Fliers give airlines higher marks
Fliers are becoming more tolerant of fees to check baggage, and for a seat with extra legroom. In fact, passengers are more satisfied with their air travel experiences than they've been in the last decade, according to J.D. Power's 2016 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study released Wednesday.
Fliers are becoming more tolerant of fees to check baggage, and for a seat with extra legroom.
In fact, passengers are more satisfied with their air travel experiences than they've been in the last decade, according to J.D. Power's 2016 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study released Wednesday.
Because U.S. airlines are profitable, they are spending money on the customer experience, by lowering fares on some routes, achieving better on-time arrivals, reducing the frequency of lost luggage, and enhancing in-flight services with in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi, and seat-side power outlets on board.
Airlines are also investing profits in newer planes.
The study, which ranked traditional and low-fare carriers, measured passenger satisfaction based on seven criteria. Ranked in order of importance, they are costs and fees; in-flight services; boarding, deplaning, and baggage; flight crew; aircraft; check-in, and reservation. Satisfaction was calculated on a 1,000 point scale.
Among the low-cost carriers, JetBlue Airways ranked number one in overall satisfaction followed by Southwest Airlines.
Among the major or so-called legacy" carriers, Alaska Airlines topped the rankings, followed by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in third place. Air Canada came in fourth, followed by United Airlines. American and merger partner US Airways operate a hub and 76 percent of the flights in Philadelphia.
The satisfaction study was based on responses from 10,348 passengers who flew between March 2015 and March 2016.
"While the perception of the airline experience still has a lot of room for improvement, there is notable progress," said Rick Garlick, J.D. Power's global travel and hospitality practice lead. "The airlines are clearly listening to their passengers and are taking action."
The annual survey found that passengers are more tolerant of extra fees for baggage and extra legroom. The satisfaction of people who pay for bags and other services went up 12 points to 658 on a 1,000-point scale from 2015. Lower fares helped make the extra fees more tolerable to fliers, J.D. Power said.
Here are other takeaways from the report:
17 percent of business travelers and 7 percent of leisure travelers post a comment about their airline experience on social media, with millennials more likely to post comments than other generational groups.
Business travelers were more satisfied than leisure travelers with their flights. Business travelers fly more frequently, are less sensitive to price, and are more satisfied with the value of travel than are leisure travelers.
Passengers who are members of airlines' frequent-flier loyalty programs and earn points or miles toward free trips were more satisfied than passengers who are not members.
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