Last week, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm before ripping through six states leaving a path of destruction in its wake and killing more than 100 people. The record-breaking storm – which clocked 140 mph winds and a storm surge that reached more than 15 feet above ground in the Florida Big Bend region – has left millions to deal with flooded roads, flattened homes and buildings, and power outages. North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama have all made disaster declarations as emergency responders work to rescue missing persons and more than 1.2 million are still without power as of Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. Popular North Carolina mountain towns – including Asheville – which have become top tourist destinations in the fall, have been reduced to debris as residents are left to rebuild their lives. Carrie Tucker of Charlotte, North Carolina, told Travel + Leisure in the wake of Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina is “completely cut off from life – no roads, no gas, no food.”
These are North America's best airports, according to J.D. Power's 2024 rankings
18.09.2024 - 10:45 / thepointsguy.com / Tampa International / Paul International
It's been a busy and expensive year for travel, with record-breaking crowds and rising prices across the board. But according to a new report from J.D. Power, that hasn't stopped travelers from enjoying the journey — especially if they're traveling through some of the country's best airports.
This year, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, and Indianapolis International Airport (IND) ranked at the top of their respective categories in the market research firm's 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
In the "mega" airport category — which J.D. Power defines as airports with 33 million or more passengers per year — MSP took the top spot with a score of 671 on a 1,000-point scale.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) was the runner-up in the mega category with 643 points, while Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) came in third with 633 points.
At the other end of the spectrum in the mega list, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) finished in last place for the third year in a row, with a score of 552.
The "large" airport category, which includes airports that see 10 million to 32.9 million passengers each year, was led by SNA, with Tampa International Airport (TPA) coming in second, followed by Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in third.
IND was the top-rated "medium" airport, which J.D. Power defines as those with 4.5 million to 9.9 million passengers annually.
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J.D. Power's methodoly determines a scoring system out of a possible total of 1,000 points. The scores are based on surveys from 26,290 U.S. and Canadian travelers completed between August 2023 and July 2024, with questions across seven key factors: ease of travel through the airport, level of trust with the airport, terminal facilities, airport staff, experience departing from the airport on the ground, food and retail experience, and the experience arriving at or traveling to the airport.
Even with various headaches this year, J.D. Power found that airports had generally fared well despite the record crowds; 60% of passengers surveyed said that they had positive experiences at the airport and enjoyed spending time there, while another 59% said that the airport had helped "alleviate the stress of travel."
Notably, however, passengers are spending less money, on average, in the terminals, suggesting that rising prices are taking a toll even as more people spend on vacations.
"Huge air travel demand has not slowed down in North America, despite the steadily rising costs of flights, ground travel, hotel rooms and pretty much anything you can buy in an airport,"
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