Skip to content
Go to Home Page
News

Top airports? Phoenix, Dallas Love and Indianapolis are best, says J.D. Power

Sept. 23, 2020
•
7 min read
Arizona Scenics
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Which airports are the tops in North American for traveler satisfaction? Phoenix, Dallas Love and Indianapolis.

That’s according to J.D. Power, which found those airports topped the three categories in its 2020 North American Airport Satisfaction Survey.

Phoenix took the top spot in J.D. Power’s “Mega” airports category, finishing with a score of 805 on a 1,000-point scale that was enough to best runner-up Miami’s score of 801. Detroit, the 2019 winner, dropped to a sixth-place tie with Dallas Fort Worth at 791 points each.

Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter for more airline-related news!

Dallas Love Field finished highest in the survey’s “Large” airports category with 844 points. The 2019 winner for the category — Portland, Oregon — dropped to sixth.

The top overall score of 866 went to Indianapolis, which repeated as No. 1 in J.D. Power’s “Medium” airports category.

There also was a repeat performance at the other end of the spectrum. Newark Liberty finished last among the 19 airports in J.D. Power’s “Mega” category” with 733 points while New York LaGuardia came in at the bottom of the 26 airports in the “Large” category. Hawaii’s Kahului Airport on the island of Maui finished last among the 19 airports in the “Medium” category.

LaGuardia’s score of 712 was by far the lowest in the survey, though there is hope for the close-in New York City airport. LaGuardia is in the midst of a dramatic terminal overhaul that’s quickly improving the travel experience there — albeit not in time to boost the airport's score for this year’s ratings.

Another LGA improvement! A brand-new Amex Centurion Lounge is coming to LaGuardia Airport

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Overall, however, the J.D. Power’s 2020 traveler satisfaction rankings come amid a time of profound upheaval in the airline industry sparked by the ongoing the coronavirus pandemic.

“A year ago, the biggest challenge confronting North American airports was overcrowding. Today, they are comparatively empty,” J.D. Power said in a statement accompanying its ratings.

The number of airline passengers has plummeted since March. Traveler totals bottomed out at just 4% of normal in April, based on the number of screenings conducted by the Transportation Security Administration. The numbers started to rebound into July, but now have leveled off at only about 40% of what they were during the same time in 2019.

“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 environment when most airports were running significantly over capacity, the lack of crowds and long lines is actually creating a very convenient experience for travelers right now,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. “Obviously, this lower passenger volume is not sustainable for most airports. Airport managers are doing all they can to provide a safe and clean environment to facilitate a rebound in travel.”

Dire outlook: US airlines ‘fighting for survival’ with no hope of V-shaped recovery, trade group says

TPG exclusive: Southwest CEO Gary Kelly chats with TPG about his legacy at the carrier, new cities and change fees

J.D. Power’s survey looked at satisfaction scores evaluating the three categories of airports across six factors. They were, in order of importance to the survey: terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail.

The full methodology for the survey can be found at J.D. Power’s website. The 2020 results are based on responses from 26,058 U.S. and Canadian travelers surveyed within 30 days of their travel during a window that began in August 2019 and ended in July 2020.

The full list of airport ratings are below, broken out by J.D. Power's categories of Mega, Large and Medium.

“Mega” airports

1. Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), 805 points (on a 1,000-point scale)

2. Miami (MIA), 801 points

3. Las Vegas McCarran (LAS), 797 points

4. Denver (DEN), 793 points

4. New York JFK, 793 points

From New York: Eastern Airlines adds new route to Mexico, will go up against United

6. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), 791 points

6. Detroit (DTW), 791 points

8. Orlando (MCO), 789 points

9. Atlanta (ATL), 787 points

9. Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), 787 points

11. Charlotte (CLT), 780 points

Mega airports average: 780 points

12. Boston (BOS), 777 points

Airport updates: Delta Air Lines ‘committed’ to new Boston hub; Austin, Raleigh focus cities

13. Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH), 775 points

14. San Francisco (SFO), 774 points

15. Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), 766 points

16. Los Angeles (LAX), 763 points

16. Toronto Pearson (YYZ), 763 points

18. Chicago O'Hare (ORD), 758 points

19. Newark Liberty (EWR), 733 points

More: First look at Newark’s brand-new Terminal One opening in 2021

"Large" airports

1. Dallas Love Field (DAL), 844 points (on a 1,000-point scale)

2. John Wayne/Orange County (SNA), 837 points

2. Tampa (TPA), 837 points

4. Houston Hobby (HOU), 823 points

5. Portland, Oregon (PDX), 814 points

More: Southwest Airlines inaugurates a new ‘very Portland’ concourse at PDX

6. Salt Lake City (SLC), 810 points

7. Sacramento (SMF), 809 points

8. Austin (AUS), 804 points

9. Raleigh/Durham (RDU), 799 points

10. Nashville (BNA), 795 points

11. New Orleans (MSY), 794 points

Live from Utah: Salt Lake City’s spiffy new terminal just opened — here’s what it was like on day 1

11. Vancouver, Canada (YVR), 794 points

13. Calgary (YGC), 792 points

13. Washington Dulles (IAD), 792 points

15. Washington Reagan National (DCA), 790 points

16. Baltimore/Washington (BWI), 788 points

Large airports average: 786 points

17. Chicago Midway (MDW), 782 points

17. Montreal (YUL), 782 points

19. Kansas City (MCI), 781 points

19. St. Louis (STL), 781 points

More: United Airlines adds 17 routes to Florida, bypassing hubs in pandemic route-map shakeup

20. Oakland (OAK), 780 points

21. San Diego (SAN), 778 points

22. San Jose, California (SJC), 777 points

23. Fort Lauderdale (FLL), 762 points

24. Philadelphia (PHL), 751 points

25. Honolulu (HNL), 743 points

26. New York LaGuardia (LGA), 712 points

"Medium" airports

1. Indianapolis (IND), 866 points

2. West Palm Beach (PBI), 833 points

3. Fort Myers/Southwest Florida (RSW), 829 points

4. Albuquerque (ABQ), 826 points

4. Pittsburgh (PIT), 826 points

6. Columbus, Ohio (CMH), 820 points

7. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), 819 points

8. Jacksonville, Florida (JAX), 817 points

9. Milwaukee (MKE), 815 points

More:Which US airlines are blocking middle seats and requiring masks?

Medium airports average: 812 points

10 .Ontario, California (ONT), 811 points

10. San Antonio (SAT), 811 points

12. Buffalo (BUF), 803 points

13. Omaha (OMA), 798 points

14. Burbank (BUR), 797 points

15. Harford (BDL), 793 points

15. Ottawa, Canada (YOW), 793 points

17. Cleveland (CLE), 786 points

18. Edmonton, Canada (YYG), 778 points

19. Kahului/Maui, Hawaii (OGG), 745 points

* = Mega airports are those having 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports have 10 million to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports have 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers per year, according to J.D. Power.

Featured image by Getty Images

TPG featured card

Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

Apply for American Express® Gold Card
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site

Rewards

1 - 4X points

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual Fee

$325

Recommended Credit

Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.