These North American airlines were rated best and worst by passengers

Passengers’ dissatisfaction with airlines is understandable, given the shaky revival of air travel after the pandemic. On Tuesday, J.D. Power confirmed passengers’ discontent with its 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, which found that satisfaction declined from the previous year.

From March 2022 through March 2023, 7,774 passengers who had flown with a major North American airline within the previous month were surveyed for the report. It was discovered that the overall satisfaction of passengers fell from 798 to 791 (on a scale from 0 to 1,000). The drop came after passenger satisfaction took a 22-point plunge between 2021 and 2022.

The eight factors below are how the North American Airline Satisfaction Study calculates passenger satisfaction:

• Aircraft

• Baggage handling

• Boarding process

• Check-in process

• Cost and fees

• Flight crew

• In-flight services

• Reservations and booking

The study breaks down passengers’ satisfaction levels across three tiers: first/business, premium economy, and economy/basic economy. In all three categories, rising airfares and surcharges have been the primary source of dissatisfaction among travelers over the past year. Demand, inflation, rising oil prices, and limited airline capacity have all contributed to steadily rising airfares over the past few months.

“From the customer perspective . . . planes are crowded, tickets are expensive, and flight availability is constrained,” Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, said, according to AFAR. While these drawbacks have not yet put a dent in leisure travel demand, if this trend continues, travelers will reach a breaking point and some airline brands may be damaged.”

Even though passenger satisfaction is down in general, those in first and business class have reported an improvement in their flight experience compared to the previous year. One reason for this is the return of food and beverage services, which were either not offered at all or severely reduced due to the pandemic.

Overall, in-flight beverages and dining saw an increase of 12 points from 2022, which was an upward trend.

The back of the plane, where passengers have been specifically displeased about the high cost of economy and basic economy seats, has seen the biggest declines. Southwest Airlines prevailed in this category despite suffering massive operations chaos during the holidays. The company issued numerous apologies to passengers and provided a sizable mileage bonus to those who had their flights canceled as a result of the massive chain reaction. See how other air carriers stacked up in this comparison.

These are the leading airlines in North America that offer “economy and basic economy” fares.

1. Southwest Airlines (827 points)

2. Delta Air Lines (801 points)

3. JetBlue Airways (800 points)

4. Alaska Airlines (781 points)

5. WestJet (777 points)

6. Allegiant Air (775 points)

7. United Airlines (770 points)

8. Air Canada (765 points)

9. American Airlines (764 points)

10. Spirit Airlines (727 points)

11. Frontier Airlines (705 points)

These are the best premium economy service providers in North America.

1. Delta Air Lines (848 points)

2. JetBlue Airways (840 points)

3. Alaska Airlines (823 points)

4. American Airlines (821 points)

5. Air Canada (797 points)

6. United Airlines (784 points)

Here are the most notable first- and business-class airlines in North America.

1. JetBlue Airways (893 points)

2. Delta Air Lines (865 points)

3. United Airlines (848 points)

4. Alaska Airlines (833 points)

5. Air Canada (830 points)

6. American Airlines (826 points)

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all. Evie can be reached via email at evieblanco@detourxp.com.

This story was originally published May 22, 2023 at 12:06 PM with the headline "These North American airlines were rated best and worst by passengers."