McCarran No. 2 in study on satisfaction

Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

McCarran International Airport ranked second in the nation in customer satisfaction among 29 major U.S. airports in a survey of travelers.

The airport serving Las Vegas tied with Denver International Airport, just behind Orlando International Airport in the inaugural J.D. Power and Associates Domestic Airport Passenger Satisfaction Study.

The Agoura Hills, Calif., marketing information services firm surveyed more than 6,500 passengers on their home airports and two others they use frequently. Passengers were asked about the variety of concessions, friendly service, clean gate areas and terminal facilities that make it easy for passengers to navigate the airport.

In the large-airport category, those serving more than 30 million passengers a year, McCarran finished ahead of Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Hartsfield-Atlanta, Houston-Bush, Dallas-Fort Worth and Minneapolis-St. Paul airports.

Below-average rankings were given to Chicago O'Hare, Detroit Metro, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark (N.J.), New York Kennedy, San Francisco, Lambert-St. Louis.

Mike Taylor, director of travel services for J.D. Power and Associates and the researcher who compiled the survey, said McCarran finished above average in all categories and that it scored highest in access.

"Las Vegas did well on the ability of passengers to get to and from the airport," Taylor said. "I talked to someone there who said you can actually get a speeding ticket just outside the airport. That's not the kind of experience you have in New York and Los Angeles."

Taylor said the area in which McCarran has the most potential for improvement is in food and beverage service in the concourse.

Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, said the J.D. Power survey verifies information the airport has received in its own customer-satisfaction studies.

"We've also identified the food and beverage as our weakest area," Walker said. "We think it's more of a price issue than anything else. We have an all-union shop and the cost of labor is higher and that is reflected in some of those prices. If you compare us to Phoenix and other airports, it's going to be a little higher, but that's something we have to deal with."

Walker said high-ranked access will get even better at McCarran with the opening of three new elevators just east of the baggage claim area. The elevators, due to open this week, will improve passengers' access to the short-term parking garage.