(WJET/WFXP) — Roughly a billion passengers make their way through airports across the United States each year, but some of them are having a better experience than others.
The results of J.D. Power and Associates’ “North American Airport Satisfaction Study” were released this week, revealing the top-rated airports in the U.S. and Canada (but no other North American countries) in terms of passenger experience.
Seven criteria were considered: ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience, according to J.D. Power.
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Airports were also divided into three categories by passenger volume: medium airports (4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers per year), large airports (10 million to 32.9 million passengers per year), and “mega” airports (33 million-plus passengers per year).
Overall, J.D. Power found that most passengers (60%) at least “somewhat” enjoyed their airport experience over the survey period (August 2023 through July 2024), despite traffic and rising airfare prices.
“Most travelers are still enjoying the experience,” said Michael Taylor, the managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, in Wednesday’s news release. “However, we are starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending, with average spend per person in the terminal declining significantly from a year ago.”
At the top of the rankings in each category were the Indianapolis International Airport (medium), the John Wayne Airport in California’s Orange County (large) and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (mega).
An abbreviated list of the top airports for each category, with scores based on a 1,000-point scale, is below. A full list is available at the official J.D. Power website.
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Medium airports
Indianapolis International Airport (687)
Jacksonville International Airport (686)
Southwest Florida International Airport (675)
Ontario International Airport (672)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (670)
Large airports
John Wayne Airport, Orange County (California) (687)
Tampa International Airport (685)
Kansas City International Airport (683)
Dallas Love Field (675)
Nashville International Airport (668)
Mega airports
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (671)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (643)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (633)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City) (628)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (623)
Other key findings from the study indicate that passengers are spending slightly less on food and beverages than they did over the last study period, and that they rate airports higher when they feel the facility incorporates “unique décor, signage, stores and restaurants” inspired by the city or region in which the airport operates.
J.D. Power and Associates, a market research firm, has conducted its North American Airport Satisfaction Study for 19 years. The study surveyed a total of 26,290 passengers who had traveled through an American or Canadian airport within the previous month.
