While cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms or cheap vacation packages remain of uppermost importance in many prospective travelers plans, some travel providers do a better job of satisfying their guests.
The latest American Consumer Satisfaction Index found that more people prefer JetBlue than United and staying at a Hilton hotel rather than a Wyndham. This is an annual consumer survey that ranks companies on a scale of 100 to 1, with 100 being the most desired score.
Airlines as a group posted their highest score in a decade, coming in at 67 vs. 65 last year. Hotels attained the same score as last year: 77.
JetBlue came in first with a score of 81, displacing Southwest which fell to second with a score of 77. JetBlue is known to be an airline that provides flying experiences that match its customers expectations. While this airline is not necessarily providing a quality of experience that is much higher than its competition, it generally meets customers expectations while others often fall short.
Southwests ranking fell from 81 the prior year as customers had to deal with the fallout of the airlines merger with AirTran in 2011. Such mergers almost inevitably result in hiccups and glitches noticed by the traveling public.
The survey found that the number of passengers who said they checked bags fell by almost 20 percent from the year before.
The overall findings suggest that passengers do not have high expectations when it comes to flying. Since there is little to differentiate experiences flying in coach, people are opting for the cheapest fares vs. higher quality.
While the price of airline tickets plays a critical role in which airlines the public chooses to fly, many hotel guests are looking at more than just the cheapest priced room. Consumers have shown a definite willingness to pay more to get more from hotels.
Experts point out that hotel chains which are charging higher prices and enjoy guest perception that they are receiving better quality experiences are the ones that are performing better.
Hotels offering better experiences, such as Hilton (80) and Marriott (78) both scored above the industry average of 77. Wyndham was one of the lowest ranked (70) hotel chains. www.cheapfares.com