- J.D. Power survey released on Tuesday ranks the best and worst airports
- Topping the list are the Portland, Indianapolis and Jacksonville airports
- At the bottom sit Newark Liberty, LaGuardia and Honolulu International
A new passenger survey ranks New York’s LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey and Honolulu International as the worst airports in the nation.
The J.D. Power 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study ranked passenger satisfaction with North American airports on a 1,000-point scale in the mega, large and medium size categories.
In the ‘mega’ category, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranks highest in passenger satisfaction with a score of 786.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport/Wold (779) ranks second among the megas, while Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (777) and Orlando International Airport (777) rank third in a tie.
Major construction is seen underway outside LaGuardia, which was ranked the worst in a new study of passenger satisfaction at North American airports
Among large airports, Oregon’s Portland International Airport ranks highest with a score of 833. Dallas Love Field (826) ranks second and Tampa International Airport (822) ranks third.
In the medium category, Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest with a score of 833. Jacksonville International Airport (831) ranks second and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (829) ranks third.
Across all categories, LaGuardia ranks the worst, with a score of 662. Newark was second worst at 695, and Honolulu International was third at 719.
The study’s authors said that major construction projects and the disruption they cause had a significant impact on passenger satisfaction this year
‘With major terminal construction projects now underway in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and many other airports, it is becoming impossible for travelers not to experience some form of disruption,’ said Michael Taylor, Travel Intelligence Lead at J.D. Power, in a statement.
‘While these projects are absolutely necessary to address surging demand, they are currently causing passenger delays and confusion,’ he added.
‘This translates into a rushed passenger experience and less money spent on food, beverage and retail—and it’s slowing the progress of the airport satisfaction we’ve seen in the past several years.’
This J.D. Power chart shows the 2019 passenger satisfaction scores for medium sized airports
The overall customer satisfaction score this year for North American airports was 762, up just one point from 2018.
The study noted that the experience of getting through airport security—a perennial drag on airport satisfaction scores—has improved five points.
The authors attribute this to improved TSA processing and more widespread adoption of biometric screening technologies that move passengers through security faster.
A long line of travelers waits to board a flight at Newark International Airport last year