Fliers' satisfaction with airlines drops, survey finds

— -- Passenger satisfaction with North America's airlines has declined slightly from a year ago, a new J.D. Power and Associates survey released today indicates.

After two consecutive years in which passengers said they were increasingly pleased with many aspects of service, their satisfaction with U.S. and Canadian airlines dropped this year to an average of 681 on a 1,000-point scale — 2 points lower than last year.

"The airline industry is caught between trying to satisfy passengers who demand low prices, providing passengers with high-quality service and comfort, and contending with the economic realities of profitably operating an airline," says Stuart Greif, a J.D. Power and Associates vice president.

More than 13,500 passengers who flew on a major North American airline from May 2011 to April 2012 participated in the J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey, which the marketing research firm conducts annually.

Satisfaction is based on performance in seven categories: the cost of tickets and fees; in-flight services; boarding, deplaning and baggage; flight crew; aircraft; check-in; and reservations.

J.D. Power says passenger satisfaction declined despite U.S. Transportation Department statistics that indicate airlines performed better in 2011 than in 2010. Statistics from the Transportation Department, which monitors and reports on airline performance, show that for last year, a higher percentage of planes arrived on time, there were fewer customer complaints, and the percentage of mishandled bags and bumped passengers had dropped.

Improved performance doesn't guarantee increased customer satisfaction, J.D. Power concludes, because passengers expect to board flights that are punctual and expect their bags to be handled properly.

Though overall satisfaction declined in this year's survey, satisfaction reached a six-year high, a 754 average, for low-cost airlines.

All five low-cost carriers in the survey — JetBlue, Southwest, WestJet, AirTran and Frontier — were given higher satisfaction scores by passengers than the seven traditional airlines surveyed. The seven were Alaska, Air Canada, Delta, Continental, American, United and US Airways.

For the seventh consecutive year, JetBlue received the highest average score: 776, followed by Southwest at 770.

Alaska Airlines had the highest average score among traditional carriers for the fifth consecutive year: 678, followed by Air Canada at 677 and Delta at 659.

The J.D. Power study found that checked-baggage fees continue to be "a customer sore point." Passengers who paid to check bags had an average satisfaction score 85 points lower than other passengers. JetBlue and Southwest — the airlines with the highest satisfaction scores — don't charge to check the first bag.

Though airfares and fees are important in customer satisfaction, more than 70% of passenger satisfaction is driven by other parts of the overall experience, J.D. Power says.

"Carriers that find innovative ways to provide passengers with greater control, save them time, reduce hassles, and make the airline experience more enjoyable and comfortable will reap satisfaction benefits," says Jessica McGregor, a J.D. Power senior manager.

Satisfaction with the check-in process is highest when passengers check in using a mobile device, the J.D. Power study shows.

Curbside check-in service ranks No. 2 in satisfaction, followed by computer/laptop, kiosk and airport counter services.

Airlines can provide better service and "do a better job of treating passengers genuinely and warmly," Greif says.

"Such treatment should not exclusively be the domain of passengers in the first-class or business-class cabins," he says. "A genuine warm, welcoming smile is not a hard cost, and an increased focus on staff and passenger interactions may also help offset challenges in other aspects of the passenger experience."