Passengers see improvements in U.S. airline services

Tuesday 07th April, 06:24 AM JST

WASHINGTON —

Hawaiian Airlines topped an annual quality study of U.S. air carriers as the industry took some of the hassle out of flying last year and delivered its best performance in four years.

The improvement came just a year after airlines earned their worst marks for passenger complaints in more than a decade.

Right behind Hawaiian in the overall ratings of 17 airlines were AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways, according to a study based on government statistics that was released Monday by private researchers. The legacy airlines—AMR Corp.‘s American, Continental, Delta and UAL Corp’s United—were clustered in the middle, while regional air carriers filled out the bottom rungs.

The airline industry flew fewer people in 2008 but treated them better, arriving on time more often and losing fewer bags. Passengers also were not as apt to be bumped from flights by overbooking, which was a big problem when airlines were running at or over capacity.

The downside: Less flights, higher prices—some airlines now charge extra for any luggage—and fewer frills.

The study found consumer complaints dipped from 1.42 per 100,000 passengers in 2007 to 1.15 in 2008. Southwest Airlines had the best rate, only 0.25 complaints per 100,000 passengers; US Airways had the worst rate, 2.25.

Half of all complaints involved baggage or flight problems such as cancellations, delays or other schedule deviations.

The average on-time performance last year was 3 percentage points better than the year before, yet nearly one-quarter of all flights were late. The study said 12 airlines improved from the previous year, but only three airlines had better than an 80% on-time rate: Hawaiian, 90%; Southwest, 80.5%; and US Airways, 80.1%.

American, the nation’s largest air carrier as measured by passengers flown the most miles, had the worst record, arriving on time only 69.8% of the time.

The rate of passengers denied boardings—usually bumpings due to overbooking—dipped slightly, from 1.14 per 10,000 passengers to 1.1 in 2008. Jet Blue had the lowest rate for the second year in a row, 0.01 per 10,000 passengers; Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a subsidiary of SkyWest Inc. that operates regional flights for Delta Air Lines, had the highest rate, 3.89.

All the airlines did a better job handling passengers’ baggage. The mishandled baggage rate fell from 7.01 bags per 1,000 passengers in 2007 to 5.19 bags in 2008.

AirTran did the best job, with 2.87 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers; American Eagle Airlines, which operates regional flights for American Airlines, did the worst, at 9.89.

The improvement in lost bags may be partly due to checked-bag fees imposed by some airlines, said Dean Headley, an associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University in Kansas and co-author of the study. It’s likely some passenger responded by carrying onboard bags they would have previously checked, reducing the volume of checked bags and easing the pressure on airlines, he said.

The study gave Atlantic Southeast the lowest ranking of the 17 airlines for all four categories combined—lost bags, bumping, customer complaints and on-time arrivals.

“This year’s quality rating doesn’t tell the full story. We have been working hard to turn our performance around,” Atlantic Southeast spokeswoman Kate Modolo said, noting that the airline has improved its on-time performance and reduced its customer complaint rate in the past year.

Hawaiian Airlines, No. 1 in the study, flies to eight West Coast cities, Las Vegas and Phoenix in addition to the Hawaiian Islands and to the Philippines, Australia, Samoa and Tahiti.

The study, compiled annually since 1991, is based on Transportation Department statistics for airlines that carry at least 1 percent of the passengers who flew domestically last year. The research is sponsored by St Louis University in Missouri and by Wichita State.

The improved performance was not surprising because 2007 was the worst year for airlines in the study, researchers said.

The aviation system suffered close to a meltdown in 2007 as domestic carriers recorded 770 million passengers—the busiest year for air travel since before the attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Aviation experts said the air transport system had reached capacity.

There were 741 million passengers in 2008, and airlines are reporting weak travel demand through the first quarter of this year.

Co-author Brent Bowen, chairman of aviation science at St Louis University’s Parks College, said airlines are suffering from the poor economy despite lower oil prices.

“It remains to be seen if the airlines can benefit from lower oil prices alongside a severe drop in passenger revenue this year,” Bowen said.

Headley urged Congress to take advantage of this “breathing room” to move forward on a system that would replace decades-old radar technology with satellite-based technology.

That new system is forecast to increase air transportation system capacity by enabling planes to fly closer together and more directly to their destinations, saving time and fuel.

“It’s crazy to think we can keep going the way we were going with the volume of planes we have in the air,” Headley said.

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On the Net:

Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov

Bureau of Transportation Statistics: http://www.bts.gov

Study site: http://www.aqr.aero/

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14 Comments

memyselfI at 10:21 AM JST - 7th April

I not going to buy a ticket from NWA or AIR CANADA. The flight attendents are really stupid.

