San Antonio airport satisfaction ranks below average
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San Antonio International Airport is slipping in traveler satisfaction ratings as it gets busier, per a new study.
Why it matters: A multibillion-dollar renovation of the airport is in the works, and it will bring more capacity and sleeker design — but there are growing pains in the meantime.
The latest: San Antonio's airport ranked just below average in the large airport category in the annual J.D. Power study released Wednesday, placing 18 out of 27 airports.
- San Antonio International scored 614 on a 1,000-point scale. The average score for large airports is 629.
- The top airport in the large category, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, scored 687.
What they're saying: SAT has been setting new records for its number of travelers, but that can drag down overall satisfaction scores. It's a problem an airport wants to have, per J.D. Power.
- "More passengers in the terminal means longer wait times, parking lots filling up to capacity, TSA lines longer, bathrooms messier," Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, said in a statement shared with Axios.
- "Passenger volume is the most likely reason for SAT's slip below the average."
Airport director Jesus Saenz tells Axios that the planned overhaul will allow SAT to accommodate growth for years to come.
- "As we continue to see the number of travelers increase month after month, we are doing our best to keep up within the space we have," Saenz says. "We are focused on customer experience as we plan for the future."
Context: San Antonio International previously ranked above average in the large airport category, and was in the top 10 in 2023.
Yes, but: J.D. Power says it redesigned its study for 2024 so results aren't a straight comparison with previous years.
How it works: The data analytics company's 2024 study focused on passenger satisfaction with ease of travel through the airport; arriving to and leaving the airport; terminal facilities; and the airport's food, beverage and retail.
- J.D. Power defines large airports as those with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year. SAT had about 10.7 million passengers last year.
- The new study was conducted from August 2023 through July 2024.
Zoom in: Unique decor, signage, stores and restaurants that celebrate a local region tend to separate top-performing airports from those that travelers "merely tolerate," per J.D. Power.
- SAT officials have increasingly focused on such local touches, and the renovation will include more of those elements.
Flashback: San Antonio International has been breaking passenger records monthly since May 2023.
- April 2024 was the busiest April in the airport's history, with more than 911,000 passengers.
State of play: Parking lots have regularly filled to capacity this year, pushing the airport to operate overflow lots.
- Officials have moved up the timeline for parking in the airport's renovation plan — planning 2,000 new parking spaces (instead of 500) to be constructed next year, per the San Antonio Report.
What's next: A new terminal at SAT is expected to open to travelers by 2028.
- That's the centerpiece of a $2.5 billion plan to overhaul the airport into a more modern traveler experience with increased capacity.