Fliers happier with air service but not fees

Customer satisfaction with airlines is rising, but fliers continue to grumble about costs and fees, a new J.D. Power and Associates study released today indicates. Customer satisfaction with U.S. and Canadian airlines increased to an average of 683 on a 1,000-point scale this year — 10 points higher than last year. When it comes to low-cost airlines alone, satisfaction reached a five-year high, a 751 average, this year. Passengers also expressed their highest levels of satisfaction with check-in and reservations processes since 2006 — functions that have become increasingly automated and done by passengers themselves. "Passengers have adjusted their expectations during the past several years and now appear more satisfied with the convenience and speed that technology has enabled," says Stuart Greif, a J.D. Power and Associates vice president. More than 13,500 passengers who flew on a major North American airline from July 2010 to April of this year participated in the Power study. Satisfaction was based on passengers' attitudes toward fares and fees, flight crew, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding, deplaning, baggage, check-in and reservations. Passengers gave all five low-cost carriers in the study — JetBlue, Southwest, WestJet, AirTran and Frontier — higher satisfaction scores than the seven traditional network airlines in the study. JetBlue had the highest average score, 773, among low-cost carriers, followed by Southwest, at 769. Alaska Airlines had the highest score, 680, of the traditional network carriers. The lowest score was US Airways' 625. In between were Air Canada, Continental, American, Delta and United. Continental and United were surveyed separately, though they're undergoing merged operations. Air Canada President Calvin Rovinescu vowed in the airline's annual report last year that a goal was to "meet and exceed customer satisfaction," and the Canadian carrier may have been successful. It showed the biggest improvement of all airlines, raising its satisfaction score from 636 last year to 678 this year. Though overall satisfaction with all airlines increased, many passengers in Power's 2011 study were dissatisfied with airfares and fees for baggage and other services. Airlines have increased fares several times this year, and passengers in the study have apparently noticed. Satisfaction levels with airfares declined from last year for every airline. The seven traditional network carriers combined for a record-low average score of 555 — compared with 582 last year — for customer satisfaction with airfares and fees. Satisfaction with airline fees also declined except for customers of Air Canada, JetBlue, Southwest and WestJet. The four airlines are the only ones in the survey that don't charge for a first checked bag. Of all check-in methods, passengers surveyed said they were most satisfied by curbside check-in, followed by check-in on the Internet and at an airport kiosk. Check-in at an airport counter received the lowest satisfaction score. The employees of WestJet and Southwest rated best for satisfying passengers, followed by the workers of JetBlue and Alaska. Satisfaction with flight crew was highest for WestJet, which had an 826 flight-crew satisfaction score. Among traditional carriers, Alaska's flight crews ranked No. 1, with a 765 score.