CLEVELAND, Ohio — Passengers may be unhappy with new baggage fees and crowded planes, but overall customer satisfaction with airlines has increased notably, a new survey suggests.
Alaska and Continental airlines earned the best consumer ratings among seven traditional network carriers in rankings released Tuesday by J.D. Power and Associates.
United Airlines, Continental’s planned merger partner, posted one of the biggest year-over-year point gains, but still came in sixth among the network carriers. US Airways was in last place.
Continental, which has a hub in at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, has received top customer satisfaction grades in recent years. United’s reputation isn’t as good.
The challenge when they join forces, assuming their merger gets the government’s blessing, will be to quickly bring United up to Continental’s standard, said Stuart Greif, vice president of the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power.
