The 2018 edition of J.D. Power’s annual North American Airport Satisfaction Study was released a few weeks ago and although some of their results are very surprising, some are very…not 😉
The study measures overall traveler satisfaction with mega, large and medium-sized airports in the United States and Canada in the following factors:
- terminal facilities
- airport accessibility
- security check
- baggage claim
- check in/baggage check
- food, beverage and retail
Despite lots of crowds and construction projects that seem to be just about everywhere, and the dissatisfaction that can naturally occur with both, passengers’ overall satisfaction was at an all-time high of 761 out of 1000, which is 12 points higher than the 2017 study (which had also been an all-time high at the time).
There was a major 18-point increase in satisfaction at TSA checkpoints. It’s felt this was because of better communication between airport and TSA staff, which in turn helped coordinate TSA staffing with the number of passengers projected to be at the airport. Better TSA staffing = shorter lines. 😉
The highest-scoring component was for check-in and baggage check, which has been continually rising since self-service kiosks were introduced to assist with check in and bag tagging. It’s believed this remove passengers’ frustration of waiting on a long queue for someone else to facilitate a process, and instead allows them to have more control and move at their own pace.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and Orlando International Airport tied as the highest ranking in passenger satisfaction among mega airports, each with a score of 781. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (775) ranked third and Denver International Airport (771) ranked fourth. Newark Liberty International Airport ranked last (701).
John Wayne Airport, Orange County ranked the highest of large airports, with a score of 815. Dallas Love Field (810) ranked second and Portland (Ore.) International Airport (804) ranked third. New York LaGuardia ranked last (678).
Buffalo Niagara International Airport ranked the highest for medium airports, with a score of 814. Indianapolis International Airport (811) ranked second and Fort Myers/Southwest Florida International (810) ranked third. Kailui Airport ranked last (757).
Here are the rankings for the mega airports:
These are the rankings for the large airports:
And the rankings for the medium airports are:
This was the 13th consecutive year for this study, which was based on responses from 40,183 North America travelers who traveled through at least one domestic airport and covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports) during the past three months. Travelers evaluated either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience. The study was fielded from September 2017 through September 2018.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
