Tampa International Airport Drops In Airport Rankings

By DAVE SIMANOFF

Published: May 23, 2007

TAMPA - Travelers are less satisfied with Tampa International Airport today than they were a year ago, according to the latest North American airport rankings firm J.D. Power and Associates.

The local airport is ranked No. 14 among medium-sized airports - those serving 10 million to 30 million passengers a year. Last year, Tampa International Airport was ranked No. 6.

Jim Gaz, J.D. Power's senior director for travel and entertainment, said Tampa International Airport dropped because of lower scores in several categories, most notably in food service, retail and baggage claim. Consumers said they were less satisfied with the cost, variety and quality of food and beverages at the airport, and they also said they were disappointed by cost, variety and service in the airport shops, he said. Consumer-reported wait times for baggage increased from 15 minutes to 17 minutes, he said.

Tampa International Airport officials say they're concerned - and puzzled - by the J.D. Power report. Other independent surveys have consistently shown Tampa International Airport outperforming its peers in many areas of customer satisfaction, including quality of restaurants, quality of shops, and speed of baggage claim.

"We are surprised by these results," said airport spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan.

The J.D. Power rankings are designed mainly as "internal management tools" to help airport officials improve their services, Gaz said. While customers might not have as many choices in airports as they do with, say, automobiles or electronics, customer satisfaction is important, he said.

"Satisfied customers are going to be more loyal," he said. "They're going to spend more money, and they're going to be an advocate for your property or your brand."

Among large airports - those with more than 30 million passengers a year - Dallas/Ft. Worth International was ranked No. 1 by J.D. Power, followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, John F. Kennedy International in New York, and McCarran International in Las Vegas.

The two Florida airports with more than 30 million passengers a year were Orlando International, ranked No. 6, and Miami International, ranked No. 14. Denver International and San Francisco International were the lowest ranked large airports.

J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study

1. Kansas City International

2. Sacramento International

3. LaGuardia International

4. Cleveland Hopkins International

5. Chicago Midway International

6. Baltimore Washington International

7. Boston Logan International

8. San Diego International/Lindberg Field

9. Pittsburgh International

10. Lambert St. Louis International

11. Ft. Lauerdale/Hollywood International

12. Ronald Reagan Washington International

13. Washington Dulles International

14. Tampa International

15. Honolulu International

16. Seattle-Tacoma International

17. Memphis International

18. Oakland International

19. Cincinnati/N. Kentucky International

20. Charlotte Douglas International

21. Salt Lake City International

22. Portland (Ore.) International

23. San Jose International

24. Vancouver International

25. Calgary International

Note: Mexico City Juarez was included in study but not ranked due to its small sample size.

Source: J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study