While cheaptravel deals such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages arehighly valued, travelling is all the nicer when people feel that their travelproviders are treating them well.
The most recent Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reportedthat airlines scored 71 out of a possible 100 on a scale. This rating approaches a peak not seen in thelast 20 years. This years rating wasalmost 3 percent higher than last year and approaches the airline industrysrecord high score of 72 which was achieved in 1994.
Passengers say they are pleased with the growing number oflive TV and entertainment options on planes as well as the airlines improvingrecord of punctuality and falling number of mishandled bags.
While the airline industrys improving customer positiongives many reason to hope, its ACSI rating was only higher than Internetservice providers, subscription television companies, and health insurancecompanies. In the just released report43 different industries received customer satisfaction ratings.
The trade group Airlines for America says that the airlineindustry is pouring money into improving its offerings and operations, withinvestment expected to exceed $1.3 billion per month this year. Investments are focused in what the tradegroup claims is what customers value most new planes, in-flight entertainment,and other amenities.
JetBlue earned the top rating for a fourth consecutive year,with a score of 81 compared to ultra-low-cost Spirit airline being ranked worstwith a 54 score. Spirits claim to fameis its low prices, and offers next to no customer service unless passengers payfor it. This is turn results in itscustomers feeling like they are being nickeled and dimed.
Change is coming to JetBlue which has announced that it willstart charging a checked bag fee for some passengers for the first time. Baggage fees are a common practice for most airlines. Some experts expect JetBlues satisfaction scoreto fall next year once baggage fees are implemented.
Delta earned a 71 score, followed by Americans score of 66and United coming in at 60. All threeairlines received the same scores as the prior year.
American Airlines is slowly melding its systems and programswith its merger partner US Airways, in part to avoid some of the problems thatfrequently emerge during such a complex integration. Uniteds merger withContinental Airlines has proved bumpier.
Previous to Uniteds merger it had a history of customerservice problems which the Continental merger has only exasperated. This merger has not been handled as smoothlyor as deliberately, as American has been doing with its US Airways merger.
Hotels, another travel related provider, retained theircustomer satisfaction score at 75. Moreluxurious hotel chains, such as those run by Hilton and Marriott, received ascore of 80, while hotel guests were less satisfied with cheaper hotel chains.
The following were the customer satisfaction rankings earnedby major airline and hotel providers:
Airlines
JetBlue 81
Southwest 78
Alaska 75
Delta 71
American 66
Allegiant 65
United 60
Frontier 58
Spirit 54
Hotels
Marriott 80
Hilton 80
Hyatt 80
InterContinental76
Starwood 76
La Quinta 76
Best Western 74
Choice 73
Wyndham 68
Motel 6 63
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