Last year, as international travel returned, customer satisfaction at airports reached all-time highs. But in 2022, the combination of pent-up demand for air travel, national labour shortages and increasing prices have meant airports are crowded and customer satisfaction has slipped again. That's according to findings from the JD Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which ranks airports across the continent based on six factors, including terminal facilities, food, beverages and retail. Using the ranking, here are the best large and mega-sized airports.
It might be Chicago's secondary airport, but Midway claims to be the 'busiest square mile' in town with its criss-crossed runways and almost 7.7 million passengers in 2021. The airport is at the lower end of JD Power's ranking with an overall score of 770, with complaints from passengers online saying it's outdated and that renovation works are constant.
The small but busy Ronald Reagan Washington National is a convenient city-centre airport. It's slipped down nine places in this year's satisfaction index, while its score has fallen by 33 points (although average customer satisfaction rates fell by 25 points across the board). It's got a pretty neat location, however, sitting right on the Potomac River bordering Washington DC and Arlington, Virginia.
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Just across the water from the Golden City, Oakland International is an ideal airport for those visiting the Bay Area without going through the much busier San Francisco International. However, the transit hub doesn’t quite deliver on customer satisfaction, with a below-average score of 773 putting it in 18th place.
Alberta’s stunning national parks, including Banff and Jasper, are within relatively easy reach of Calgary International, which received more than nine million passengers in the year up to August 2022. The airport scored 780 this year, four points below the category average.
This airport serves the Baltimore/Washington DC metropolitan area and scores 784 points out of a possible 1,000. Although regular travellers mention the fast, efficient service and good transport links to the airport's two namesake cities, the typically high standard of cleanliness and great food options have suffered due to the pandemic.
Although Austin-Bergstrom's score of 785 was a little above average for the large airports category, it's a significant fall from grace after the hub scored 819 and came in seventh place last year. The central Texas airport has struggled to keep up with massive population growth and a pent-up demand for air travel, which have brought record traffic and long waiting times.
Another Californian airport, San Diego International is popular with travellers for its simple, easy-to-navigate layout. It's ideal for creatively-minded travellers, with an arts programme that has seen the airport covered in a range of permanent installations. It climbed all the way to eighth place in last year's satisfaction index, but has slipped back to 14th this year. That could be partly due to overcrowding as it deals with extra numbers. It exceeded two million monthly passengers in June 2022 – the highest number since before the pandemic.
Don't let the name fool you, as Washington Dulles isn't all that close to Washington DC. Around 27 miles (43km) from downtown, it's a fair old slog to get to the city from here, yet despite this the airport scores fairly well in the satisfaction index, with 789 points – five points above the average.
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As you'd expect from an airport serving Music City, Nashville International's passengers give it good reviews for its live music and great food and bars. It has performed respectably this year, coming in 12th place, although its score has slipped by 30 points since 2021.
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Although it just misses out on the top 10, Vancouver didn’t even make it into last year’s ranking, so it has significantly improved in 2022. The Canadian hub is aesthetically pleasing thanks to a range of art installations through its two terminals, which focus on showcasing First Nations artists and drawing on British Columbia’s gorgeous landscapes. It scored a respectable 794 this year.
Sacramento International serves California's state capital and destinations such as Yosemite National Park and the Napa Valley wine region. Described as an 'easy-in, easy-out' airport, it comes in 10th place, which is up a couple of places compared to last year. Travellers rate it highly for ease of access to parking and its well-organised, efficient service.
Just eight miles (13km) from downtown San Antonio, this international airport is one of the few that seems to have held onto its progress in the customer satisfaction stakes despite overall trends. With 802 points, the Texan airport scores lower than last year but is 18 points above average.
Houston's second largest airport, William P. Hobby Airport has risen up the ranking since coming in 17th place last year, scoring 803 points in 2022. Its first terminal, built in 1940 in the Art Deco style, is now a museum, while its newer terminals have been praised for their efficient service and cleanliness.
Oregon's biggest airport, Portland International comes in joint seventh, a few places up from last year, but it still has work to do to regain its former glory after winning the category in 2019. Reviewers mention easy parking, good food, handy charging stations, punctual flights and even spectacular sunset views, although customers have sometimes been dissatisfied with the airport staff.
Close to the city it serves, Salt Lake City International Airport comes in sixth place but has dropped by 22 points since last year. In September 2020, it opened the first part of its £3 billion ($4.1bn) renovation project: a concourse which includes extensive parking space, high-tech technology at security gates and modern waiting areas. Works are due to be completed in 2024, which may push the airport higher in future customer satisfaction rankings.
Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina serves the growing area that consists of Raleigh, Durham and the so-called Research Triangle. After coming in third place last year, it's slipped back to joint fourth in 2022, but remains one of the top large airports for customer satisfaction. Notable features are clean, spacious waiting areas with lots of natural light and friendly staff.
In November 2019, New Orleans Airport debuted its shiny new £978 million ($1.3bn) terminal, a modern and light-filled building which took design inspiration from the shape of the Mississippi River. Incorporating 35 new gates serving 16 airlines, the high-profile expansion has seen the airport shoot up in the rankings, from 21st place in 2019 to joint fourth in 2022.
Dallas Love Field was the city's main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth was built, and is the home of Southwest Airlines. Regular travellers love this smaller and less hectic alternative for ease of access and friendly staff. It has ranked in the top five for the last three consecutive years and scores a high 825 points overall.
Serving more than 40 nonstop destinations throughout North America, John Wayne Airport is an ideal choice for those travelling to and from Orange County. Its Riley Terminal, which was upgraded with a major improvement project in 2018, includes 20 commercial gates across more than 730,000 square feet (67,800sq m). The popular hub comes in second place for the category with a score of 826.
