilities and improved security checkpoint experiences show up in this year’s study at the top of the list. And many airport construction projects around the country will soon be completed.

Take a look at the rankings:

In the mega category, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranks highest with a score of 786, followed by Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport at 779 and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and Orlando International Airport tied for third at 777. 

In the large category, Portland (Or.) International Airport ranks highest with a score of 833, followed by Dallas Love Field at 826 and Tampa International Airport at 822. 

And in the medium category, Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest a score of 833, followed by Jacksonville International Airport at 831 and Buffalo Niagara International Airport at 829.