The 2023 U.S. Airport Rankings rate the 50 busiest airports in the country based on measures of reliability, value and convenience. Each airport is evaluated on 30 factors that span the trip, from buying a ticket to arriving at a final destination.
Using data from government agencies, a survey of travelers conducted by our research partner Dynata and other sources, the Journal's rankings highlight the airports that boast on-time flights, short waits throughout the trip and the amenities that travelers like best.
The airports are separated into large and midsize categories based on the number of passengers they accommodate.
Best Large U.S. Airports
Rank Airport Reliability Value & Overall
Convenience Score
1 Phoenix $(PHX)$ 56.9 69.8 63.4
2 Minneapolis $(MSP)$ 59.6 66.9 63.2
3 Los Angeles (LAX) 61.1 64.6 62.9
4 Atlanta $(ATL.AU)$ 56.1 69.3 62.7
5 Detroit $(DTW)$ 60.3 62.5 61.4
6 San Francisco (SFO) 59.6 62.7 61.1
7 Houston (IAH) 54.3 66.8 60.5
8 Seattle $(SEA)$ 54.1 61.5 57.8
9 Las Vegas $(LAS.UK)$ 40.5 73.8 57.2
10 Boston (BOS) 45.8 67.1 56.5
11 Chicago (ORD) 43.5 66.5 55
12 Charlotte $(CLT.AU)$ 41.2 67.9 54.6
13 Denver $(DEN)$ 40.8 68.3 54.6
14 Miami (MIA) 33.5 70.6 52
15 New York (LGA) 35.3 68.6 51.9
16 Fort Lauderdale $(FLL)$ 28.1 74.6 51.3
17 Orlando $(MCO)$ 21.4 76.7 49.1
18 Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) 30.8 65.2 48
19 New York (JFK) 24.4 62.8 43.6
20 Newark (EWR) 18.6 56.7 37.6
Best Midsize U.S. Airports
Rank Airport Reliability Value & Overall
Convenience Score
1 San Jose (SJC) 75.2 67.1 71.2
2 San Antonio $(SAT)$ 71 69.9 70.4
3 Sacramento (SMF) 74.1 65.9 70
4 Indianapolis $(IND.AU)$ 59.8 80 69.9
5 Houston (HOU) 65.2 72.8 69
6 Portland (PDX) 68.8 68 68.4
7 Santa Ana $(SNA)$ 64.7 69.1 66.9
8 Oakland $(OAK.AU)$ 68.7 65 66.9
9 Kahului (OGG) 63.2 69.1 66.2
10 Tampa (TPA) 57.6 74.5 66.1
11 New Orleans (MSY) 58.3 72.9 65.6
12 Salt Lake City $(SLC.AU)$ 66.3 64.4 65.3
13 Kansas City $(MCI)$ 61.7 68.5 65.1
14 St. Louis $(STL.AU)$ 65.7 63.6 64.7
15 Pittsburgh $(PIT)$ 56.9 71.1 64
16 Chicago (MDW) 61.5 66.1 63.8
17 Washington (IAD) 63.5 63.2 63.4
18 Raleigh/Durham (RDU) 55 71.6 63.3
19 Dallas $(DAL)$ 55.9 69.5 62.7
20 Fort Myers $(RSW.UK)$ 50.9 73.7 62.3
21 Baltimore (BWI) 55.7 66.8 61.3
22 Honolulu (HNL)
56.1
65.8 60.9
23 Cleveland $(CLE.AU)$ 53.8 68 60.9
24 Nashville (BNA) 53.6 68.2 60.9
25 Cincinnati (CVG) 48.6 72.5 60.5
26 San Diego $(SAN.UK)$ 54.6 65.7 60.2
27 Philadelphia $(PHL.AU)$ 54 63 58.5
28 Austin $(AUS)$ 45.8 71.2 58.5
29 Washington (DCA) 46.2 69 57.6
30 San Juan (SJU) 38.4 68.3 53.3
The 2023 Airport Rankings are based on 30 measures that span a trip, from ticket purchase through takeoff and landing. The Journal evaluated each of the 50 busiest airports in the U.S., based on the number of enplaned passengers in 2022. The evaluation used data from government agencies and a survey of passengers who flew via each airport within the past two years, conducted by Dynata from September to October, among other sources. The top 20 large airports are ranked separately from the next 30 largest.
