For a second year in a row, a J.D. Power study ranked the Salt Lake City International Airport in the top 10 large North American airports.
In spite of a rising number of airport travelers, several North American airports successfully navigated record-sized crowds and flight cancellations and landed a spot among airports with a high customer satisfaction rate.
“Huge air travel demand has not slowed down in North America, despite the steadily rising costs of flights, ground travel, hotel rooms and pretty much anything you can buy in an airport,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “Most travelers are still enjoying the experience. 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.”
Some airport and travel trends noted by the J.D. Power study include:
- Travelers are spending less at the airport: Rising costs could be hitting a breaking point. Airport passengers spent an average of $3.53 less per person on food, beverage and other items within airport terminals than in 2023.
- Airports are managing crowds well: Of North American airport travelers, 60% say they “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” they enjoyed their time at the airport. Another 59% claim their airport helped relieve the stress of traveling.
- Passengers don’t like crowds: If a passengers deems an airport “severely crowded” it’s score (out of 1000) drops to 429. Although just 5% of passengers reported their airport as being “severely crowded.”
Here are the top 10 ranked medium airports in North America
The 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power measures overall passenger satisfaction based on the following criteria:
- Ease of travel through airport
- Level of trust with airport
- Terminal facilities
- Airport staff
- Departure/to airport experience
- Food, beverage and retail
- Arrival/from airport experience
The 2024 study results are based on 26,290 surveys completed by U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through a North American airport during the last 30 days. Scores are based on a 1,000-point scale.
Salt Lake City International Airport tied with Portland International Airport with scores of 659. John Wayne Airport in Orange County took first with a score of 687.
J.D. Power’s The North America Airport Satisfaction Study — which is now it it’s 19th year — was redesigned for 2024, so this year’s data cannot be compared year-over-year with previous data.
Here are the top 10 large North American airports for customer satisfaction:
1. John Wayne Airport, Orange County (687)
2. Tampa International Airport (685)
3. Kansas City International Airport (683)
4. Dallas Love Field (675)
5. Nashville International Airport (668)
5. William P. Hobby Airport (667)
6. Sacramento International Airport (663)
7. Portland International Airport (659)
8. Salt Lake City International Airport (659)
9. San Jose International Airport (655)
10. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (650)
What are the best North American mega Airports in 2024?
According to J.D. Power’s 2024 study, these are the best North America mega airports for customer satisfaction.
1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (671)
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (643)
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (633)
4. John F. Kennedy International Airport (628)
5. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (623)
6. Harry Reid International Airport (611)
7. San Francisco International Airport (611)
8. Orlando International Airport (596)
9. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (593)
10. Boston Logan Airport (591)
What are the best North American medium Airports in 2024?
According to J.D. Power’s 2024 study, these are the best North America medium airports for customer satisfaction.
1. Indianapolis International Airport (687)
2. Jacksonville International Airport (686)
3. Southwest Florida International Airport (675)
4. Ontario International Airport (672)
5. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (670)
6. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (669)
7. Palm Beach International Airport (669)
8. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (668)
9. John Glenn Columbus International Airport (658)
10. Bradley International Airport (654)