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Airlines not flying high in customer survey, J.D. Power says

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: July 1, 2009

Overall customer satisfaction with airlines declined for a third consecutive year to a four-year low in 2009, despite the improvement in on-time arrival rates from a year ago.

The survey, by J.D. Power and Associates, involved 12,900 passengers who flew from April 2008 through May. It measured passenger costs and fees, flight crews, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding-deplaning-baggage, check-in and reservations.

Passengers were more dissatisfied with in-flight services, flight crew and costs and fees when compared with the 2008 survey.

They cited improvements in on-time travel and trimming time spent waiting to check in at main ticket counters.

JetBlue Airways ranked first among low-cost carriers for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Southwest Airlines, WestJet, Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways.

JetBlue performed particularly well in the aircraft and in-flight services portion of the survey.

Southwest performed well with regard to cost and fees and reservation measures. It was the only airline in the 2009 study to show improved scores overall from 2008, with notable increases in reservations, check-in, and boarding-deplaning-baggage.

Alaska Airlines had the highest customer satisfaction among traditional network carriers, followed by Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Alaska Airlines performed particularly well in five measures, the exceptions being in-flight services and reservations.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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