"Atlanta's Hartsfield airport just 'average,' according to new study"

Monday, November 4, 2002

Atlanta's Hartsfield airport just 'average,' according to new study
BY KIRSTEN TAGAMI
Cox News Service


ATLANTA - Travelers like the food and drinks at Hartsfield International
Airport, but ranked their overall experience as just ''average'' in a
study by J.D. Power and Associates.

The California firm is best known for its car-buyer satisfaction
surveys. But the company recently released its first report on the
world's airports.

Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok International Airport ranked as the best large
airport. U.S. airports with ''above average'' ratings include those in
Las Vegas, Phoenix and Minneapolis.

Hartsfield's average rating was due in part to poor marks on the
courtesy and professionalism of staff at security checkpoints, said Rick
Bourdeau, a senior research manager at J.D. Power. The survey was done
in late summer, before the first federal screeners arrived at
Hartsfield.

Hartsfield also could do more to help passengers understand how to get
from the concourses to the main terminal, the study showed.

But Hartsfield ranked second after Minneapolis for the quality, variety
and location of eateries.

''Post 9/11, people are looking for food and beverages closer to the
terminal, and Hartsfield provides that. They don't want to have to go
back through security,'' Bourdeau said.

Overall, 32 percent of survey respondents were pleased with security
since the terrorist attacks, compared with 39 percent before the
attacks.

Hartsfield did better in a passenger survey by the International Air
Transport Association last June. It was judged to be the best ''very
large'' airport based on courtesy, ease of finding your way, ground
transportation and other measures.


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