Airlines Are Celebrating New Achievements Ahead of the Busy Summer Travel Season
TRAVEL (FOX/DT) – Southwest Airlines has claimed the top spot for customer satisfaction in the economy and basic economy categories for the third consecutive year, according to J.D. Power’s 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study released on Wednesday.
In contrast, Delta Air Lines earned the highest rankings in both the first class/business and premium economy categories. Following Delta in first class/business class rankings were JetBlue, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada. Delta has been enhancing its business class experience with “Delta One,” while JetBlue has upgraded its “Mint” service.
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Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s Senior Managing Director of Travel, Hospitality, Retail, and Customer Service, highlighted the importance of staff in enhancing the flight experience. “The significant takeaway from this year’s study is the impact of personnel on the overall flight experience. Airlines investing in staff training and recruitment are successfully counteracting the challenges of crowded gates and planes by providing excellent customer service,” Taylor noted.
For premium economy, the leading airlines were Delta, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, WestJet, United Airlines, and Air Canada. Delta’s “Delta Comfort+” premium economy service offers benefits such as early boarding, extra legroom, complimentary beer or wine, and premium snacks.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed pride in the results, saying, “This recognition is a testament to our elevated customer experience, driven by the outstanding service of our 100,000 Delta employees worldwide. I’m incredibly proud of our team for consistently setting new standards for our customers.”
Delta earned the highest customer satisfaction rating in the first and business segments. It also notched the highest customer satisfaction ranking in the premium economy segment for the second year in a row, according to the survey.
Meanwhile, Southwest earned the highest rating in the economy/basic economy segment.
In the economy category, Southwest Airlines led, followed by Delta and Allegiant Airlines. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines were ranked lowest.
The study surveyed 9,582 passengers who had flown with a major airline in the month preceding the survey, conducted between March 2023 and March 2024. Participants rated their airline experience on a six-point scale, covering aspects such as staff interaction, trust, and value for money.