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Based on surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport from August 2019 through July 2020, Miami International Airport was ranked as the best mega airport for passenger satisfaction in the eastern U.S. and Florida by the J.D. Power 2020 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released on Sept. 23.
The study measures overall traveler satisfaction with mega, large and medium North American airports by examining six factors (in order of importance): terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check, and food, beverage and retail.
On a 1,000-point scale, MIA achieved a score of 801 — second among mega airports in North America only to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which earned a score of 805. Mega airports are those with 33 million or more passengers per year — the busiest airports in the study. MIA was able to jump from 11th place in last year’s study to second place overall in North America, while serving a record-high 46 million passengers in 2019 — an increase of nearly one million passengers over the previous year.
“MIA’s strong showing in J.D. Power’s annual ranking of the busiest airports in North America is the latest reason for travelers to have extreme confidence in the safety of traveling to and from our community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.
“Before, during and since the onset of the pandemic, MIA has gone to great lengths to meet or exceed the expectations of its passengers, and the results of this year’s study confirm that those efforts are having a profound effect.”
Nearly one-third of travelers surveyed said their opinion of the airport they traveled through improved after seeing its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, MIA became the first airport in Florida, second in the U.S. and third in North America to be accredited under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation program. The accreditation is based on evidence that MIA is following best practices and has implemented key measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
“It is deeply gratifying to see from the J.D. Power study that recent customer service improvements such as our new automated baggage delivery system, expedited passport screening via biometrics, and other enhancements made before receiving record numbers for the winter holiday season and Super Bowl LIV, were noticed and appreciated by our passengers,” said Lester Sola, MIA director and CEO. “We are pleased to see that the aggressive steps we have taken to maintain health and safety at MIA are also resonating with travelers.”
The J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study, now in its 15th year, covers both departure and arrival experiences (including connecting airports), and includes travelers’ evaluations from either a departing or arriving airport from their round-trip experience.
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years.
