Travelers say Phoenix's mega airport is one of the best. Here's what sets it apart

The latest airport satisfaction survey from J.D. Power ranked the Phoenix airport as one of the best in the nation.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranked as the No. 3 mega airport on J.D. Power's 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, up 10 spots from No. 13 in last year's ranking . Mega airports are airports with 33 million or more passengers per year.

Phoenix scored above average in almost all the customer experience categories in the survey, and was among the top airports for calm and spaciousness, said Michael Taylor, J.D. Power's senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service.

This is Sky Harbor's best rank in the J.D. Power survey since it ranked No. 1 in 2020 . The top mega airport for 2024 is Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

How was J.D. Power's 2024 airport ranking conducted?

J.D. Power's 2024 airport satisfaction study, its 19th, was compiled from 26,290 surveys of U.S. and Canadian residents who traveled through at least one U.S. or Canadian airport between August 2023 and July 2024.

It evaluated airports based on customer experiences in seven categories:

• Ease of travel through the airport.
• Level of trust with the airport.
• Terminal facilities.
• Airport staff.
• Departure experience.
• Food, beverage and retail.
• Arrival experience.

Why is Phoenix Sky Harbor No. 3 in J.D. Power's airport ranking?

Sky Harbor ranked No. 3, 10 places higher than 2023 and its best position since topping the survey in 2020.

It performed above average in six of the seven categories, winning acclaim from travelers for the level of trust in the airport and its accessibility, Taylor said.

"People trust they’re going to have a good experience, and Phoenix delivers on it," he said.

As in last year's survey, customers frequently cited Sky Harbor's food, beverage and retail options as needing improvement. That assessment came even with the addition of six new restaurants and two new shops in August and September 2023 in the high-numbered D gates used by Southwest Airlines in Terminal 4, with plans to add more including a Guy Fieri restaurant .

Food and beverage costs historically have been one of the lowest-scoring aspects for airports in J.D. Power's study, though costs have been trending downward, Taylor said. Passengers on average spent $3.53 per person less than they did in 2023 for food and other items in airport terminals.

What the Phoenix airport says about the 2024 JD Power airport ranking

Sky Harbor staff members envision the Phoenix airport as the first and last impression visitors have of Arizona, so providing a positive customer experience and continuously enhancing that experience is important, airport spokesman John Trierweiler said.

This includes incorporating local businesses in the concessions, like Four Peaks Brewing and Matt's Big Breakfast, and displaying work from Arizona artists throughout the terminals and Rental Car Center, he said.

Upcoming enhancements like a new taxiway funded in part by federal infrastructure grants , new domestic and international routes , and new technology like self-driving Waymo rides to and from the airport, serve to make Sky Harbor more attractive, Trierweiler said.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx .

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Travelers say Phoenix's mega airport is one of the best. Here's what sets it apart