/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25636124/silky_fine_mist_panasonic_screen.jpg "This Panasonic product is literally vaporware — it sprays displays into the air")
Canada’s busiest airports didn’t do so hot in a new ranking, and Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport was no exception.
According to J.D. Power’s 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, Canada’s major hubs fell embarrassingly low in terms of customer satisfaction, especially compared to their U.S. counterparts.
The study evaluated airports across the continent by surveying travellers on various aspects of their airport experience, including things like ease of getting through security, terminal facilities, food options and staff friendliness. Airports are divided into three categories based on their size: “mega” airports, which handle over 33 million passengers a year; “large” airports, which see 10 to 32.9 million travellers; and “medium” airports, with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers.
Toronto Pearson, being one of the busiest airports in North America, falls into the mega category, while Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal’s main airports are in the large category. No Canadian airports were in the medium category for this year’s ranking.
Within the mega airport category, Toronto Pearson International Airport ranked an abysmal second-last, with only Newark Liberty International below it. If you’ve flown through Pearson, you’ve probably dealt with long lines and crowded terminals, which may explain its score of 559 out of 1,000 — the lowest of all Canadian airports in the ranking. It’s only slightly better than bottom-of-the-barrel Newark, which scored 552. Considering Pearson’s status as Canada’s largest and busiest airport, that’s not great news.
Things didn’t look much better for Canada over in the large airport category. Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport also struggled, ranking second-last in its category with a score of 576. Calgary International Airport landed near the bottom too, coming in at 22nd out of 27 large airports with a score of 599.
Meanwhile, Vancouver International Airport did manage to fare a little better, scoring 634 points — just above the category average of 629 — but it still had nothing much to brag about in 15th place.
So, what’s dragging down these scores? Overcrowding, rising prices and terminal congestion are likely culprits, according to J.D. Power. Passengers surveyed reported that they felt the most frustration at airports that were too busy or overpriced.
Meanwhile, U.S. airports like Minneapolis-Saint Paul International, which ranked highest in the mega category, scored far better in terms of passenger satisfaction with 671 points out of 1,000. John Wayne Airport in Orange County claimed the top spot in the large category, while Indianapolis International ranked first in medium — both with impressive scores of 687 — showing that Canadian airports have a lot to learn when it comes to delivering a smooth and enjoyable experience.
So if you’ve got travel plans through any of these Canadian hubs, you might want to brace yourself — or at least pack some extra patience.
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