The flying public rated Alaska Airlines highest among traditional North American network carriers and JetBlue Airways highest among low-cost carriers, according to the 2009 report from agency J.D. Power and Associates. It was the fourth straight year for JetBlue and the second consecutive year Alaska “won” the rankings.
Coming in just behind Alaska was Continental on the overall score, with Delta next, while the number two spot among low-cost carriers was shared by Southwest and the Canadian carrier WestJet.
United Airlines, United Airways, AirTran, Frontier Get Bad Rating
Despite improvements in on-time performances (attributed partly to a decline in the number of flights), customers -- seniors and others -- gave the lowest overall marks to United and US Airways among big carriers, and to AirTran and Frontier among low-cost carriers.
In the middle among traditional carriers were American, Air Canada and Northwest. There were only five airlines in the low-cost list, defined as “airlines that operate single-cabin aircraft with typically lower fares.
Most Important to Flyers – Cost and Fees Onboard and Attitude of Flight Crews
J.D. Power and Associates conducts the annual survey by asking both business and leisure customers to rank performance in seven categories. In order of importance they are:
- cost and fees;
- flight crew;
- in-flight services;
- aircraft;
- boarding/deplaning/baggage;
- check-in;
- reservations.
Southwest, Continental Rated Near Best
A closer look showed that Southwest Airlines got the top ranking in reservations and costs and fees, while Continental garnered the top ranking in cost and fees and in-flight services.
Southwest was the only airline – traditional or discount – in the latest study to show overall improvement from 2008. Its most notable advancement came in the reservations, check-in and boarding/deplaning/baggage categories.
Meanwhile, a JD Power spokesman lauded Alaska for making “notable improvements in the courtesy and knowledge of its check-in staff from 2008." The spokesman, Dale Haines, senior director of the travel practice, also noted that both Southwest and WestJet were heating up the low-cost battle against JetBlue. This was the first year WestJet was among the carriers covered.
“Cost and fees” were a notable drag in a year when traditional carriers began charging for checked bags and extending the costs for food. United, US Airways, Northwest and Air Canada all showed the poorest scores in that category.
On Time Performance Improved
Overall, on-time arrivals have improved significantly (by more than 5 percent) in 2009, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Planes arrived without delay 78 percent of the time in 2009.
Analyzing the numbers, J.D. Power says a full 70 percent of this improvement comes “directly from improved performance in areas within airlines' control, rather than conditions related to weather, air traffic control or security concerns.” It has been noted by media commentators that airlines decreased their number of flights this year because of the recession, among other reasons.
Nevertheless there have been major delays -- including one flight recently delayed 20 hours, according to columnist Scott McCartney in the Wall Street Journal. Senior flyers need to stretch often on long or delayed flights to avoid blood clots..
Summary: Alaska Airlines and JetBlue once again were rated best North American airlines in the 2009 J.D. Power survey.
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