DC Airports Ranked Among Worst In North America By JD Power

BALTIMORE, MD — All three Washington, D.C.-Baltimore regional airports received below average customer service rankings, to put them among the worst airports in North America, according to the data and analytics company J.D. Power.

Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport ranked as No. 15 among large airports, with a score of 787 out of 1,000 possible points. The average score was 789.

Washington Dulles Airport ranked No. 17 in the large airport category, with a score of 784. Ronald Reagan National Airport ranked No. 20 in the same category with a score of 779.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport ranked as the No. 1 mega airport, while Tampa International Airport ranked as the best large airport. Indianapolis was the highest rated medium airport in the rankings.

It’s no secret airports have faced major operational challenges this year, including pilot and staffing shortages, record-high travelers, major weather events and numerous cancelations; not to mention unruly passengers claiming other passengers are “not real,” diarrhea “throughout the airplane,” and lost dogs at airports.

To say 2023 has been tough on airports and airlines might be a major understatement. Even so, consumers say they’re more satisfied with their airport experience.

J.D. Power’s 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released Wednesday, found that overall satisfaction improved 3 points (on a 1,000-point scale), driven by improvements in three factors: terminal facilities; food and drink and retail service; and baggage claim.

“It has not been an easy year for North American airports, but major capital improvements they’ve made over the last several years and new investments in getting food, beverage and retail operations back up and running at full capacity have helped them manage the crush of passengers,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “While airports are doing a good job coping with the current issues, there is still more they could do to improve passenger experience while also improving their own bottom lines. Happy passengers spend a lot more money at the airport, so ongoing efforts to spread passenger volumes throughout the day and deliver superior service at all customer touchpoints will be critical.”

Here are the top 5 airports in each category.

Mega Airports

1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (800)
2. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (796)
3. Harry Reid International Airport (787)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (783)
5. Miami International Airport (783)

Large Airports

1. Tampa International Airport (832)
2. John Wayne Airport, Orange County (829)
3. Salt Lake City International Airport (825)
4. Dallas Love Field (820)
5. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (813)

Medium Airports

1. Indianapolis International Airport (843)
2. Southwest Florida International Airport (839)
3. Ontario International Airport (834)
4. Palm Beach International Airport (828)
5. Albuquerque International Airport (827)