American travelers have had more than their fair share of ongoing pain points with U.S. airlines this past year, from soaring airfares and missing luggage to staff shortages and flight cancellation chaos. Now, new data confirm there is increased overall consumer disappointment with American carriers compared with a year earlier, save for those in the very front of the plane.
On a 1,000-point scale, passengers rated their satisfaction at 791 points — a C+, in letter grades — according to the 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released on Wednesday, from consumer research firm J.D. Power. The number reflects an overall decline of seven points since 2022, making it the second consecutive year that sentiment toward U.S. airlines has soured. The exception: first- and business-class passengers, who say they feel service has improved in the last 12 months.
The study reflects the opinions of 7,774 passengers who took to the skies from March 2022 to March 2023. Their satisfaction was measured across eight factors, including check-in, baggage retrieval, costs and fees, boarding and in-flight services.
Top grades went to JetBlue Airways Corp., which for the second year in a row surpassed Delta Air Lines Inc. as the best overall airline for passenger satisfaction in the first- and business-class segment. Southwest Airlines Co. took the top spot among consumers as the best carrier for economy travel, in spite of its multiple recent failures. American Airlines Group Inc. struggled across the board, ranking among the three worst airlines for every type of cabin class available.
