Delta, Southwest Score Best In J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Survey

It’s that time of year again when both students and airlines get their report cards. J.D. Power just released its 2024 edition of the North America Airline Satisfaction Study.

Delta and Southwest Airlines came out best, or as a cynic might say, least-worst, among North American airlines. Delta comes out on top in both the first/business segment and the premium economy segment, while Southwest comes out on top in the economy/basic economy segment.

The survey has been redesigned since last year, making potential year-over-comparison difficult. But the basics are similar; the J.D. Power study examines passenger satisfaction with airline carriers in North America based on performance in seven core dimensions.

The seven dimensions are airline staff; digital tools; ease of travel; level of trust; on-board experience; pre/post-flight experience; and value for price paid. Passengers were surveyed on their experiences in First/Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy/Basic Economy. They were asked to rate their experience as poor, just OK, good, great, excellent and perfect.

It’s been a tough year for airlines, as domestic air passenger volume went up 9.4% year over year,, while airlines struggled with pilot shortages, cancellations, delays, and shortfalls in aircraft deliveries. Boeing’s woes are well known, affecting many domestic carriers that rely on the 737MAX like Southwest. But Boeing’s sole major competitor, Airbus, is also backed up delivering its A321 aircraft as well.

Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service at J.D. Power adds, “COVID was a huge disruptor. Hot meals and other on-board services have not come back as far as they were before COVID.”

Nonetheless, according to the study, big investments by airlines in staff training and efforts to improve the overall flight experience with friendly, attentive service are helping some airlines deliver good customer experiences despite the crowds.

Delta Air Lines ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the first/business segment with a score of 743. JetBlue Airways (736) ranks second.

Delta also ranked highest in customer satisfaction in premium economy for a second consecutive year, with a score of 716. Alaska Airlines (687) ranks second and American Airlines (684) ranks third.

Southwest Airlines ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the economy/basic economy segment for a third consecutive year, with a score of 685. Delta Air Lines (651) ranks second and Allegiant Air (633) ranks third.

On the flip side, the bottom performer in the first/business segment was Air Canada, with a 629 score. That was over 110 points lower than top-rated Delta. Air Canada also brought up the rear in customer satisfaction in premium economy, scoring 628, almost 90 points behind leader Delta.

Air Canada’s performance on the study may have been related to the carrier’s posting the worst on-time performance among large airlines in North America in 2023. Air Canada landed on time on just 63% of its flights, placing it last among North America’s ten largest airlines. The top airlines in this key category, Delta and Alaska, were on-time 85% and 82%, respectively.

In economy, Air Canada scored a 542, 140 points below leader Southwest. It was saved from the bottom by budget airlines Spirit, 507, and Frontier, 472.

Taylor says Spirit and Frontier are “bare bones airlines that get you there and back. They want to be the cheaper fare between two points. So you get coupon clippers; people fly them for price. They’re not happy, and the price is not going to make them happier.”

Interestingly, the top two airlines on the J.D. Power study each also dealt with significant customer service problems in 2023.

Changes Delta made to its SkyMiles program, particularly with Medallion qualification, proved so unpopular with frequent flyers that CEO Ed Bastian had to apologize. Delta baggage fees were also a subject of complaint.

Southwest suffered flight delays, luggage pileups, people sleeping on the floor at airports, cancellations, and the Feds scrutinizing schedule issues. The airline also didn’t get all the 737MAX aircraft it wanted due to Boeing’s woes, limiting expansion.

Nonetheless, both airlines ranked highly with consumers. Despite the SkyMiles snafu, Taylor says, “Delta is significantly ahead of everyone. The difference were the people scores. They spent a lot of time and millions of dollars training people to be nicer and handle crowds better. They use people’s names, say ‘we appreciate your business.’”

JetBlue surprisingly finished second in first/business. Taylor said, “People love that Mint product, and it has won JetBlue a lot of customers for the last two years.”

In economy, Southwest won because “they hire outstanding people who can interact with crowds—extroverts. They hire for attitude—I believe they invented the phrase.” Southwest can have problems and still win the study, says Taylor, as many people will not have experienced the publicized problem. Ultimately, “People want to have a good time on the flight, rather than be treated as a bunch of cattle.”

The other two of the Big Four U.S. airlines, United and American, delivered results below the segment average on the study. Taylor says much of the problem has to do with “people issues.”

“United has taken their eye off the ball at the experience they are delivering. They do OK in First Class; they don’t do as well people wise in the back. They need to return more focus to returning the passenger experience.

“American is doing well with people scores in the back of the cabin, well with digital tools. The on-board experience is uneven.”

He notes, “The big takeaway from this year’s study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience. Airlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers.”

Of course, “You have to get people in the seats to make money.” In a football analogy, Taylor adds, “You have to do the blocking and tackling, like your on-time performance, getting pilots, getting aircraft, servicing the network you have. If your team can’t ‘block or tackle,’ it doesn’t matter how good your quarterback is.”