“Airports are key economic development tools for the communities that own and operate them,” said Tom Henricks of Aviation Week. “By highlighting the performances of airports across North America, the study will help the airport industry meet growing customer expectations while also increasing operational efficiency.”

The study finds that wait times play a key role in customer satisfaction at airports. One area receiving low ratings and is of particular concern among passengers is the speed of baggage delivery, which averages 17.3 minutes. However, as long as baggage is delivered within 20 minutes, passengers are generally satisfied with the experience.  The check-in process receives significantly higher ratings, where travelers report waiting an average of 13 minutes to obtain a boarding pass and check baggage. Tolerance for waiting is lower for the check-in process and airports only have 15 minutes before passenger satisfaction drops below the industry average for this measure.

“Customers may be more satisfied with the check-in process because of the options available to speed up the process,” said Gaz. “For example, 16 percent of passengers go online and print out a boarding pass before arriving at the airport—up from just 5 percent in 2004. An additional 27 percent of passengers use a self-service check-in kiosk—up from 18 percent in 2004. These time-saving measures can go a long way in improving satisfaction.”

The study also finds that 47 percent of passengers purchase food and beverage at the airport—a decline from 54 percent in 2004. Food and beverage services receive the lowest ratings from customers when compared to all other drivers of satisfaction. Travelers also have particularly low satisfaction within the area of retail services offered at airports. Travelers are most displeased with the cost of both food/beverage and retail items.

“With fewer airlines offering in-flight meal service, providing passengers with a variety of food options at reasonable prices in the gate area is absolutely critical,” said Gaz. “Airports are also trying to find ways to help passengers be productive while waiting for their flights. Providing a variety of services and options, such as wireless Internet access, business centers and shopping, are key to satisfying today’s traveler.”  

The study also finds several other key airport passenger patterns:

• Seventy-five percent of all flights were on time, 8 percent were early and 17 percent of flights were delayed. The average time for a flight delay was 59 minutes.
• Only 20 percent of travelers indicate they purchased retail items at the airport—down from 37 percent in 2004.
• Passengers traveling for leisure are more satisfied with their airport experience than business travelers.
• Female travelers are more satisfied with their airport experience compared to male travelers.

The 2006 North America Airport Satisfaction Study is based on esponses from more than 9,800 passengers who took a flight between January and May of 2006. Passengers evaluated up to two different airports—their departing and arriving airport—for a total of more than 17,000 evaluations.

(Source: JD Power)

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