J.D. Power Satisfaction Among Mega North American Airports
On a 1,000-point scale
1. Las Vegas: 781
2. Orlando: 781
3. Detroit: 775
4. Denver: 771
5. Dallas/Fort Worth: 770
6. Atlanta: 769
6. Houston Bush: 769
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul: 767
9. Phoenix: 765
10. San Francisco: 763
11. Charlotte: 761
11. Toronto: 761
13. Seattle-Tacoma: 756
14. New York Kennedy: 752
15. Miami: 750
16. Boston: 747
17. Chicago O'Hare: 735
17. Los Angeles: 735
19. Newark: 701
An improved security experience and better food and beverage options pushed customer satisfaction with North American airports to an all-time high this year, according to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
Overall satisfaction with airports in the study, based on responses from more than 40,000 travelers over the past year, rose 12 points year over year to 761 on a 1,000-point scale. Satisfaction with the security check process rose 18 points, which J.D. Power attributed to better cooperation between airport staff and the Transportation Security Administration in matching staffing with an airport's load factor. The score for food, beverage and retail increased 18 points.
Other factors measured in the study were terminal facilities, airport accessibility, baggage claim and the experience with check-in and baggage check.
J.D. Power travel practice lead Michael Taylor said the score increases came as passenger volumes increased and several airports were undergoing large construction projects. He also said keeping those scores high over the next few years could be a challenge. "Several multibillion-dollar airport construction projects—such as those in Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago—are reaching phases in which passenger disruption and increased traffic will be increasingly hard to avoid. How well these rapidly expanding airports manage throughout these infrastructure projects will provide valuable insight into what's in store on a nationwide basis."
Among mega airports, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and Orlando International Airport tied for the top satisfaction score, followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Newark Liberty International Airport had the lowest score among mega airports, and Los Angeles International Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport both also were near the bottom.
John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., had the highest score among what J.D. Power defines as large airports, followed by Dallas Love Field and Portland International Airport in Oregon. New York LaGuardia Airport, still undergoing a massive $8 billion expansion project, was ranked lowest, with a score more than 55 points lower than the next-lowest airport.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport were the top-scoring medium-sized airports.