JetBlue ranks highest among U.S. low-cost airlines

Despite severe delays and flight cancellations caused by weather and computer malfunctions in the past year, JetBlue remained the top-ranked U.S. low-cost airline carrier, a major market research firm said Tuesday.

Continental ranked highest in the regular-priced air travel market in North America, according to the Los Angles-based J.D. Power and Associates.

The firm's 2007 North America Airline Satisfaction Study measured the overall customer satisfaction based on performance in seven measures, including cost and fees, flight crew, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding/deplaning/baggage, check-in and reservation.

JetBlue Airways ranked highest overall for the third consecutive year, earning the highest ranking for low-cost carriers -- defined as airlines that operate single-cabin aircraft with typically low fares -- in 2006 and 2007.

The New York-based airline also earned particularly high ratings in the low-cost carrier segment across all seven customer satisfaction measures -- despite a double-digit segment decline in overall satisfaction since 2006.

JetBlue achieved an overall satisfaction index score of 810 of a possible 1,000 points, followed in the rankings by Frontier Airlines (750), Southwest Airlines (744) and AirTran Airways (721).

"JetBlue continues to lead in satisfaction with low-cost carriers by a significant margin," said Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates.

"Although the airline fell prey to severe weather delays in February 2007, they have been able to retain feelings of goodwill among their passenger base," she said. "However, other low-cost carriers are working to close the gap."

She noted that Frontier Airlines, for example, increased by two rank positions and improved "in all seven measures of satisfaction, including the most important driver of overall satisfaction -- cost and fees."

According to J.D. Power, Continental Airlines, which ranked highest for a second consecutive year in the traditional network carrier segment, earned an overall satisfaction index score of 704, and improved in six measures including reservations, check-in, boarding/deplaning/baggage, aircraft, flight crew, and cost and fees.

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines followed in the rankings with index scores of 680, 670 and 668, respectively. Traditional network carriers are defined as airlines that operate multi-cabin aircraft and use multiple airport hubs.

J.D. Power based its study on responses from nearly 10,000 passengers who flew on a major North American airline between April 2006 and April 2007.

Source: Xinhua