Florida airports fly high in satisfaction ratings in new J.D. Power study

Jacksonville International Airport had the highest satisfaction rating among Florida hubs in a J.D. Power satisfaction study.

Florida airports are respectable and provide high satisfaction levels, according to a new study.

J.D. Power, the data analytics and consumer advisory firm, analyzed airports in North America and divided them into different sizes, such as “mega,” “large,” and “medium.” Six Florida airports landed in the top 10 for the combined classification of air travel hubs.

The study is now in its 19th year, and the list is compiled by J.D. Power analysts who measure overall satisfaction by ranking travel through the airport, level of trust in the airport, terminal facilities, airport staff, departure and arrival experiences, and food, beverage, and retail experiences. With feedback drawn from those factors, J.D. Power calculated a score based on nearly 26,300 customer surveys. J.D. Power completed the yearlong survey in July.

Jacksonville International Airport had the highest score of any Sunshine State airport with a satisfaction rating of 686. That placed Jacksonville as the second-most satisfactory airport experience in North America for medium-sized airports which see traffic of 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year. JIA was behind only Indianapolis International Airport.

“To receive this recognition during a period of record-breaking passenger traffic speaks to the importance we place on the traveler’s experience in and around the terminal,” Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) CEO Mark VanLoh said. “Over the past two years, we built a third economy lot, expanded the security checkpoint, and added local favorites like Southern Grounds and Angie’s Subs. Construction is also underway on an additional parking garage and a third airport concourse.”

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Meyers was right behind JIA, coming in third on the medium-sized airport list. Palm Beach International Airport was listed as the seventh most satisfactory airport in that class.

Tampa International Airport came in second for “large” airports with a satisfaction score of 685, one point behind Jacksonville. John Wayne Airport, in Orange County, California, edged out the Gulf Coast hub. Large airports service between 10 and 32.9 million passengers per year. Tampa was the only Florida airport to make the rankings list for large airports.

Orlando International Airport had a J.D. Power satisfaction rating of 596 in the “mega” airport classification, which means a hub that handles more than 33 million passengers annually. That placed Orlando in eight among the best airports in North America. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota received the top ranking in the mega airport list.

Orlando International Airport had some company in the mega top 10 list from another Sunshine State hub, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which was ranked ninth. Miami International Airport just missed the top 10, coming in 11th in the rankings for mega hubs.