Southwest Airlines Tops Economy Class Satisfaction in J.D. Power Study; Delta Leads in First/Business and Premium Economy Categories

In a major development, Southwest Airlines has been named the most satisfied airline in the economy class category among North American carriers, according to J.D. Power’s 2024 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines has clinched the top spot in both the first/business and premium economy categories.

The study, conducted between March 2023 and March 2024, evaluated customer satisfaction across seven key categories: airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, on-board experience, level of trust, pre/post-flight experience, and value for price paid. Feedback from 9,582 passengers who had flown within a month of being surveyed was used to determine the results.

In the economy cabin category, Southwest scored an impressive 685 out of 1,000 points, with Delta following closely behind at 651 points and Allegiant ranking third with 633 points. Frontier and Spirit came in last place. In the first/business class category, Delta emerged as the clear winner over JetBlue and American Airlines. In the premium economy category, Delta also stood out as the top performer ahead of Alaska and United Airlines.

According to J.D. Power’s study highlights that airlines are increasingly focusing on enhancing customer satisfaction through staff training and recruitment programs that aim to create a positive overall flight experience for customers. The key drivers of airline customer satisfaction were identified as ease of travel and trust with a seamless flight experience being more important than value for price paid.

This year’s study underscores how crucial it is for airlines to invest in enhancing their overall customer experiences by providing reliable service and investing in staff training programs that help create a positive flight experience for their passengers.

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