According to JD Power’s annual customer satisfaction survey, Canada’s busiest airport ranks 16th out of 20 major airports, with a score of 755 out of 1,000.
The rating is determined by a study of six factors—terminal facilities, airport arrival and departure, baggage claim, security screening, baggage screening, and food, beverage and retail space.
“Their biggest problem this year was just the sheer volume of passengers,” Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at JD Power, told CTV News Toronto of Pearson Airport.
“Overcrowding, long lines, lack of service, which is normal in any airport, but then they add tons more people, it becomes a real issue.”
Throughout the summer, customers flying through Toronto’s Pearson Airport complained of long lines, lost luggage and flight delays.  Taylor said that while Pearson is not the best airport overall, it has actually suffered from a significant increase in passenger volume.
“That had the biggest impact.”
However, Taylor argued that most airports experienced an increase in travelers.
“We saw that the peak of satisfaction in the airport industry happened at the height of COVID because there is nobody in the terminals.  You could park closer.  There were no lines.  It took about five minutes to get everyone on the plane,” he said.  “This is an ideal experience, in addition to being a terrible business model for airlines and airports.”
“As people come back and travel, and the wave has been bigger than ever predicted, satisfaction is going down and that’s totally to be expected.”
Minneapolis-St.  Paul International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport were among the top four “mega airports,” according to a survey of just over 26,500 people.
The study also found that while passenger volume has increased to about 91 percent of pre-pandemic levels, overall satisfaction with air travel has declined.
The study found that overall customer satisfaction with North American airports fell 25 points this year, with about 58 percent of respondents saying airport terminals were “severely or moderately crowded.”
Almost a quarter of travelers said food and drink were too expensive, while around 14 percent said parking cost more than expected.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the agency that oversees operations at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, has been working to ease travel headaches for months.  In early August, they said the airport had seen “measurable” operational improvements, especially in security wait times, flight delays and cancellations, and baggage delivery.
The JD Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study was conducted between August 2021 and July 2022. Respondents were US or Canadian residents who traveled from at least one airport and covered departure and arrival experiences, including connections.