While airlines now face a tough market in which many are spending less in fear of a looming recession, those who traveled in 2024 were largely satisfied with the experience.
The annual J.D. Power survey on airline satisfaction found that passenger satisfaction rose by six points from 2024, while satisfaction among economy travelers improved by eight points. At a seven-point decline, the biggest drop in satisfaction was recorded in the premium economy class.
“Throughout our one-year study period, we’ve seen a slight decline in both ticket prices and passenger volume, which has helped keep overall passenger satisfaction levels high,” Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service at the data analytics firm, said in a statement. “But it’s clear that market dynamics are changing and will likely affect passenger experience in the coming weeks and months.”
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Southwest Airlines responds to taking the top spot in economy traveler satisfaction
At 738 on a 1,000-point scale, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (LUV) took the top spot in the economy category. While Southwest has consistently held first place in this category over the years, it is still a surprising result given that, in 2024, the low-cost carrier has cut features like open seating and two free bags in an effort to appease an investor who has pushed for a shakeup of the carrier’s executive team.
Factors that influence J.D. Power’s ranking include customer service, ease of booking and the pre-flight experience, staff helpfulness and overall customer trust. Satisfaction with airline staff saw a particularly strong increase, with the number of travelers reporting positive experiences rising by nine points since 2024.
Related: Southwest just scrapped another thing that used to be cheap
“We’re honored to receive this ranking for a fourth year, since it celebrates our customer-friendly choices and our legendary hospitality,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement. “Our employees have always been Southwest’s differentiator, and this award reflects their continuous dedication to serving our customers.”
JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) followed Southwest with second and third place for their economy offering, while the order was reversed to Delta and then JetBlue for premium economy.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan narrowly survived an investor-led executive shakeup in 2024.
Image source: Getty/TheStreet
This low-cost airline has the least satisfied customers
In business class, JetBlue took the highest spot with 738 points, while Delta and Alaska Airlines (ALK) were the runners-up with a respective 724 and 709 points. The business-class category is also ranked according to quality of the perks signature of the fare class such as lie-flat seats, dining, and amenity kits.
Delta also responded to the ranking results by thanking J.D. Power for recognizing the “exceptional service and care of its people and the premium experiences it delivers for customers at every point in their journey.”
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While low-cost carriers consistently rank lower than mainstream ones, Denver-based Frontier Airlines (FRON) had the least-satisfied customers in the economy segment — the 520 points creates a significant gap with the 694 points recorded for Southwest.
Some other carriers rounding out the bottom include Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and Canadian carrier WetJet, with a respective 526 and 537 points. American Airlines (AAL) scored lower in the premium economy and business class categories.
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