Rock bottom: Philly airport gets low customer satisfaction score — again
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Philadelphia International Airport might be spending serious money on upgrades and renovations but travelers remain unimpressed.
Why it matters: Airports are city gateways that are often the first impression out-of-towners get. They also serve as powerful economic engines in their own right.
State of play: Philly ranked dead last in JD Power's latest customer satisfaction index for large airports — again.
- Losing streak: That makes several years in a row that Philly found itself at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to departure/arrival experience, eats, staff, facilities and other measures in the survey.
☝️ 1 bright spot: Philly did see customer satisfaction grow compared to 2025.
- Out of a 1,000-point scale, Philly scored 596 in the latest survey — up 26 points from last year.
The problem: Philly's airport is out of step with modern air travel because of its age, Michael Taylor — JD Power's senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service who led the airport study — tells Axios.
- The airport is ancient — built in 1940 — by modern standards. It was never designed to handle today's massive airplanes and huge numbers of travelers passing through its gates.
- "You can't fix that by repainting the walls," said Taylor, but noted: "Philadelphia got its money's worth out of that building."
😩 Biggest issues: Bathrooms are over used, terminals are cramped and too crowded, and it lacks the features travelers really want.
Zoom out: Newer, modern airports feature tall ceilings, lots of natural light, essential amenities — think charging stations everywhere — and good food, drink and shopping options.
🏆 Best of the best: Tampa International Airport, Portland International Airport and Dallas Love Field round out the top three airports on JD Power's recent customer satisfaction survey.
The other side: Philly airport is improving.
- Airport leaders have spent about $1 billion in recent years on upgrading landscaping, safety, taxiway realignment and train platforms.
- Plus: Another roughly $1 billion worth of improvements and renovations is earmarked for the coming years, which you can track on the airport's website.
🚽 1 improvement spotlight: Philly airport's bathrooms.
- Taylor said the ongoing bathroom upgrades are significant because the condition, cleanliness and design of airport loos are consistently among the top concerns for travelers.
What else: Philly airport officials recently purchased a vacant office building near the airport, but it remains TBD what will be done with that new space, airport spokesperson Christine Ottow tells Axios.
What they're saying: While Philly airport's improvements will make a positive impression on travelers, Taylor doesn't expect Philly to rank in the top half of JD Power's customer satisfaction survey anytime soon.
Zoom in: Philly airport needs more space, Taylor says.
- 🏗️ Quickest option: Extend the end of the airport.
- 💰 More expensive option: Add a new terminal.
- Yes, but: Both options face nearly insurmountable funding and logistical issues.
The bottom line: Philly is stuck with its old airport for the foreseeable future.