Airlines - Best, Worst Rankings
Travel Advisory - Jet Blue Ranked First in 2006 Among US Carriers
Rankings of top United States airlines in customer service should be scrutinized for performance in individual categories such as baggage handling and on time flights.
How quickly airlines go from first to worst in service! Early this month the U.S. Department of Transportation put Jet Blue at the top of its customer-service rankings for US-based airlines.
But the rankings are based on a combined score, and Jet Blue ranked best in baggage, bumped passengers and canceled flights. The well-chronicled meltdown of Jet Blue during the recent ice storm suggests we should pay a lot more attention to the flight delays category -- where Jet Blue was ranked next to last.
Why should seniors pay attention to DOT customer service rankings of airlines? Because as leisure travelers, often to distant destinations, seniors are the most likely to check baggage and to suffer most from interminable waits at airports when flights are delayed. It does not matter if the problem is weather, personnel or mechanical -- seniors want their vacations to be worry-free… and that in many occasions begins with a decent flight.
So in this latest DOT survey, who ranked highest for on time arrivals? Southwest, US Airways and Northwest, in that order. Who ranked dead last? Continental.
In the lost luggage category, "The baggage bunglers of the year were US Airways, Delta and American, in that order. US Airways mishandled about one bag for every 130 passengers -- roughly one on every flight," according to Scott McCartney, the astute travel columnist for the Wall Street Journal.
"US Airways says the problems stem mainly from baggage meltdowns in its Philadelphia hub," wrote McCartney. "The carrier says that during its financial difficulties, US Airways didn't spend on equipment, leaving old equipment now prone to breakdowns. The company is spending $20 million in Philadelphia on baggage equipment and overall infrastructure."
Philadelphia travelers -- you are duly forewarned!
Best in baggage after Jet Blue: Northwest, then Continental. Yes, Continental apparently does something right.
Overall worst? Delta. This busy carrier showed up as next-to-last in baggage, bumped passengers and canceled flights. McCartney wrote: "The airline, which like Northwest is trying to emerge from bankruptcy reorganization this year, has faced operational problems as it cut its schedule, shifted more to international flying and grappled with issues at Atlanta's airport."
Atlanta travelers -- you are forewarned too. But anyone who travels at least once a year through Hartsfield knows what a horror show the place can be.
Is there a takeaway message here for senior travelers and tour operators who cater to them? It is a murky one. Hope for the best when you travel within the United States, but be prepared for the worst -- regardless of how an airline ranks in various surveys.
