Medcalf: Let’s bask in this moment of pride for our Minnesota airport

Last month, a friend mentioned that he had an upcoming layover at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He was flying for business and it would be his first visit to the airport.

I told him he wouldn’t be disappointed.

“Make sure you stop by the Prince store,” I said.

“The … Prince store?” he repeated.

“Yep,” I said as I nodded my head like I’d just finished a late shift there.

Like any good act, I left him wanting to know more ahead of a trip that he realized might feature more excitement than he’d ever anticipated. I’d done my good deed as a part-time Minnesotan that day, I thought.

And now all of that praise has been justified, as Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has regained its crown as the country’s top-ranked mega airport in terms of passenger satisfaction.

We all should take a bow. Again. A year after losing the #1 spot to Detroit’s airport, MSP took the throne in 2024, per J.D. Power’s North American Airport Satisfaction Study.

“Our purpose is to provide exceptional airport experiences so Minnesota thrives, and this prestigious recognition demonstrates that we are delivering for our travelers,” Brian Ryks, CEO and executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates MSP, said in a statement. “This award also acknowledges the work and focus of all airport employees and our partners who ensure our airport facilities, services and hospitality are maintained at the highest levels and exceed travelers’ expectations.”

As a frequent flier who relies on MSP to do my 9-to-5 job and all the travel it demands, I’m pleased.

Let me explain.

I’m a Wisconsin native who lacks the emotional ties to the highs and lows within the Minnesota sports scene. I don’t have stories about going to the Minnesota State Fair as a kid. And I’m also a transplant who always feels like a hypocrite whenever I talk about Prince (I was into “Thriller” more than “Purple Rain” in the 1980s).

But the airport? My pride in that facility is probably my most Minnesotan quality.

I’ve visited more than 75 American airports as a fulltime sportswriter for a national outlet. And when you spend that much time on the road, you learn to appreciate — and resent — some of the characteristics at each stop.

Kahului Airport in Hawaii? You feel like you just got dropped off in paradise when you land there because, well, you did. Want a great burger? Jack & Dan’s at the Spokane International Airport in Washington will take care of you. If you’re late for your flight and you have to drop off a car at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, don’t worry. You can check your bags at the rental car hub. And have you seen LaGuardia in New York City since the renovations?

But it ain’t all sunshine. I hate that I always have to walk 15,000 steps to get to my flight at O’Hare in Chicago. At Fort Wayne International Airport in Detroit, they have a tram because it feels like each terminal is in a different city. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes when you’re there. And I love my hometown’s Milwaukee International Airport, but the same benches and chairs have been in that airport’s main terminal since New Kids on the Block dropped their first album.

I get it. These are first-world problems. And air travel is a privilege many folks can’t access. Plus, there is the issue of carbon emissions and just the politics of airports overall and who gets to make choices about the most important transportation centers in each city.

But when I travel around the country, MSP is probably the spot I mention most to prospective visitors. It’s not fair but folks tend to judge places based on individual experiences. If you get food poisoning at a restaurant in Austin, you might decide to avoid the city forever. The Charlotte airport once lost my bags and I spent a decade blasting the whole town. It’s asinine but that’s how people are wired.

And that’s also why MSP’s top ranking is meaningful, especially for those of us who travel a lot. I often end up in conversations with other frequent fliers about their favorite places and the airport in those respective cities is always a part of that dialogue.

For me, MSP’s No. 1 spot in the J.D. Power survey — ahead of Detroit and Indianapolis — is more apt for bragging rights than anything on a stick. Is it all great at the airport? Nah. I’ll join the naysayers when I’m standing in one of those mile-long security lines or when an airline can’t find my bag after a long flight. But I defend MSP’s status whenever I’m among outsiders. And now, I can let my friends and colleagues know that the other airports are all chasing second place.

I have to admit, I’ve never felt like this living in Minnesota.

But it feels good to be a champion again.