• June 8, 2010

New York-based JetBlue Airways ranked highest in airline customer satisfaction among low-cost carriers for the fifth year in a row in J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, while Alaska Airlines ranks highest in the traditional carrier segment for a third consecutive year.

This is the sixth consecutive customer satisfaction award JetBlue has received from J.D. Power and Associates. Following JetBlue in the segment rankings are Southwest Airlines and WestJet, respectively. Southwest Airlines performs particularly well in the cost and fees and reservation measures. WestJet performs well in the check-in; boarding/deplaning/baggage; and flight crew measures.

Alaska Airlines performs particularly well in six of the seven measures: flight crew; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; cost and fees; and reservation. Continental Airlines and American Airlines, respectively, follow Alaska Airlines in the rankings. Continental Airlines performs particularly well in the in-flight services measure.

The 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction of both business and leisure passengers with major North American carriers. The study is based on responses from more than 12,300 passengers who flew on a major North American airline between April 2009 and April 2010. The study was fielded between May 2009 and April 2010. Overall customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in seven measures (in order of importance): cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; and reservation.

Reversing three consecutive years of declines, overall customer satisfaction with airlines in North America has increased notably, with 10 of 12 airlines improving from 2009. The study finds that overall customer satisfaction with airlines in 2010 has improved to a three-year high of 673 on a 1,000-point scale, improving by 15 points from 2009. The improvement is driven by increases in satisfaction with cost and fees and in-flight services in 2010, compared with 2009, according to Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power and Associates.