MIAMI – The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airport Customer Satisfaction StudySM ranked Miami International Airport (MIA) sixth among all large North American airports, a jump from 14th place in last year’s study and the airport’s highest ranking ever.
MIA was the only large airport to improve, specifically in the categories of overall satisfaction, airport accessibility and check-in/baggage check. MIA’s overall index score of 681 was eight points higher than last year’s score and seven points higher than the large airport category average. J.D. Power and Associates classifies airports with 30 million passengers or more per year as large.
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department, which operates MIA, made numerous improvements to the airport in 2007 that helped achieve the improved score. The most notable improvement was South Terminal, a 1.7-million-square-foot expansion and renovation of the airport that opened in August 2007 and now serves 25 percent of MIA’s passengers. Customer-friendly features in South Terminal include: 168 new ticket counter locations; 1,000 feet of new curbside space that feature dynamic, LED signage; a new short-term parking lot; and a new cruise and tour bus station with 22 dedicated airline ticket counters for shuttle service to and from the Port of Miami.
Additional improvements at MIA in 2007 include: a renovated and expanded short-term parking lot on the departure level with a new, computerized ticketing system; new flight information monitors and signage throughout the airport and at the valet parking lot; improved signage and lighting at the upper and lower drive areas; reconfigured baggage check-in areas with additional self-service check-in machines; enhanced cleaning services; and LeJeune Road renovations by the Florida Department of Transportation that include dedicated lanes for airport traffic.
“2007 was by all measures a fantastic year for MIA, and the J.D. Power and Associates ranking further demonstrates that,” said Aviation Director José Abreu. “We believe our improvement is a testament to the strong ties we share with our employees, airlines, business partners, local and federal agencies and above all, our customers.”
