Flyers rate SD airport among worst in U.S.
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A Delta Airlines self check-in terminal at San Diego International Airport in 2020. Photo: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Travelers aren't thrilled with delays from construction at San Diego International Airport as it rebuilds Terminal 1 and have downgraded it to one of the worst in the country.
Driving the news: Customers ranked San Diego International the fifth worst large airport in the U.S. and Canada in 2023, according to a new satisfaction survey from J.D. Power.
- That's six slots lower than a year ago, when it rated above average.
Why it matters: Roughly 50,000 passengers travel through the airport each day, and it has an estimated regional economic impact of $12 billion, according to a 2018 study. Efforts to make it bigger and better in the long-term are creating short-term pain.
Between the lines: J.D. Power surveyed 27,147 people who passed through an airport within 30 days between August 2022 and July 2023.
- They were asked to rate arrival and departure experiences in six areas: Terminal facilities, coming and going, baggage claim, TSA, check in, and food, drinks and retail.
By the numbers: A J.D. Power analyst said construction delays from the $3.4 billion project rebuilding Terminal 1 are driving the negative feedback, suggesting satisfaction could resume when construction wraps and the airport unveils the bigger, amenity-laden terminal.
- San Diego's biggest decline since last year was its access score, said Mike Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power.
- "Construction has a rolling effect," he said. "It takes you longer to get there, and then you think TSA takes longer even if it takes the same time, and then you tend not to eat or drink because you're just worried about making your flight."
Zoom in: Taylor said the completed terminal should help — the "comfort" component of facility score should benefit from solving Terminal 1's overcrowding, and new food and drink options should make a difference, too.
- "But if you have one single thing that predicts how an airport does, it's how much people like the bathroom," Taylor said.
Reality check: Construction on the two-phase project won't be done for another five years.
- The first 19 gates of the project are expected to open in fall 2025.
- The terminal's remaining 11 gates are slated to open in 2028.
What they're saying: Jonathan Heller, spokesperson for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, said the agency understands construction causes inconvenience and is focused on providing a better customer experience when the first phase is complete.
- "In the meantime, we work to minimize inconveniences and apologize for the congestion, road closures, limited parking, and other impacts that visitors might be experiencing," he said.
Of note: Elected officials are zeroing in on asking voters to approve an airport-transit connection in 2024, but Taylor said it wouldn't move survey responses much.
- Of travelers surveyed who came through San Diego, 31% were dropped off, 26% took ride-sharing services, 17% rented a car, 8% drove and parked, 8% took transit, and 6% took a taxi or limo.