Honolulu International Airport was ranked slightly below average for traveler satisfaction in an annual survey — 15th of 25 medium-sized airports rated — according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

The study, now in its seventh year, measures overall airport satisfaction for three categories: large (30 million or more passengers per year), medium (10 million to 30 million passengers per year) and small (fewer than 10 million passengers per year).

On a 1,000-point scale, Honolulu rated 682, just six points below the medium category's average of 688.

State Transportation Department spokesman Scott Ishikawa said the state has been working to improve the airport experience overall in Honolulu and on Maui and Kaua'i, as those Neighbor Island airports are becoming more congested.

"We are streamlining the baggage check-in system," Ishikawa said. By the end of summer, interisland travelers in Honolulu will check in at the counter and then the rest of the TSA screening will occur behind the scenes rather than travelers having to lug their baggage from one screening to the other."

Ishikawa said traveler complaints have focused on customs wait times, rather than the baggage claim issues that have plagued larger airports on the Mainland. "We do have a lot more foreign arrivals," he said.

Travelers answer 28 questions aimed at determining overall customer satisfaction in these key areas: airport accessibility, baggage claim, check-in/baggage check, terminal facilities, security check, food and beverages, retail services, and immigration/customs control.

Nationwide, many of the traveler complaints came from longer waits at baggage claim areas, with more people checking more luggage because of increased screening regulations.

The percentage of survey respondents who report checking baggage increased from 67 percent in 2006 to 77 percent. While customer satisfaction levels increased for the check-in process overall compared with 2006, satisfaction with baggage claim declined notably, particularly at large airports.

The national survey was based on more than 10,200 passengers who took a flight between May 2006 and April 2007 and turned in more than 17,400 evaluations (up to two airports each.)

Among medium-sized airports, Kansas City International ranked highest, improving considerably in all eight measures since the 2006 study, especially in security checks, followed by Sacramento International in California and LaGuardia International in New York.

Dallas/Fort Worth International ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports; and Houston Hobby ranks highest among small airports for a second consecutive year, with particularly high marks in security checks.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.