Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines ranks second in its category in an annual J.D. Power study on airline customer satisfaction.
Overall, customer satisfaction has improved due to newer planes and overhead storage compartments and cheaper fares, according to J.D. Power. Satisfaction has improved with everything from booking to baggage handling.
But passengers are still frustrated with in-flight wi-fi connectivity, according to the closely-watched study.
In-flight services were the lowest-scoring factor in the study, particularly for passengers using their own mobile devices with in-flight wi-fi.
“Today’s passengers expect trouble-free connectivity for personal devices and airlines are challenged to keep pace with the technology that can achieve that goal,” said J.D. Power travel practice lead Michael Taylor in a written statement. “This is important because passengers are far more likely to have a positive experience with an airline if they are entertained during their flight.”
In the traditional carrier category, Delta again came in second behind Alaska Airlines, which has taken the top spot for 11 years in a row.
In the low-cost carrier category, Southwest Airlines ranked No. 1 for the second year in a row. Dallas-based Southwest is the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson.
JetBlue Airways, which launched flights to Atlanta last year, came in second in the low-cost carrier category.
But overall, low-cost carriers Southwest and JetBlue scored higher than both Delta and Alaska.
The J.D. Power study is based on responses from 11,508 passengers who flew on a major North American airline between March 2017 and March 2018.
J.D. Power 2018 North American Airline Satisfaction Study
Traditional carriers - scored on a 1,000-point scale:
1. Alaska - 775
2. Delta - 767
3. Air Canada - 734
4. American - 729
5. United - 708
Low-cost carriers - scored on a 1,000-point scale:
1. Southwest - 818
2. JetBlue - 812
3. WestJet - 747
4. Allegiant - 725
5. Frontier - 693
Source: J.D. Power
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