JD Power Reveals the Best and Worst Airports for Traveler Satisfaction
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) has been crowned as the most satisfying mega airport in North America
Photo: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Courtesy of weston m / Unsplash
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) has been revealed as the most satisfying airport to travel through in North America, according to the latest study from data analytics firm JD Power.
JD Power’s 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study was released on September 18, revealing which airports in the U.S. and Canada are the most satisfying and least satisfying to travel through, according to passengers.
The study looked at every major airport in North America, divided them into three groups based on size—mega, medium, and large—and ranked them based on more than 29,000 customer survey results.
Respondents were asked to rate their airport experience over seven key categories: ease of travel, level of trust, terminal facilities, staff, departure experience, food & drink and retail options, and arrival experience.
Mega Airports
According to the study, the most satisfying mega airport with 33 million annual passengers or more in 2024 is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, which is currently undergoing a $242 million modernization project. MSP was followed in second place by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in third.
Photo: Detroit International Airport. Courtesy of Hanson-Lu / Unsplash
At the other end of the scale, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was revealed as the least satisfying mega airport in North America, followed by Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in second bottom and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in third.
Here are JD Power’s full rankings of mega airports in 2024:
| Ranking | Airport |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) |
| 2 | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) |
| 3 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) |
| 4 | John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) |
| 5 | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) |
| 6 | Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) |
| 7 | San Francisco International Airport (SFO) |
| 8 | Orlando International Airport (MCO) |
| 9 | Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) |
| 10 | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) |
| 11 | Miami International Airport (MIA) |
| 12 | Denver International Airport (DEN) |
| 13 | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) |
| 14 | George Bush International Airport (IAH) |
| 15 | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) |
| 16 | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) |
| 17 | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) |
| 18 | O’Hare International Airport (ORD) |
| 19 | Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) |
| 20 | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) |
Large Airports
When it comes to large airports—those with between 10 million and 33 million passengers per year—Orange County’s John Wayne Airport (SNA) was revealed as the most satisfying to travel through, followed by Tampa International Airport (TPA) in second place and Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in third.
Photo: Courtesy of Tampa International Airport
Meanwhile, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was found to be the least satisfying large airport, followed by Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and St. Louis Lamber International Airport (STL) in second and third place, respectively.
Medium-Sized Airports
When it comes to medium-sized airports—those with between 4.5 million and 10 million annual passengers—Indianapolis International Airport (IND) came out on top of the rankings, followed by Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW).
The least satisfying medium airport in 2024 is Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), followed by Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).
Passenger Satisfaction and Spending Trends
The study also revealed that North American airport passengers are generally satisfied with their travel experience despite record numbers and extensive flight delays and cancellations. About 60 percent of survey respondents said they enjoyed spending time at the airport, while 59 percent claimed their airport helped to ‘alleviate the stress of travel.’
However, the cost of food and drink in airports, which has long been a sour point for passengers, may appear to be ‘reaching a breaking point,’ according to the study’s authors.
Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport
Passengers spent $3.53 per person less in 2024 on food, beverages, and other airport items than in 2023, despite prices rising across the board, suggesting they’ve finally had enough and are keeping their money in their pockets.
“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 JD 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.”
