Sky Harbor ranks No. 1
Phoenix’s airport is named by J.D. Powers as being the best on the continent in the mega airport category for traveler satisfaction.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic causing passenger traffic to plummet, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is still raking in accolades, this time for being the best airport on the continent for traveler satisfaction.
For the 15th year, J.D. Power has released its North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which polls travelers from the U.S. and Canada on their airport experience during the past 30 days. The study evaluates six criteria: terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/ baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.
Sky Harbor took the top spot in the category of mega airports, or those with more than 33 million passengers a year. It was followed closely by Miami International Airport and Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport.
The study noted that the top airports had a common thread. They offer an “open, airy experience that feels more like a well-designed shopping mall than an airport.” The airports also offer local flavor in the passenger experience, from restaurants featuring local favorites to the design of the airport reflecting its environment.
COVID-19 tanked traffic but improved satisfaction
The study, conducted between August 219 and July 2020, saw a significant jump in traveler satisfaction that coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. J.D. Power attributes that to a decrease in passengers that allowed travelers to “breeze through security checkpoints, baggage claim and food and retail services.”
“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 environment when most airports were running significantly over capacity, the lack of crowds and long lines is actually creating a very convenient experience for travelers right now,” Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, said in a statement about the study.
“Obviously, this lower passenger volume is not sustainable for most airports. Airport managers are doing all
they can to provide a safe and clean environment to facilitate a rebound in travel.”
The study also found that travelers were generally satisfied with how airports were handling the crisis.
Of those surveyed:
● 30% said their opinion of the airport they traveled through had improved after seeing its response to the pandemic.
● 68% say their opinion has not changed.
● 2% say they have a more negative view of their airport since the pandemic.
J.D. Power airport satisfaction rankings:
For mega airports with 33 million or more passengers per year:
1. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
2. Miami International Airport. 3. McCarran International Airport. For large airports with 10 million to 32.9 million passengers per year: 1. Dallas Love Field.
2. Tie: John Wayne Airport (Orange County, California) and Tampa International Airport
For medium airports with 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers per year:
1. Indianapolis International Airport.
2. Palm Beach (Florida) International Airport.
3. Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers).