Best North American Airports Ranked

The recently released J.D. Power 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study found overall passenger satisfaction with North American airports has only risen minimally year over year. Growth in satisfaction is somewhat stagnated now, as many airports struggle to keep up with passenger demand or attempt to alleviate that demand with sometimes disruptive construction processes.

“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, J.D. Power. “While these projects are absolutely necessary to address surging demand, they are currently causing passenger delays and confusion. 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.”

Thankfully, many of these construction projects are expected to wrap up soon, and it’s also expected that airport security will continue to get better over the years, as new technology makes processes faster and more efficient.

The J.D. Power 2019 North American Satisfaction Study ranked North American airports to find the “most satisfying,” splitting airports into categories according to size. The study looked at factors such as terminal facilities, accessibility, security check and baggage claim.

In the mega airport category, which includes airports serving 33 million or more passengers per year, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked highest in passenger satisfaction, followed by Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.

In the large airport category, which includes airports serving 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year, Portland International Airport in Oregon ranked highest, followed by Dallas Love Field and Tampa International Airport.

In the medium airport category, which includes airports serving 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year, Indianapolis International Airport ranked highest, followed by Jacksonville International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport.