This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Given complaints about long security lines at airports, lack of leg room in packed aisles and expensive fares, results from a recent J.D. Power study of satisfaction with North American airlines produced some surprising results.
The study showed satisfaction with the airlines reached its highest level in 10 years.
Study authors wrote that the airlines are listening to customers and enhancing their products and services.
The rankings revealed that Alaska Airlines and JetBlue ranked first for traditional and low-cost carriers.
Key findings from the report:
Overall customer satisfaction with the airline industry increased nine points to 726, the highest score since the implementation of the current methodology in 2006.
Passengers are more tolerant of costs and fees, a fact reflected in lower fares.
In-flight services, while still the lowest scoring factor in the study, improved by 12 points in 2016, with in-flight entertainment showing improvement.
Business travelers are more satisfied than leisure travelers.
Finally, low-cost carriers outperform traditional carriers in overall satisfaction, though the gap is narrowing, showing an increase in performance among traditional carriers.