The Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Airline Rankings

Southwest Airlines has recently been ranked as having the highest economy class customer satisfaction among North American airlines in J.D. Power’s 2024 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study. This study also found that Delta Airlines took the top spot in both the first/business class and premium economy categories.

According to Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service, the key takeaway from this year’s study is the significant impact that employees have on the overall flight experience. Taylor emphasizes that airlines investing in staff training and recruitment are able to enhance customer satisfaction despite challenges like crowded gates and planes simply by providing excellent customer service.

J.D. Power’s study measured customer satisfaction based on performance in seven categories including airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, on-board experience, level of trust, pre/post-flight experience, and value for price paid. The data was collected between March 2023 and March 2024 from 9,582 passengers who had flown within a month of being surveyed. Southwest Airlines led the economy cabin category with a score of 685 out of 1,000 points, followed by Delta with 651 points. In contrast, Frontier and Spirit Airlines ranked the lowest in economy class satisfaction.

In the first/business class category, Delta Airlines scored the highest with 743 points, surpassing JetBlue which came in second with 736 points. On the other hand, Air Canada ranked last among the six airlines included in this category. Finally, in the premium economy category, Delta also secured the top spot with 716 points, beating Alaska Airlines with 687 points. United and Air Canada received the lowest rankings in this category.

J.D. Power highlighted that the two main factors influencing airline customer satisfaction are the ease of travel and level of trust. While price is also a significant consideration, passengers prioritize a seamless flight experience over cost when evaluating their overall satisfaction with an airline.