Customer Satisfaction Ranks The Lowest In America At This Eastern Airport

Airports are rarely anyone's favorite place, and unless you're lucky enough to travel by private jet, you're probably well-acquainted with the headaches of commercial air travel: Long security lines at the TSA, crowded terminals, and losing your sanity on the worst flying days of the year — the works. While some airports do try to make your time with them stress-free (a big shout out to Sacramento International Airport!), or at least somewhat tolerable, others have built a reputation for making the experience downright miserable. Case in point: The Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) snagged the not-so-coveted title of worst airport in terms of customer satisfaction in 2024 — and for the fourth time in a row, no less.

In the 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study by analytics firm J.D. Power, PHL pulled off the impressive feat of landing dead last out of all U.S. airports in scores, beating out even Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) for the dubious honor. With nearly 27,000 passengers surveyed, airports were ranked on everything from terminal facilities to shopping experience to staff performance. PHL scored a pitiful 541 out of 1,000, a full 146 points behind the top performers, John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) and Indianapolis International Airport (IND), which both scored 687. But if you've ever scrolled through passenger complaints on social media, this probably doesn't shock you. Let's just say, PHL isn't exactly winning any popularity contests.

While some airports are the darlings of TikTok, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is on the other end of the spectrum — earning public scorn instead of praise. Passengers haven't been shy about their disdain, with one traveler venting that out of all the airports they visited in a year, PHL took the cake for being the worst. "It's so gross, no food, and awful staff," they said. Another shared a clip of trash-strewn gates, saying, "I promise if I never ever have to have another layover in Philly, it'll be too f***ing soon." Even locals are fed up, with influencer @bran__flakezz confessing that PHL makes their "blood boil," and suggesting the staff wear signs that say, "We don't want to help or talk to you."

And it's not just TikTokers. Reddit is also rife of complaints, with one user slamming PHL for being "poorly organized, bad food and shopping options, weak lounges, [and] a complete crapshoot on experience," and that they'd gladly choose EWR over PHL. Another complained about the staff, describing the infamous "Philly-tude," primarily in Terminal F: "I've never been in an airport where workers are so apathetic and clearly just do not give a damn."

According to Michael Taylor, J.D. Power's managing director of travel, hospitality, and retail, there's a simple reason why PHL gets this much flak — it's practically ancient. "PHL is in need of new terminal facilities," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "The current buildings just don't have the space to accommodate the number of passengers traveling through PHL." And the airport isn't denying it. Atif Saeed, CEO of the City of Philadelphia's Department of Aviation admitted that PHL is indeed outdated, with its "newest" terminal being over two decades old. Fortunately, this is all about to change soon.

PHL might finally dig itself out of its customer satisfaction hole — if it can stick to its ambitious plans for a major overhaul. With Philadelphia gearing up to be one of the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the city is pulling out all the stops to make a better impression on travelers, starting with a much-needed airport facelift. "The pinnacle is going to be 2026, when we will have the spotlight on our airport and our community," Atif Saeed told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "We want to make sure that we're fully prepared and provide the experience that is in step with what we want our community to be represented as internationally."

Per CBS News, over $500 million is being thrown at PHL and North Philadelphia Airport (PNE) to spruce things up. We're talking better seating, finally fixing those grim bathrooms, improved parking, and more. "We have four focus areas — improve conditions of current facilities, elevate airport experience, enhance business opportunities and build for the future," Saeed explained. 

And if that's not enough, the aviation department also wants a $556 million budget from the Philadelphia City Council for even more upgrades — new roofing, flooring, insulation, staff training, better waiting areas, and roadway improvements, among others. Plus, they're proposing more international flights and beefing up cargo operations. If all these plans go through, PHL might actually pull off its mission of "Proudly Connecting Philadelphia with the World!" — and maybe, just maybe, start living up to that slogan.