A surprising number of travelers say it wasnt that bad
of ConsumerAffairs
This summer set records for air travel as consumers didnt balk at peak summer airfares and traveled around the country. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) counted more than 3 million travelers passing through checkpoints on July 7, a new one-day record.
How did Americas airports handle this huge increase in traffic? Some better than others, but a new report from J.D. Power shows airports generally held up pretty well.
J.D. Power found that despite record numbers of passengers and widespread flight cancellations and delays, 60% of North American airport passengers said they somewhat agree or strongly agree they enjoyed spending time in their airport. Nearly as many said they agree that their airport helped to alleviate the stress of travel.
Huge air travel demand has not slowed down in North America, despite the steadily rising costs of flights, ground travel, hotel rooms and pretty much anything you can buy in an airport, said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power.
Most travelers are still enjoying the experience. However, we are starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending, with the average spend per person in the terminal declining significantly from a year ago.
That could be because travelers encountered rising inflation at North American airports over the summer. On average, passengers this year spent $3.53 per person less than they did in 2023 on food, beverage and other items in the terminal. The decline is greatest among large airports where passengers have reduced their spending by an average of $6.31.
The best airports
Several airports stood out in the study. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranked highest in passenger satisfaction in the mega airport class. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked second and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranked third.
John Wayne Airport, in Orange County, Calif., ranked highest among large airports, followed by international airports in Tampa and Kansas City.
Indianapolis International Airport ranked highest among medium airports for a third consecutive year, followed by Jacksonville International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport.
However, there are some U.S. airports you many want to avoid if you can. We wrote about them in August.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-09-19 10:42:16
