Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
A trippy tunnel isn't the only thing Detroit's airport has going for it, according to a new survey.
- Detroit, Portland, and Indianapolis are among the nicest airports in the US, according to a new survey.
- J.D. Power asked more than 32,000 travelers about America's airports in order to rank them.
- Across three categories - mega, large, and medium - only 10 airports got a full five-of-five circle ratings from the company.
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Airports. We love to hate (and love) them - and everyone has an opinion about which is best (or worst).
J.D. Power, the company synonymous with measuring consumer satisfaction in cars and trucks, set out to capture how Americans felt about air travel. The firm surveyed more than 32,000 US and Canadian residents to find their favorite airports.
Unsurprisingly, travel hubs that recently got a facelift found their way near the top of the rankings, while those still experiencing construction-related headaches slipped slightly.
"With major terminal construction projects now underway in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and many other airports, it is becoming impossible for travelers not to experience some form of disruption," Michael Taylor, head of travel intelligence at J.D. Power, said.
"While these projects are absolutely necessary to address surging demand, they are currently causing passenger delays and confusion. This translates into a rushed passenger experience and less money spent on food, beverage and retail-and it's slowing the progress of the airport satisfaction we've seen in the past several years."
The survey, now in its 14th consecutive year, looked at airports across three main categories by size: mega, large, and medium. In each category, airports are given a score out of 1,000 and a "circle rating." Only 10 airports received a full five circles.
Satisfaction has stagnated this year, J.D. Power said, after years of growth. Overall, American airports' average satisfaction score only rose one point, to 762, thanks to "lower-than-average facility access scores, with larger numbers of travelers citing construction-related delays getting into and out of the airport," the company said.
But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Major terminal upgrades are finishing at airports all over the country, and TSA wait times are improving thanks to biometric screening and better line processes.
Here are the top airports in America, as ranked by travelers, which received the full five circles from J.D. Power: