McCarran in world’s top 10 in customer satisfaction

Monday, Dec. 13, 2004 | 10:32 a.m.

McCarran International Airport ranks ninth in the world among 22 large airports in a customer satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

The 2004 Global Airport Satisfaction Index Study was based on responses from more than 9,000 passengers who took flights between October 2003 and last month.

The survey blended satisfaction responses on terminal facilities and retail concessions, wait times in security lines and ticket counters and amenities, such as access to business centers and wireless Internet services. It was the fifth year the study was conducted.

Rosemary Vassiliadis, deputy director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, which operates McCarran, said she was happy with the rating the airport received considering the growth the airport has experienced.

"We were undergoing so many changes this past year that being rated above the average is something we're very pleased about," Vassiliadis said today.

She said the airport has experienced double-digit percentage growth in passengers served and McCarran is in the process of addressing customer-service problems by expanding the airport's D gates and implementing a concessions master plan.

J.D. Power, based in Westlake Village, Calif., also conducted a separate study on passengers check-in habits and found that most people choose the options that take the most time when they're going for a flight.

"Time is a prime commodity in the travel industry and is a major factor in influencing customer satisfaction with airports," said Linda Hirneise, partner and executive director of travel industry research at J.D. Power.

"Even though faster options are often available to expedite the check-in process, passengers either aren't aware of them or just aren't yet comfortable using them," she said. "The check-in process has the greatest impact on overall airport satisfaction. Airports need to make sure these options are available to passengers and to continue to promote their time-saving benefits."

McCarran, which is on track to serve close to 40 million passengers this year, finished sixth among large U.S. airports included in the worldwide survey. It trailed airports in Orlando, Fla.; Denver; Dallas-Fort Worth; Minneapolis and Phoenix in the United States, but was ahead of airports in Houston (Interncontinental); Chicago (O'Hare); San Francisco; Detroit; Atlanta; Newark, N.J.; Miami; Los Angeles and New York (Kennedy) in customer satisfaction.

The large airport with the highest satisfaction rating was Hong Kong International Airport. On a 1,000-point scale index, Hong Kong had a score of 730. McCarran had 667 and the large-airport average was 651.

The index rating for Las Vegas' airport was above the worldwide large airport average. J.D. Power ranked airports serving more than 30 million passengers as large, 10 million to 30 million as medium-sized and under 10 million as small.

Singapore's Changi International Airport ranked highest among medium-sized airports and airports in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and San Antonio tied with the highest ranking among small airports.

Reno-Lake Tahoe International Airport was not included in the study.

In J.D. Power's study on passenger check-in habits, researchers found that overall satisfaction is higher among passengers who check in at curbside, online and at self check-in kiosks -- all options available at McCarran or from major air carriers serving the airport.

The study said the majority of passengers, 59 percent, check in at the main ticket counter, which takes an average of 19 minutes. Meanwhile, 18 percent use a self check-in kiosk, which averages eight minutes, while 10 percent check in at curbside (13 minutes).

Several airlines, including Southwest and America West, the two busiest carriers at McCarran, offer online check-in service, which takes an average of five minutes.

Vassiliadis said that while the airlines should be promoting their respective online check-in services, the airport may assist in promotion, since use of the service would help process passengers faster.