These are the best and worst airports in the US in 2024
One of the things people dislike about flying is not traveling. But 2 out of 3 respondents in a recent survey said they enjoyed their time in their airport.
People are traveling more than ever by plane in 2024 with a daily average of 2.43 million passengers passing through TSA checkpoints per day through June 29 this year. That is even despite rising costs of not just airline tickets, but also lodging, getting to and from the airport as well as the jaw-dropping prices for just about everything in the airport. And on top of that, having to deal with the crowds.
Even so, according to the 2024 J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study, “most travelers are still enjoying the experience.” However, Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power says that the consumer insights company is “starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending.” The average amount travelers are spending per person has declined “significantly from a year ago” while they are in the terminal.
This year’s survey, which was conducted between August 2023 through July 2024, once again ranked the best and worst airports in the United States and Canada.
These are the best and worst airports in the US in 2024
The study separated airports into three categories: mega airports, large airports and medium airports. They were ranked based on the experience of over 26,000 travelers across seven core dimensions: ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival experience, in that order of importance.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport came top of the list for mega airports, which are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year. It was followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport at second and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranked third. At the bottom of the list was Newark Liberty International Airport.
The highest ranked large airport, those with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year, was John Wayne Airport in Orange County. Second place went to Tampa International Airport and Kansas City International Airport took third place. Philadelphia International Airport came in last place.
Among medium airports, which handle from 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year, Indianapolis International Airport ranked the highest for a third consecutive year. Jacksonville International Airport landed second, and No. 3 was Southwest Florida International Airport. Travelers were not impressed with Cleveland Hopkins International Airport which had the lowest score in the medium airport category.
One of the key factors that helped an airport stand out was how respondents perceived its facilities including “unique décor, signage, stores and restaurants that celebrate the region.” Two out of three respondents said they enjoyed spending time in their airport and a similar number said their airport helped alleviate the stress of travel.
One that caused scores to plummet was crowding. Fortunately, only 5% of respondents said they felt “severely crowded” conditions in 2024.