O'Hare Airport Near Bottom In Passenger Satisfaction Study

CHICAGO — When it comes to customer service, Chicago's two airports tell very different stories, according to a study released Wednesday. O'Hare International Airport ranks 17th out of 19 among "mega" airports its size, while Midway Airport — the city's "other" international airport, east of O'Hare — is slightly above average, rated 12th out of 24 in its large airport category.

These findings were part of J.D. Power's 2018 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, which measures passenger approval across six categories in the following order of importance:

• terminal facilities
• airport accessibility
• security check
• baggage claim
• check-in/baggage check
• food, beverage and retail

The study is in its 13th year and is based on responses from 40,183 North American passengers between September 2017 through September 2018. Airports are then given a score out of a possible 1,000 points.

O'Hare scored 735 points in the study, putting it in "the rest" segment of the "mega" airport category, which includes facilities that see more than 32.5 million travelers annually. Only Los Angeles International (735) and Newark Liberty International (701) airports had similar or lower scores.

Despite the low ranking — the national average score for "mega" airports is 758 — O'Hare's performance is an improvement from last year. In the 2017 study, the airport scored 723 points.

“Several multi-billion-dollar airport construction projects — such as those in Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago — are reaching phases in which passenger disruption and increased traffic will be incredibly hard to avoid," Michael Taylor, J.D. Power's travel practice lead, said in a statement. "How well these rapidly expanding airports manage throughout these infrastructure projects will provide valuable insight into what’s in store on a nationwide basis.”

Midway scored 763 in the large airport category, which is defined by facilities that handle 10 million to 32.4 million travelers. The national average is 760 points.

According to the 2018 study, overall passenger satisfaction for North American airports reached an all-time high of 761 points, with double digit increases seen in the security check and food, beverage and retail areas. The following airports were tops in their respective categories.

"Mega" Airports

• Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (781)
• Orlando International Airport (781)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (775)
• Denver International Airport (771)
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (770)

Large Airports

• John Wayne Airport, Orange County (815)
• Dallas Love Field (810)
• Portland (Ore.) International Airport (804)
• Nashville International Airport (802)
• Tampa International Airport (799)

Go to J.D. Power's website for the complete list of airports.

O'Hare International Airport (Photo by Scott Olson | Getty Images)