The Ultimate Guide to North American Airports: Unveiling the Top and Bottom of Traveler Satisfaction
Passenger satisfaction in North American airports experienced a remarkable improvement, as revealed by JD Power Discover the most and least satisfying mega-airports, along with additional measures airports can undertake for further enhancement
Passenger satisfaction at North American airports saw an improvement despite challenges such as high passenger volumes, pilot shortages, and weather-related disruptions, according to consumer insights and analytics firm J.D. Power.
The J.D. Power 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released on Wednesday, highlights a significant finding. The study analyzed three airport categories - mega-airports, large airports, and medium-sized airports - using over 27,000 traveler surveys collected between August 2022 and July 2023. According to Michael Taylor, the managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail at J.D. Power, this improvement was somewhat anticipated.
The number of people at airports has mostly stabilized, and in some cases even decreased slightly. This decrease in crowding will have a positive impact on ratings, according to an interviewee speaking to CNN Travel. The growth in passenger volume has slowed significantly, as mentioned by Taylor. Additionally, the improvement in food, beverage, and retail services - including increased staff and operating hours - has positively affected airport ratings.
In total, customer satisfaction with North American airports has increased by 3 points this year, resulting in an overall score of 780 on a 1,000-point scale.
The airports were assessed based on six factors, prioritized as follows: terminal facilities, airport arrival/departure, baggage claim, security check, check-in/baggage check, and food, beverage, and retail services.
The increase in satisfaction this year can be attributed to three factors: terminal facilities, food and beverage, and retail service, and baggage claim. "Terminal facilities" encompasses the cleanliness, comfort, and ease of navigating areas such as concourses, restrooms, and gates, as well as the quality of Wi-Fi service.
But naturally, some airports are better than others - as any traveler can confirm.
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Least satisfying North American mega-airports
Newark Liberty International Airport ranks at the bottom of the mega-airport list. Its new Terminal A, pictured, should help on future performance reports.
Andy Bao/AP
Newark Liberty International Airport is frequently criticized by air travelers, as it consistently ranks at the lowest position among mega-airports (those accommodating 33 million or more passengers annually).
This year, Newark received a score of 732, which is considerably lower compared to other airports at the bottom of the list. However, it is worth noting that this score marks an improvement from last year's rating of 719.
Newark's recently opened Terminal A was made accessible to the public in January, hence not all of the study participants experienced its advantages this year.
Toronto Pearson International Airport obtained the second-lowest score of 749 out of 1,000. Taylor attributes this performance to the significant increase in passenger volume, which reached up to 50%.
"The more passengers, the lower the satisfaction scores. But thats a problem an airport WANTS to have," Taylor said via email.
Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada has seen a surge in traffic and a poor satisfaction score.
Steve Russell/Toronto Star/Getty Images
Bottom five scorers on a 1,000-point scale for mega-airport satisfaction:
Boston Logan International Airport (762)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (762)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (754)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (749)
Newark Liberty International Airport (732)
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Most satisfying North American mega-airports
The top-performing mega-airport of the year, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, greatly enhanced its satisfaction rating by 9 points compared to the previous year, reaching a score of 800. Notably, this airport displayed improvements across all aspects, including notable enhancements in TSA operations, baggage claim services, and the food, beverage, and retail sectors. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, which held the top spot last year, now stands at No. 2 with a score of 796.
Top five scorers on a 1,000-point scale for mega-airport satisfaction:
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (800)
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (796)
Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (787)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (783)
Miami International Airport (783)
The best and worst of the rest
For the second consecutive year, Tampa International Airport (TPA) has claimed the top spot in the large airport category, serving 10 to 32.9 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, Indianapolis International Airport (IND) secured the No. 1 position among medium airports, catering to 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers every year.
Tampa International Airport in Florida is No. 1 in the large airport category. The terminal features a giant flamingo sculpture by artist Matthew Mazzotta.
According to Taylor, the terminal design of TPA and IND is outstanding, with efficient access and unique goods and services that reflect their respective locations. For instance, Tampa features flamingoes, while Indianapolis showcases race cars.
Tampa received a score of 832; Indianapolis scored 843.
At the bottom of the large airports list, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) received a score of 750.
"PHL excels in many aspects, but it is crucial for their infrastructure to be enhanced. It appears that they are falling behind other airports in terms of investing in upgraded terminal facilities," commented Taylor.
In the category of medium airports, Kahului Airport in Maui scored the lowest with a score of 771.
Another major airport in Hawaii,
More that airports can do
, received a low rating in the large airport category, tallying only 753 points. Taylor attributed these low scores to "extensive ongoing construction activities taking place at the airport."According to Taylor from J.D. Power, although airports are currently addressing the challenges effectively, there is still scope for enhancing the passenger experience and boosting their financial performance.
Passengers who expressed complete satisfaction with their experience, rating it a perfect 10 out of 10, spent an average of $44 in the terminal. In contrast, passengers who were disappointed with their experience, giving airports a score of 5 or less, only spent $29.
Taylor emphasized the significance of happy passengers, stating that they tend to spend a substantial amount of money at the airport. As a result, it is vital to continually strive for evenly distributed passenger volumes throughout the day and provide exceptional service at every customer interaction point.
