Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ranks 8th among large airports in a J.D. Power airport satisfaction study, which looks at everything from security to terminal facilities to baggage handling.
The study released Wednesday put Portland International Airport in the No. 1 spot among large airports. Portland is not an airline hub, but has received praise for its concessions and other amenities. In the No. 2 and No. 3 spots are Tampa International Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.
J.D. Power also said overall traveler satisfaction with large and medium-sized airports has improved since 2010, the last time it conducted such a study.
“Most airports have really made a tremendous shift over the past six years,” said J.D. Power global travel and hospitality lead Rick Garlick. “It’s no longer just about getting travelers from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible; it’s about making the airport experience enjoyable.”
Improving food options, shopping and amenities helps, according to J.D. Power.
But, security waits can make or break airport satisfaction. Hartsfield-Jackson has been plagued by long security lines during peak periods recently, and the J.D. Power study showed satisfaction declines significantly when the security wait time is longer than 10 minutes.
The study also showed that satisfaction with airport accessibility is highest among travelers who use ride-share services. Hartsfield-Jackson does not allow pickups by Uber or Lyft, and has been working for months on developing a policy to allow the operations.
The J.D. Power study is based on responses from 21,009 North American travelers.
Overall satisfaction rankings: Large airports
(Top 20, based on a 1,000-point scale)
1. Portland International Airport, 791 points
2. Tampa International Airport, 776
3. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, 759
4. Orlando International Airport, 756
5. Salt Lake City International Airport, 748
6. Denver International Airport, 746
7. San Diego International Airport, 743
8. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 742
9. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, 738
10. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 736
11. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 734
11. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, 734
13. Chicago Midway International Airport, 733
14. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 730
15. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, 726
16. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 725
17. San Francisco International Airport, 721
18. Miami International Airport, 720
19. Toronto Pearson International Airport, 719
20. Washington Dulles International Airport, 718
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