J.D. Power ranks the best US airports. Is yours on the list?

Here’s a stat you probably weren’t expecting: J.D. Power found airline passengers are actually more satisfied with their overall airport experience this year than they were last year.

The firm’s 2023 North American Airport Satisfaction Study was released Wednesday and it found flyer morale is improving on the ground, despite reliability issues that have been plaguing flights recently.

“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,” Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power said in a statement. “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.”

Airport satisfaction key takeaways

Overall J.D. Power’s survey found that travelers were marginally happier with their airport experience this year, but that crowding remains a major issue. Airport satisfaction peaked in 2020 when far fewer people were flying.

Recent renovation projects can give the airport experience a huge boost, the study found. New York’s LaGuardia airport came in dead last for traveler satisfaction among large airports in 2019, but a major renovation in the intervening years has brought it up to the middle of the pack.

J.D. Power predicts crowding will remain an issue at many airports for the foreseeable future as travel demand remains high.

Learn more about the airport satisfaction study by clicking here.

Best mega airports

1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

2. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

3. Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

4. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

5. Miami International Airport (MIA)

Worst mega airports

20. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

19. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

18. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

17. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

16. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Best large airports

1. Tampa International Airport (TPA)

2. John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA)

3. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

4. Dallas Love Field (DAL)

5. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)

Worst large airports

27. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

26. Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

25. Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

24. Oakland International Airport (OAK)

23. San Diego International Airport (SAN)

Best medium airports

1. Indianapolis International Airport (IND)

2. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)

3. Ontario International Airport (ONT)

4. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)

5. Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ)

Worst medium airports

16. Kahului Airport (OGG)

15. Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

14. Bradley International Airport (BDL)

13. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)

12. Eppley Airfield (OMA)

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Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J.D. Power airport rank: Detroit, Minneapolis, Las Vegas get top marks