Top stories
Best US Airline for Flying Economy Class
USINFO | 2013-08-12 11:10
As another year wraps up, another one is taking shape. 2012 saw an increase in the number of economy class passenger travel and an increase in delays and cancellations. The travel experts at Let’s Fly Cheaper did their own study using ratings from Skytrax to determine which major U.S airline provided the best passenger satisfaction for economy class travel in 2012. The study was conducted based on six factors; cabin service, cabin staff language skills, cabin cleanliness, in-flight entertainment, seat comfort and food quality.
JetBlue takes the top honor for customer satisfaction in 2012. The airline ranked on top of the six factors and saw its best strengths with in-flight entertainment. The airline also ranked well in the cabin service category but fell short when it came to cabin language skills. “It’s not a surprise to see them on top. Their business is catered to those folks who only fly economy and JetBlue doesn’t offer first or business class options. They also have very loyal passengers” says Lets Fly Cheaper Marketing Direct, Sean Delanty. He also adds that airline loyalty has all but vanished with most of the larger legacy carriers. “Passengers who may have been loyal to United or American Airlines have made the move to airlines like JetBlue, especially in the Boston and New York area. They are getting a high quality product for an affordable price. They feel they are getting the service they would never get at a legacy without purchasing a first class seat,” Delanty says.
United Airlines suffers another blow, returning to the bottom of another customer satisfaction list. The airline ranked last among the ten airlines studied with their biggest weakness in the cabin staff services category and their strength with seat comfort. U.S Airways came in at number nine followed by American Airlines.
Cabin service seemed to be the biggest weakness among most of the airlines in the study according to Lets Fly Cheaper “A majority of these negative rankings are cabin service related. We understand these airlines occasionally undergo union and management issues; however, the folks paying for a seat shouldn’t have to endure those issues. It’s unprofessional and lowers the credibility of the airline. I’m confident they have the ability to hire people who will provide safety and good service” says Lets Fly Cheaper CEO, Ramon vanMeer.
Rounding out the top three were Virgin America and Delta Airlines. “Delta seems to be the only legacy carrier still concerned with providing a valuable product” says vanMeer.
1. JetBlue
Strength – In Flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Language Skills
2. Virgin America
Strength – In Flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
3. Delta Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – Food Quality
4. Spirit Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – In Flight Entertainment
5. Allegiant Air
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – Cabin Cleanliness
6. Southwest Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – In Flight Entertainment
7. Alaska Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
8. US Airways
Strength – In flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Service
9. American Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Food Quality
10. United Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
JetBlue takes the top honor for customer satisfaction in 2012. The airline ranked on top of the six factors and saw its best strengths with in-flight entertainment. The airline also ranked well in the cabin service category but fell short when it came to cabin language skills. “It’s not a surprise to see them on top. Their business is catered to those folks who only fly economy and JetBlue doesn’t offer first or business class options. They also have very loyal passengers” says Lets Fly Cheaper Marketing Direct, Sean Delanty. He also adds that airline loyalty has all but vanished with most of the larger legacy carriers. “Passengers who may have been loyal to United or American Airlines have made the move to airlines like JetBlue, especially in the Boston and New York area. They are getting a high quality product for an affordable price. They feel they are getting the service they would never get at a legacy without purchasing a first class seat,” Delanty says.
United Airlines suffers another blow, returning to the bottom of another customer satisfaction list. The airline ranked last among the ten airlines studied with their biggest weakness in the cabin staff services category and their strength with seat comfort. U.S Airways came in at number nine followed by American Airlines.
Cabin service seemed to be the biggest weakness among most of the airlines in the study according to Lets Fly Cheaper “A majority of these negative rankings are cabin service related. We understand these airlines occasionally undergo union and management issues; however, the folks paying for a seat shouldn’t have to endure those issues. It’s unprofessional and lowers the credibility of the airline. I’m confident they have the ability to hire people who will provide safety and good service” says Lets Fly Cheaper CEO, Ramon vanMeer.
Rounding out the top three were Virgin America and Delta Airlines. “Delta seems to be the only legacy carrier still concerned with providing a valuable product” says vanMeer.
1. JetBlue
Strength – In Flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Language Skills
2. Virgin America
Strength – In Flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
3. Delta Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – Food Quality
4. Spirit Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – In Flight Entertainment
5. Allegiant Air
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – Cabin Cleanliness
6. Southwest Airlines
Strength – Cabin Staff Service
Weakness – In Flight Entertainment
7. Alaska Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
8. US Airways
Strength – In flight Entertainment
Weakness – Cabin Staff Service
9. American Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Food Quality
10. United Airlines
Strength – Seat Comfort
Weakness – Cabin Staff Services
