For the second year in a row, customer satisfaction within the airline industry has actually increased. After years of poor customer service, aging aircraft and diminishing flyer benefits, flying is falling back in favor of travelers. Effort across the board from international airlines, business has gone up and so has flyer loyalty.
The World Airline Awards have just been announced and J.D. Power just released its 2014 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. Combined, this provides a look into the best airlines in the world based on elements like cost, fees, boarding, flight crew and the aircraft. The survey and analysis looked at North American airlines that fly nationally and internationally.
Cathay Pacific Airways was named the World’s Best Airline. Over 13,700 flyers and105 different nationalities of travelers participated in a survey that inquired about overall customer satisfaction specifically; there are questions about aircraft cleanliness, staff, check-in and boarding. The research indicated Cathay Pacific in first place for international travel, followed by Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Turkish Airlines. Meanwhile, for national travel, Alaska Airlines ranks the highest for the seventh year in a row while Delta Air Lines comes in a close second, improving significantly from 2013.American Airlines rounds out the top three from its positioning last years at number four.
The study as whole showed that quick retrieval of the board pass pre-trip and baggage post-trip are both important aspects of international travel for flyers. Next year, air travel is still expected to increase but maybe 2015 will bring new winners in the airline customer satisfaction arena.