It is a difficult time to be a traveler passing through America's airports, according to a customer survey by J. D. Power and Associates.

The company released the results of its 2008 North America Airport Satisfaction Study on Wednesday and says overall traveler satisfaction declined for the first time since 2001.

The results of the survey are not all that surprising considering fare rates and flight cancellations both saw drastic increases in 2007.

J.D. Power's survey took into account overall airport satisfaction, airport accessibility, baggage check and the security check process.

Smaller airports stood out for their ability to make travel a more enjoyable experience and scored higher on the survey than larger airports. Among small airports, Dallas Love Field was rated the highest by travelers of any North American airport. Chicago's Midway International airport ranked highest in the medium airport segment. Travelers rated Philadelphia International the top performer among large airports.

Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked last among 19 large airports studied. Last year, the Twin Cities airport was 13th out of 17.

The study found that business travelers were particularly unhappy with the airports they used. The percentage of business travelers also rose as tougher economic times made consumers reconsider their leisure travel plans.

According to the study, people who had connecting flights at those airports were happier with their stops en route. That's not surprising, since their experience there didn't include baggage check-in, security lines or airport parking.

J.D. Power's release said its national study coincided "with a period of notably high rates of flight delays between April 2007 and May 2008."