For this year's rankings, Reliability scores and revamped Convenience & Value scores each made up half of an airport's overall score. In years past, the rankings have incorporated an overall satisfaction rating for each airport. This year, the Journal commissioned a survey about specific airport amenities which takes into account fliers' opinions on the quality, prices, availability and range of options of various features of each airport. No airports in the overall rankings are tied; ties displayed in the table are due to rounding.
Reliability
As in years past, the WSJ ranking placed the heaviest emphasis on the 10 factors related to an airport's reliability. Each factor accounted for 5% of an airport's overall score.
On-time arrivals: The percentage of flights that arrived at the gate less than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time. Based on Bureau of Transportation Statistics data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
On-time departures: The percentage of flights that left the gate less than 15 minutes after the scheduled departure time. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Average arrival delay: How tardy those delayed arrivals were on average, in minutes. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Average departure delay: How tardy those delayed departures were on average, in minutes. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Flight cancellation percentage: The percentage of flights canceled between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, based on BTS data.
Average taxi-in: The "Are we there yet?" time between landing and arriving at the gate, measured in minutes. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Average taxi-out: That "Will we ever leave?" time between leaving the gate and takeoff, in minutes. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Security checkpoint waiting times: The percentage of travelers who wait less than 30 minutes in standard Transportation Security Administration lines, from TSA data for September 1, 2022 through August 30, 2023.
Flight delays due to major security issues: Not to be confused with run-of-the-mill security waits, this metric measures security issues that held up flights. They include evacuation of a terminal or concourse, a security breach that required the reboarding of a flight or a breakdown in screening equipment that caused longer-than-normal lines. Based on BTS data from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
Baggage claim: The weighted average of survey responses about the quality and the convenience of baggage claim at each airport.
Convenience & Value
The Convenience & Value scores focus on everything else that happens at the airport. Each factor accounted for 2.5% of an airport's overall score.
In some survey-based measures, the differences between the category's top and bottom performers were minimal, meaning that differences in the ranking position for individual components may seem larger than the underlying survey data would indicate.
Average domestic fare: Ticket price data averaged over the most recent four quarters ending with Q1 2023, adjusted for inflation, from the BTS. This year, 12 months of data was used to account for fluctuations in ticket prices.
Leading airline's market share: A measure of the competition at the airport, which affects ticket prices. The lower the percentage, as defined by BTS data from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023, the higher the score in the ranking.
UberX fare from convention center to airport: We priced a one-way trip from each city's major convention center to the airport at 9 a.m. local time on Oct. 11. The convention center served as a proxy for a city's center. For Newark, we used the Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Nonstop destinations: Nonstop flights reduce travel time, so airports with a higher number scored better. This includes international destinations. Data provided by Cirium.
Airport layout: When racing against the clock to find a gate, how easy is the airport to navigate? Based on airport-goers' thoughts on the quality of each airport's layout, according to our survey.
On-site parking: Parking at the airport is a time-saving luxury, but it can be expensive. How good is the airport's parking infrastructure? Based on airport-goers' thoughts on the quality, price and availability of on-site parking via survey data, plus the cost of an airport's cheapest on-site parking option, collected from airport websites.
Car rental: Getting from the airport to your final destination sometimes requires a set of wheels, but navigating an airport's car-rental options can be a headache. How does renting a car at each airport compare? Based on airport-goers' thoughts on the quality, price and availability of car rentals at each airport via our survey, and the cost of renting a large sedan from the airport from Hertz for Nov. 10 to Nov. 12, 2023.
Taxi / Ride-share: At the end of a journey, is it easy to find the right area for ground transportation? Based on fliers' thoughts on the quality and availability of taxi and ride-share options at each airport, according to our survey.
Bathrooms: The only thing worse than an unhygienic bathroom is a lack of bathroom stalls. Based on travelers' thoughts on the quality and availability of bathrooms at each airport, according to our survey.
Lounges: What's the state of the lounge landscape for those with access to airport clubs? Based on airport-goers' thoughts on the quality, price, availability and range of options for lounges at each airport, according to our survey.
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
November 15, 2023 14:49 ET (19:49 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments