Travelers ranked these airports the best in North America

J.D. Power has released its annual rankings for the best airports in North America.

The findings are based on more than 30,000 flyer surveys from U.S. or Canadian residents.

Key metrics included in the survey were:

• How easy it is to travel through an airport
• Level of trust or confidence in an airport
• Facilities
• Airport staff
• Departure and arrival experiences
• Food and retail

Airports that incorporate food and local brands to create a “genuine sense of location” see a big boost in their scores and how much people spend while they are there, according to J.D. Power’s rankings report.

Best airport winners

The survey divided the airport rankings based on number of travelers. 

The biggest airports – ones called “mega” airports – are defined as those with at least 33 million passengers per year. Large airports have between 10 and 32.9 million passengers per year and medium airports have 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was the top scoring mega airport for the second consecutive year, followed by Detroit and Phoenix.

In the large airport category, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, beat out Tampa International Airport and Dallas Love Field.

Among medium airports, for the fourth year in a row, Indianapolis International Airport ranks highest. Indianapolis is routinely ranked as one of the best airports in the U.S. 

It is followed by Southern California’s Ontario International and Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Overall, mega airports tend to lag behind smaller ones because passengers are more likely to hit longer wait times and experience bigger crowds.