Reaching new heights

San Antonio airport flies higher in annual traveler satisfaction study

Traveler satisfaction in SAIA is soaring.

San Antonio International Airport/Facebook

When it comes to traveler satisfaction, San Antonio International Airport is now in a different stratosphere.

The 2021 North American airport satisfaction study from market research giant J.D. Power puts the San Antonio airport in ninth place among large airports. Last year, San Antonio’s airport appeared in a lower tier — midsize airports — and ranked 11th.

This year, J.D. Power bumped the San Antonio airport up to the large category. It says some airports in the midsize category in 2020 weren’t eligible for this year’s ranking due to lower passenger volumes triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 2021 study, the San Antonio airport earned a score of 813 on a 1,000-point scale, a few steps above the average score of 805 among the 20 large airports. Last year, the airport garnered a score of 811.

“COVID-19 presented tremendous challenges for airports and travelers, but it has always been our goal to offer exceptional customer service when travelers were ready to return. It is rewarding for our team because this recognition means that travelers see our commitment to them,” Jesus Saenz Jr., director of airports for the San Antonio Airport System, says in a news release.

Here’s how the other large airports in Texas fared:

Dallas Love Field, No. 4, with a score of 829. That score makes it the top-rated Texas airport in the study. In 2020, Love Field ranked first among all of the large airports, earning a score of 844.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, No. 7, with a score of 819. That’s up one notch from last year, when Austin-Bergstrom accumulated a score of 804.
William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, No. 17, with a score of 794. In 2020, Hobby ranked fourth, with a score of 823.

Attaining a score of 844, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport landed in first place among large airports this year. Large airports handle 10 million to 32.9 million passengers a year.

Miami International Airport, with a score of 828, grabbed the No. 1 spot among mega airports. This year’s average score for the 20 mega airports was 798. Mega airports welcome at least 33 million passengers a year.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport earned the No. 7 spot in the mega-airport category, with a score of 805. Last year, Texas’ busiest airport claimed sixth place, with a score of 791.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport secured the No. 8 spot in this year’s mega-airport category, with a score of 801. That’s up from 13th place in 2020, when it received a score of 775.

The J.D. Power study measures traveler satisfaction in six categories:

Travel facilities.
Airport accessibility.
Baggage claim.
Security check.
Check-in and baggage check.
Food, beverage, and retail.

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Turkey Day news

San Antonio eats up top-10 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving pumpkin pie at Kona Grill in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Kona Grill

San Antonio is one of the best place to celebrate Thanksgiving in Texas in 2024.

San Antonio is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

San Antonio ranked No. 7 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a big leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 14, and remains the second highest-ranked city in Texas.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The categories that San Antonio ranked the highest in were the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 2), and affordability (No. 11), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 90). Other categories that determined San Antonio's overall ranking were the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 14), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 75).

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, San Antonio will be fully decked for the December holidays. San Antonians who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. The home of the Alamo certainly goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas ranked two spots above San Antonio as the fifth best city for Thanksgiving. Houston ranked No. 23, while Austin only came in at No. 39.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

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