O'Hare ties for last place

O'Hare Airport tied for last place with Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey among the nation's 20 largest mega airports in JD Power's annual customer satisfaction survey.

First time at the bottom

This is O'Hare's first time ranking dead last. In 2024, it placed 18th out of 20, then improved to 16th place last year.

Survey covered 24,000 travelers

JD Power surveyed 24,000 travelers from July 2025 to July 2026, rating ease of travel, trust in the airport, and staff, food, and retail experiences.

Construction is the main culprit

O'Hare's poor ranking stems from ongoing concourse construction, according to JD Power's managing director of travel, hospitality and retail.

Eight billion dollar expansion underway

O'Hare started an $8 billion terminal expansion last year, including a 19-gate satellite terminal called Concourse D, expected to open in late 2028.

Global Terminal still not started

The city has not yet begun work on the Global Terminal, which is expected to replace Terminal 2 by 2033.

Airport operating at full capacity

O'Hare will remain too small for its passenger volume until renovations finish. More than 84 million passengers passed through last year.

“It's a very crowded environment.”

FAA imposed flight cap

Last spring, the Federal Aviation Administration capped flights at O'Hare after United Airlines and American Airlines added flights to control more gates.

Midway ranks below average

Midway Airport ranked just below average in the large airports category, placing 17th out of 27 airports surveyed this year, up from 19th last year.

Midway's landlocked problem

Midway has no room to expand because it's landlocked, limiting its ability to improve passenger experience and capacity.

Southwest changes frustrate travelers

Passengers are adjusting to Southwest Airlines' recent changes to bag fees and assigned seating, which have affected Midway's ratings.

Food service complaints at Midway

Midway passengers dinged the airport for food services, with some offerings like the Billy Goat not delivering an authentic experience.

Renovated airports rank higher

Recently overhauled airports like LaGuardia in New York City ranked third in the mega category, showing that full makeovers improve customer satisfaction.