Air passengers are still more dissatisfied with Chicago’s airports than they are with many of their peers across the U.S. and Canada, according to a survey.
Both O’Hare International and Midway International airports rank below average on the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, released Wednesday. Each made small gains in the rankings over last year.
Midway, though still ranked below average among its peers in the “large airports” category, climbed up a few places from last year. It’s now ranked 19 out of 27 airports in the category, just below New York’s LaGuardia, which has received widespread praise over the last few years after an $8 billion revamp.
O’Hare also saw slight improvement over its performance in last year’s survey, when it was ranked third from last in the “mega airports” category. This year it was ranked fifth from last, gaining ground over Seattle-Tacoma and Charlotte Douglas International airports. It’s ranked 16 out of 20 airports in that category, just below Los Angeles International.
At O’Hare, work on a planned $8.2 billion overhaul finally got underway this summer after years of delays and negotiations. The plan, first negotiated under then-mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2018, calls for the construction of two new “satellite” terminals and a replacement of Terminal 2 with a new “Global Terminal” designed by a Jeanne Gang-led team.
Michael Taylor, practice lead for the satisfaction study, said O’Hare’s biggest issue is the size — and resultant overcrowding — of its terminals. It’s like “putting ten pounds of people into a five-pound sack,” he said.
Nearly 8.3 million air travelers passed through O’Hare in July — more than in any other month in the airport’s history — according to Chicago Department of Aviation data released Wednesday.
The crowding problem should be addressed by the massive overhaul of the airport — eventually.
“But you’ve got to break some eggs to make an omelet,” Taylor said.
Typically, passengers are more satisfied with airports shortly after construction begins, Taylor said, perhaps because they’re heartened to see improvements underway. Then, about six months later, satisfaction comes “crashing down” once passengers come to the realization that airport construction is inconvenient.
More Top Picks Best Marine First Aid Kits For Boating
“Both O’Hare and Midway made gains this year,” said Kevin Bargnes, a spokesperson for the aviation department, “and we know there is still more work ahead.”
Bargnes pointed to improvements made at Midway in recent years, including an expansion of the airport’s security area completed in 2020 and new concessions. Plans are also underway to improve food, beverage and retail offerings at O’Hare, he said.
With regards to construction at O’Hare, Bargnes said the department was working to minimize its impact on travelers, and emphasized that the completed overhaul would bring “broader improvements” to the airport experience.
“While short-term disruptions are inevitable in any major infrastructure program, these projects are essential to deliver the modern, efficient, and welcoming airport experience Chicago travelers deserve,” Bargnes said.
The survey asked passengers about how easy they find it to travel through the airports; their level of “trust” in the airport; the quality of terminal facilities; experiences with airport staff; food, beverage and retail; and the arrival and departure experience at the airport. The rankings were based on 30,439 passenger surveys.
“Mega” airports like O’Hare are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers a year, while “large” airports like Midway are those that see 10 to 32.9 million passengers.
At the top of the “mega” airport category was Minneapolis-Saint Paul International. First place in the “large” category was the John Wayne Airport in Orange County.