Toronto and Montreal airports were near the bottom in the race for passenger satisfaction this year, according to a study by J.D. Power. The study ranks Toronto Pearson Airport second from the bottom (19th of 20) in the category for the largest airports that see more than 33 million passengers per year.
Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport stood third from the bottom in the next category, with passenger traffic between 10 million and 32.9 million per year.
Meanwhile, airports in Western Canada ranked somewhat better in consumer satisfaction, with Calgary and Vancouver airports both at spots 10 and 17.
As a whole, the report suggests overall satisfaction among all North American passengers has improved since last year despite obstacles including ongoing pilot shortages, weather-related delays and cancellations, and high passenger demands.
Michael Taylor of JD Power says it has not been an easy year for North American airports, but major capital improvements helped many of them manage the passenger surge to run at full capacity.
The report, which surveyed 27,147 people travelling through at least one US or Canadian airport between August 2022 and July 2023, suggests crowding will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future.
Toronto Pearson says there have been efforts to address passenger satisfaction.
“While we are disappointed with the results, the (Greater Toronto Airports Authority) has been working non-stop with airlines, agencies and other partners to improve and streamline the passenger experience since last year’s restart,” it said in a statement.
Among “mega” airport listings, the top 10 were Detroit, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, and JFK. Only Newark placed lower than Pearson.
Notables
Following are some key findings of the 2023 study:
• Overall satisfaction improves, despite obstacles: Overall customer satisfaction with North American airports increases three points to 780 this year, despite record passenger volume, crowded terminals and a barrage of delays and cancellations. Top-performing airports in the study all saw substantial gains in terminal facilities; food and beverage and retail service; and baggage claim.
• Satisfied travellers spending more money at the airport: There is a direct correlation between overall passenger satisfaction and spending at the airport. Passengers classified as “delighted,” meaning they rate their airport experience as 10 out of 10, spend an average of $44 in the terminal, while those classified as disappointed (1-5 out of 10) spend just $29. This year, airport passengers spent an average of $3.47 more than last year in the terminal.
• LaGuardia construction project results in massive jump in passenger satisfaction: Many of the top-performing airports in the study have one thing in common: recently completed construction and redevelopment projects that have improved passenger flow, parking, and terminal facilities. Nowhere is the positive effect of capital improvement clearer than in New York’s LaGuardia Airport, which has climbed from dead last in passenger satisfaction in 2019 to reach the large airport segment average, this year.
• Crowding to remain a challenge for foreseeable future: While North American airports have managed to keep passengers reasonably satisfied throughout a challenging year, overall satisfaction is still down from the highs seen in 2020 when passenger volumes were dramatically lower due to the pandemic. More than half (60%) of travellers say they experienced severe or moderate crowding within the terminal, a 2-percentage-point increase from last year.