ATMs Maintain Spot as Top Airport Amenity; Currency Exchange on Chopping Block

December 20, 2023

Airports Council Releases 2023 Passenger Amenities Survey Results

WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), the trade association representing commercial service airports in the United States and Canada, today released its 2023 Customer Experience Management and Passenger Amenities Survey results.  The survey tracks more than 130 common airport amenities and services found at airports across North America.

“Since the start of the busiest holiday season in the history of air travel this year, airports have been laser focused on delivering the best possible customer experience through efficiency, resiliency, collaboration and innovation,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “Airports are continually expanding and enhancing their passenger experience programs and amenities to provide comfort and enjoyment to airport users.  As airports plan for the future, passengers can expect to see more investment in a better passenger experience, especially in the areas of accessibility and concessions.”

In addition to following key trends in airport passenger amenities and services, the survey is designed to assist airport customer experience professionals in understanding industry-wide approaches to customer experience management best practices in the airport environment.

85 North American airports – accounting for more than 85.5 percent of North American passenger traffic – provided feedback for the 2023 survey.

Key Highlights:

  • ATMs remain the most popular airport amenity, holding on to the top spot since 2012.
  • Water bottle refilling stations have grown in popularity since 2020, as have lactation/nursing spaces and hand sanitizer dispensers.
  • With the rapid proliferation of ride-sharing services, more airports are now deploying dedicated zones for pickup and drop-off, helping to ease curbside congestion.
  • Since the last survey in 2020, more airports than ever before are reporting that there is a customer experience emphasis within the airport’s mission, vision, brand, and service delivery strategy.
  • Since the last survey in 2020, more airports are now deploying online learning modules or webinars to help reinforce customer experience training.

Trends to watch:

  • Over the next three to five years, passengers can expect new and expanded airport amenities and services, including sensory rooms, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard Programs, art programs, children play areas, nursing facilities, and concessions growth as the top-rated amenities likely to appear in North American airport terminals.
  • As passenger needs change, airports are beginning to phase out unnecessary, underutilized, or redundant amenities and services. The top three rated amenities likely to be eliminated or replaced in the next three to five years are currency exchange stations, shoeshine stations, and COVID testing sites.

The full 2023 Customer Experience Management and Passenger Amenities Survey results can be found on the ACI-NA website.

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.