J.D. Power’s Airline Satisfaction Report Reveals Another Banner Year for Air Travel

The J.D. Power 2019 North American Airline Satisfaction Study was released this week, revealing an overall customer satisfaction rate that was the highest in history. According to the report, customer satisfaction increased 11 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from last year’s record-setting performance, due to a combination of factors, including the introduction of newer planes, better ticket value, and improved customer service.

“Airlines continue to deliver on the operational side of air travel,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. “New technology investments have dramatically improved the reservation and check-in process. Fleets are newer and travelers generally feel that they are getting great value for their money.”

The North America Airline Satisfaction Study, now in its 15^th year, measures passenger satisfaction with airline carriers based on seven factors: cost and fees; inflight services, aircraft, boarding/deplaning/baggage, flight crew, check-in, and reservation.

The report provides crucial information that airlines can use to improve their services, including measuring critical components that drive overall satisfaction; identifying areas of strength and weakness for each airline; and tracking performance on an annual basis.

Report findings
Overall, the report offered a very optimistic outlook of the future of the airline industry. Record-high customer satisfaction, increasing to 773, continued an eight-year trend of satisfaction improvement.

Much of the Improvements observed were driven by traditional airline carriers, whose segment satisfaction score improved 22 points from 2018. The low-cost carriers — while still maintaining higher overall satisfaction than the traditional carriers — dipped 6 points from 2018.

“These improvements have been most profound in the traditional carrier segment, where customer satisfaction has climbed considerably. While low-cost carriers have historically had the highest levels of customer satisfaction in our study, due to a strong sense of value for money among customers, that line is starting to blur as traditional carriers improve their services and operations,” said Taylor.

“The one area where both traditional and low-cost carriers can still improve, however, is in in-flight services. It continues to be the lowest-ranked factor in the study, as many airlines still struggle with inflight entertainment, connectivity, in-seat power and food service.”

The report revealed that the reservation and check-in segments of travelers’ trips are the most satisfying portions of the airline experience, being driven by investments in digital check-in technologies, self-service kiosks, and a coordinated effort among airlines to improve the efficiency of the pre-flight process.

Inflight services, however, continue to represent the lowest-ranked part of the travel experience. Specific inflight amenities that have the greatest positive effect on customer satisfaction are fresh food and seatback entertainment like games and live television.

Highest ranked airlines
The study measured passenger satisfaction among both business and leisure travelers and is based on responses from 5,966 passengers who flew on a major North American airline between March 2018 and March 2019.

Certain airlines were clear standouts this year, and among the traditional carriers, Alaska Airlines ranked highest for the 12th consecutive year, with a score of 801. Delta Air Lines ranked second with a score of 788, and American Airlines ranked third with a score of 764.

There was a tie between the low-cost airline carriers, with JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines each ranking highest with a score of 817. This marks the third consecutive year Southwest has landed at the top of the J.D. Power ranking.

Among the Canadian airline carriers, Air Canada (729) saw its satisfaction score decline 5 points from 2018. WestJet (758) saw its score increase 11 points, but despite this, it remains below average among low-cost carriers.

Click here for more information about the J.D. Power 2019 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.