Airline Rankings Lower Than Ever
Disgruntled Passengers Complain in Brand-New JD Power Study
Jun 20, 2008
Airline employee attitudes “have led to a significant decline in customer satisfaction with airline carriers,” JD Power and Associates reported in a new press release.
The survey said bad airline “people” factors and hassles – from flight crew, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding and baggage procedures, check-in and reservations – has caused customer ratings of airline performance to plummet to a three-year low.
The ratings “declined radically” compared with 2007, it said.
United Airlines, Northwest Airlines Worst, JetBlue Best
For traditional airlines, United Airlines and Northwest Airlines tied in rankings for worst carriers, while Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines ranked the highest. Delta came in third highest. Air Canada and Alaska Air were the two airlines whose ratings improved over 2007. US Airways was near the bottom.
Among lower cost airlines, the scores of even JetBlue and Southwest, which ranked 1 and 2 highest in customer satisfaction, were 2 % lower than in 2007. Frontier Airlines was rated third among the discount carriers, AirTran last of four.
Jet Blue was rated highest among all airlines. “JetBlue performs particularly well in six of seven customer satisfaction measures: aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; cost and fees; flight crew; and in-flight services” said the survey.
The survey covered "major North American airlines" (but not regional carriers) and was based on responses of over 19,700 passengers of all ages. Among seniors and Baby Boomers, as well as Generation X air travelers, complimentary meals are the most-desired amenity, said Power. In contrast, “In-flight movies are most desired by Generation Y passengers,”
JD Power and Associates is a well-known and respected marketing and customer rating service that covers numerous industries.
The survey was finished in April, before several major airlines began charging for second and even first bags that were checked as luggage rather than carried on the planes.
Paying for Checked Baggage? “Stupid”
Bad airline rankings could get worse in next year’s survey, with new fees picking up and the number of flights being whittled down. Industry consultant Michael Boyd was quoted in Forbes magazine as saying of the checked baggage strategy: “It’s stupid.”
He added: “for the big carriers, the lousy service scores will continue until they manage to make their systems simpler for passengers. Above all else, that means scheduling more slack time for changeovers.”
What aspects of the not-friendly skies did the better-ranked airlines handle the best? Alaska performs particularly well in five of seven measures: aircraft; boarding deplaning/baggage; check-in; flight crew and reservations, while Continental performs well in the cost and fees measure.