Winning the large airports category, Tampa International Airport in Florida smashed the competition out of the park with 846 points, which puts it a whole 20 points above the runner-up. It has a modern, efficient design in which one landside terminal smooths the flow of passengers to four airside terminals, using an elevated people-mover rail system. The airport is about to get bigger, with a £733 million ($790m) terminal on the way, which is expected to be completed in 2027.
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Historically, Newark Liberty International has never scored highly. This is New York's oldest major airport, with ageing buildings, frequent delays (due partly to its odd runway configuration) and an unreliable shuttle between terminals. This year it comes in 20th place with a score of 719, which is 50 points below the average for the category.
Located in the Chicago area, O'Hare International Airport serves the Midwest and many other destinations around the world. Scoring low for passenger satisfaction with just 751 out of 1,000 points, this airport boasted groundbreaking design when it was first built, but now needs modernisation.
Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX for short, handled almost 37 million passengers between July 2021 and July 2022, although numbers still haven't rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. A low score of just 753 is due to long waits and difficulties in moving between the nine terminals. Hopefully this will be eased when the connecting LAX train system is finished, although this over-budget project isn't expected to fully open until 2026.
It seems that ongoing construction projects at Boston Logan Airport can result in passenger delays and confusion, which may explain its below-average score of 754. Some reviewers are positive about the airport's facilities – just leave yourself enough time to enjoy them.
Historically the busiest airport in Canada, in 2020 Toronto Pearson International was pipped to the post for the first time in 38 years, showing the monumental impact the pandemic has had on the aviation industry. The airport has jumped three places from last year to 16th, with a score of 755. It's improving every year, yet despite modernisation some travellers complain of long waits for luggage, poor signage and repeated security checks between terminals.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, so named because it flies to all six of the world's inhabited continents, is located in Houston, Texas. It scores 11 points below average at 758, but passengers praise its Skyway and Subway transportation systems, which help ease the movement of people between terminals, and the airport hotel.
Denver International is a well-loved hub that's dropped a few places in recent years, finishing in 14th place for 2022. Whether they're en route to other destinations or stopping here for city breaks and skiing, travellers find this airport below average, giving it a score of 759 in the ranking.
Seattle-Tacoma International (Sea-Tac for short) sits between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma in Washington State. Considered one of the fastest-growing airports in the US, it scored lower than average with 764, with frustrated traveller reviews mentioning ongoing construction, limited food options and long walks to gates.
If you're flying to the Caribbean, it's likely you'll do it from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International in Florida. From here, you can get to the likes of Barbados, Jamaica and the Bahamas. But while its destinations are all sunshine, sand and sea, there's less to smile about in the airport itself. With 764 points, it's below the average satisfaction rating for this category.
After winning the category in 2020 and coming in fifth place last year, Phoenix Sky Harbor International has had a fall from grace in 2022 with a score of 765. It's one of the largest commercial airports in the USA, situated just three miles (5km) from downtown Phoenix, and is both a military and civilian airport, with airlines like Southwest and American as well as international carriers like British Airways and Air Canada serving its gates.
Scoring just one point below average, Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina is a busy airport and a major gateway to the Caribbean islands. Travellers like the well-organised, comfortable terminals as well as the rocking chairs, but some areas can still be improved, like baggage delivery times.
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Miami International is south Florida's main airport and one of the busiest in the US for international passengers, with a large proportion of flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. It's improved its customer satisfaction recently, jumping seven places in the 2020 rankings and winning the category in 2021, although it's slid to ninth this year.
The main airport serving both Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas, this hub comes in eighth. Dallas/Fort Worth International serves more nonstop destinations than any other US airport and it has numerous international airlines stopping at its gates. Its score of 778 cements its status as one of the higher-performing airports in North America.
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Officially the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta moved a whopping 75.7 million passengers through its seven concourses in 2021, which was a 76.4% increase on 2020's total. This year it has scored exactly 13 points above average for mega airports with a very respectable 782.
Just a two-hour drive from around 60% of Florida's population, Orlando International is a well-used and much-loved airport among travellers to and from the Sunshine State. It has been a trailblazer, as the first in the States to use automated kiosks at passport control, and has ranked number one on this list in the past. Its score of 786 puts it in sixth place in 2022's rankings.
Located in Paradise, Nevada, around five miles (8km) south of downtown Las Vegas, Harry Reid is perfect for those flying into Sin City. It provides a fitting welcome too, with a range of slot machines located around the terminal. The airport has been praised for its clean and modern buildings, as well as its helpful staff, receiving an overall score of 790.
The busiest of New York's international airports, and one of the busiest in the USA, JFK flies travellers to 77 different countries and served 15.2 million passengers in 2021. It remains a firm favourite after coming in joint-third in 2022 and second place last year. Travellers appreciate the wide choice of food and shopping options in this huge airport.
Coming in joint-third place with a score of 791 is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. It boasts modern, well-planned terminals which make for satisfied travellers. While kids love the musical light tunnel that connects the concourses in one of its terminals, adults enjoy the shopping and food and drink services.
The largest of the three main airports in the Bay Area, San Francisco International is a busy gateway to Europe and Asia. The transit hub has climbed nine places in the rankings since last year with a great score of 796.
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Minneapolis-St Paul International has been in the top 10 for the last three years: it came second in 2019, ninth in 2020 and third in 2021. But this year it finally took home the crown with a score of 800. Serving the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, this airport has clean, well-organised terminals that aid the movement of passengers.