Top US Airports for Traveler Satisfaction in 2021

The Airports Winning Over Passengers

1/13
J.D. Power has released its 2021 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, revealing that overall traveler satisfaction with North American airports reached a record high in the early part of the year (July 2020 to January 2021). However, as passenger volumes increase and airports struggle to combat the ongoing labor shortage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, more recent satisfaction scores (January 2021 to July 2021) show a decline in customer satisfaction.

Now in its 16th year, the study looked at more than 13,000 survey responses from U.S. and Canadian travelers from August 2020 through July 2021. J.D. Power analyzed both mega airports (33 million or more passengers per year) and large airports (10 to 32.9 million passengers per year) based on six key factors of passenger satisfaction, including terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail. Medium airports (4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year) were not eligible for 2021 due to reduced passenger volumes. Here's a look at the airports that fared the best for traveler satisfaction in 2021.

Miami International Airport

2/13
South Florida's Miami International Airport ranks highest in passenger satisfaction among the nation's mega airports with a score of 828 on J.D. Power's 1,000-point scale, a 27-point increase from 2020. MIA scored highest in two of the six factors examined, including baggage claim and food, beverage and retail. "Our new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, which was fully integrated last year, now doubles the speed and efficiency of baggage screening and delivery for flights in our Central and South terminals, and our dining and retail concessions continue to score high marks," said MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutie.

John F Kennedy International Airport

3/13
Elsehwere on the East Coast, New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport also made significant strides in terms of traveler satisfaction this year, climbing three spots to second with a score of 817. The mark signals a notable 24-point improvement from 2020 and puts JFK a cozy 19 points clear of the mega segment average score of 798.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport

4/13
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the top airport in the Midwest for customer satisfaction in 2021, rising seven spots from a year ago to third in the mega airport segment with an overall score of 815, which is 28 points better compared to 2020.

Orlando International Airport

5/13
One of the best U.S. airports for cheap flights, Orlando International Airport also saw marked improvements in terms of traveler satisfaction in 2021, building on its 2020 score by 23 points to finish fourth among mega U.S. airports with an overall score of 812. Still, MCO has ways to go to catch MIA and another Florida airport that excelled in the large airport segment.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

6/13
2020's top-ranked mega airport and one of the safest in the U.S., Phoenix Sky Harbor International, dropped all the way to fifth in 2021 but still ranks among the best nationwide with an overall customer satisfaction index score of 808, 10 points above the segment average of 798 and three points better than its winning score of 805 last year. Last year, J.D. Power praised PHX and other leading airports for offering an "open, airy experience that feels more like a well-designed shopping mall than an airport" and "conveying local flavor in their passenger experience."

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

7/13
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was arguably the biggest winner to emerge from the J.D. Power 2021 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, improving on its passenger satisfaction score by a whopping 50 points and rising 10 spots to number one among large airports with a score of 844 on the 1,000-point scale. Like MIA, MSY ranked tops in the all-important food, beverage and retail category in 2021, besting all other large airports.

Tampa International Airport

8/13
Florida is well-represented at the top of this year's customer satisfaction index. After tying for the second-highest traveler satisfaction score among large airports last year, Tampa International Airport finds itself all alone in second place in 2021, narrowly missing out on the top spot with a score of 843, six points better than last year and still 38 points better than the segment average of 805.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

9/13
North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham International Airport was another big riser in 2021, climbing a half-dozen spots from a year ago to third in the large airport segment for 2021 with an impressive passenger satisfaction score of 841-42 points better than 2020.

Dallas Love Field Airport

10/13
Like PHX, Dallas Love Field fell from the top spot in 2021, ranking fourth-best for customer satisfaction among the country's large airports. The Texas airport's score declined 15 points from 2020 to 829, still well above the segment average (805) and one point better than mega segment winner MIA. Plus, DAL maintains bragging rights over nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which finished seventh in the mega airports segment with an overall score of 805.

Salt Lake City International Airport

11/13
Out West, Utah's Salt Lake City International Airport is trending in the opposite direction in 2021, improving on its 2020 customer satisfaction score by a sizable 16 points and climbing one spot in the rankings to fifth-best among large airports with a score of 826.

Where the Rest Rank (Mega Airports)

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McCarron International Airport (806)

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (805)

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (801)

Segment Average (798)

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (798)

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (798)

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (796)

San Francisco International Airport (796)

Denver International Airport (793)

Fort Lauderale-Hollywood International Airport (793)

Los Angeles International Airport (792)

Newark Liberty International Airport (792)

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (789)

Boston Logan International Airport (784)

Toronto Pearson International Airport (780)

O'Hare International Airport (772)

Where the Rest Rank (Large Airports)

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Nashville International Airport (820)

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (819)

San Diego International Airport (814)

San Antonio International Airport (813)

Segment Average (805)

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (804)

Portland International Airport (803)

Sacramento International Airport (802)

Washington Dulles International Airport (802)

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (801)

Chicago Midway International Airport (800)

Kansas City International Airport (800)

William P. Hobby Airport (794)

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (785)

LaGuardia Airport (781)

Philadelphia International Airport (758)

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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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CEO of Zenbiz Travel, LLC

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