Air travelers' satisfaction falls 25 points in 2022

According to a study released Wednesday by the consumer research firm J.D., air traveler satisfaction with North American airports fell in 2022. Power said the 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study found that travelers' satisfaction with North American airports was 777 this year. The score fell 25 points on a 1,000-point scale from 2021 when air traveler satisfaction reached a record high, according to J.D. The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water has created a scenario in which passengers are increasingly frustrated and airports are extremely crowded, and it is likely to continue through 2023, according to J.D. Michael Taylor, a Power Travel Intelligence lead, said in a statement.

The factors that affected overall customer satisfaction included fewer flights, busier terminals and sparse food and beverage offerings, according to J.D. According to the study, 58% of air travelers said airport terminals were severely or moderately crowded, just one point more than the percentage that described them that way in 2019, just one point from the percentage that described them that way in 2019. Satisfaction with surface parking lots dropped 45 points due to the shortage of available spots.

There's been a decrease in satisfaction with food and drink prices at airports because of inflation. Nearly 24% of passengers said they didn't buy food or drinks at the airport because prices were too high, J.D. said. Power said something.

The study found that the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport had the highest traveler satisfaction in 2022, with a score of 800. Mega airports that see 33 million or more passengers a year are defined as mega airports.

San Francisco International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport all had high rankings among mega airports.

Tampa Bay International Airport received the highest — 846 points — for large airports, according to J.D. Power said between 10 and 32.9 million passengers are provided each year. According to the study, John Wayne Airport Orange County and Dallas Love Field were behind it.

The study found that Indianapolis International Airport received the highest rating for medium airports at 842, followed by Pittsburgh International Airport in second and Jacksonville International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport tied for third.

Power described medium airports as those with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.

The study consisted of over 26,500 surveys of U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through a minimum of one airport in each country in the prior 30 days. J.D. fielded it from August 2021 to July 2022, it was fielded from August 2021 to July 2022. Power said in a press release.