Air Canada Example Flight Attendents gave me a steak dinner She didn't ask me, Sir, we have three choices today. We have chicken Steak and Fish !!! She just told me,--- " Here you are !! " SHE DIDN'T GIVE ME A CHOICE/OPTIONS ABOUT MY DINNER

NWA Poor handling on of a selfish ignorant French Candian Blonde Woman This woman was arguing with the flight attendents about her baby. The selfish woman would not use a baby seat. She denied several times. And the North West attendents kept talking to this annoying lady for 30 minutes ignoring other passengers. I understand the flight attendents point of view. The baby will probably be airborne do to flight turbulance or bumps But if the stupid candian mother doesn't want to listen move along.
SuperLib at 11:58 AM JST - 7th April

World news?
SuperLib at 11:58 AM JST - 7th April

Whoops....I clicked on the Travel tab instead of the World tab...hahah
sharky1 at 01:10 PM JST - 7th April

They really need to work on the attitudes of the flight attendants. I have never encountered more rude and disrespectful treatment by flight attendants anywhere than I have in the US.
Yelnats at 03:07 PM JST - 7th April

I love rude flight attendants, as they are fun to goof on, and America has the most.
dennis0bauer at 03:30 PM JST - 7th April

Southwest? no more Northwest? asian airlines seem to have better service than the american ones
realist at 09:44 PM JST - 7th April

US Airlines generally suck, and have gotten worse these past few years because of all the crazy security checks. The real problem, though, is not the US Airlines but the US itself. If you fly to the US with a US airline, you are in for a bumpy ride, in more ways than one, but when you try to enter the sacred land of Obama Terrority, getting through Immigration is hell on earth, with all the rudeness you encounter. I havent visited America for the last 4 years (before that I was a very regular visitor) for the twin reasons of 1. Bad US Airlines and 2. Ignorant, unfriendly and unwelcoming Immigration Officials. When I want a holiday, I wouldnt even consider the US of A anymore, and I certainly wouldnt fly anywhere on an American airline. If the insanity ever stops,. I might consider going back for a visit, but I only see signs of it getting worse.
jjohnstone at 10:19 PM JST - 7th April

sharky1 at 01:10 PM JST - 7th April

They really need to work on the attitudes of the flight attendants. I have never encountered more rude and disrespectful treatment by flight attendants anywhere than I have in the US.

couldnt agree with you more. They are in a customer service industry and the vast majority dont seem to get that. They are glorified waiter/waitresses and they are on some crazy power trip.
Pukey2 at 12:29 AM JST - 8th April

You know you're in trouble when even the service on mainland Chinese airlines is better.

Hawaiian Airlines topped an annual quality study of U.S. air carriers

That's not saying much. What I'd be interested in knowing is how Hawaiian compares with all the other international airline companies.
OssanAmerica at 04:18 AM JST - 8th April

They really need to work on the attitudes of the flight attendants. I >have never encountered more rude and disrespectful treatment by flight >attendants anywhere than I have in the US.

I think that's a really unfair comment. It's not just the flight attendants, it's everybody in in every service field in the United States that's rude and disrespectful.
NoSoEaWe at 06:21 AM JST - 8th April

Well, yes, for whatever it's worth, all top ten airlines of 2009 picked by the World Airline Awards were from Asia and Oceania:

http://www.worldairlineawards.com/index.htm
mojibake at 09:24 AM JST - 8th April

No, flight attendants are special because unions and seniority mean EVERYTHING in their world. Try going into work every day with the mindset that "it's just another few more years" until you get sempai privileges -- and making a traveller's life pleasant is probably the last thing on your mind.
jeancolmar at 07:03 PM JST - 12th April

I have horror stories about United Airlines, which I am forced to take if I need to get to North America. Their ground staff is worse than their flight attendants, except in Japan.

U.S. Immigration runs the gambit from mildly annoying to obscene. They want to presume you are going to love the US so much that you are going to turn into an instant illegal alien, tossing your more or less comfortable life for substandard wages and no health benefits and the chance that some psycho mass murderer will blow you away.
Sarge at 07:10 PM JST - 12th April

jean - "I have horror stories about United Airlines, which I am forced to take if I need to get to North America"

Who's forcing you to take United? Never heard of ANA or JAL or Northwest or Delta or American?

As for the rest of your post, the topic is improved service on U.S. airlines, so could you save the general U.S. bashing for another thread? Thanks.