ST. LOUIS — Air travel has skyrocketed this year compared to last, thanks in large part to decreased pandemic-era restrictions – but so too have customer frustrations, as many travelers have experienced long security lines or delayed and canceled flights as the industry struggles to keep up with the increased demand. 

Some airports are doing better than others in keeping travelers happy, according to a new study by consumer research firm J.D. Power, which found St. Louis Lambert International ahead of just four North American cohort airports.

Each year, the firm conducts its North America Airport Satisfaction Study to examine which airports are keeping customers satisfied and which are not, ranking six factors – in order of importance on a scale of 1,000 – to do so: terminal facilities, airport arrival and departure, baggage claim, security check, check-in and baggage check and food, beverage and retail.

Overall, customer satisfaction with airports in general has dropped 25 points to 777 this year compared to last. 

St. Louis came in with a score of 765, a 36 point drop from 2021 and 16 point decline from 2020. Prior to the pandemic, the airport saw a score of 746 in 2019.

“The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water have created a scenario in which airports are extremely crowded and passengers are increasingly frustrated—and it is likely to continue through 2023,” Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, wrote in a statement.

Travelers cited overcrowded parking lots, increased food and drink prices and standing-room-only gates as reasons for the decline in satisfaction, he added. 

Customer satisfaction ranged widely among individual airports, which the survey split into three categories: mega airports, which see 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports like St. Louis Lambert, which sees between 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year and medium airports, which see 4.5 to 9.9 million yearly passengers.

For large airports, Philadelphia was ranked last with a score of 729, followed by the Honolulu International Airport at 758. On the flip side, the Tampa International Airport topped the list with a score of 846; the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California was second at 826. 

 St. Louis Lambert International Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said in a statement that she was “certainly disappointed” by the overall ranking in the study but that the facility has worked to respond to feedback.

“Some of this feedback includes consumers wanting an international flight to Europe, more parking, easier access to Terminal 2, additional airline options, better concessions and stores. We have delivered on several of these items - including the international flight to Europe, and we continue to change out the food and retail options. For instance, just yesterday (Thursday), we opened a new beach apparel store called Rip Curl geared for our travelers going to the beach,” she said.   

The airport is in the middle of updating its Layout Plan, with a proposal to move to a new 1.6 million square-foot single terminal with 62 gates, potentially sometime in the 2030s.