Best Airlines for 5 Kinds of Flights - What could make flying even more unpleasant? More airline mergers. - When two carriers combine their operations, experts say the number of complaints takes off. This assessment doesn’t bode well for fliers given the latest industry news: American Airlines and US Airways are reportedly weighing a possible merger, while The Wall Street Journal reports that Delta Airlines is in talks to buy a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic from Singapore Airlines. Read Delta in Talks to Buy 49% Stake in Virgin Airways
Merged airlines tend to see more delays and mishandled bags as they learn to work together, says Dean Headley, an associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University and a co-author of the annual Airline Quality Report. For example, United was the most-complained-about airline last year, with 2.21 complaints per 100,000 passengers, and its acquisition, Continental, placed second, with a rate of 1.81. That’s in comparison to an average rate of 1.19 for all domestic airlines. “The honeymoon has passed, and the first year or two of marriage isn’t very smooth,” he observes. Southwest, meanwhile, saw a slight increase in DOT complaints, from 0.27 to 0.32 per 100,000 passengers, and its score on the American Customer Satisfaction Index dropped from a first-place 81 (on a scale of 1 to 100) to 77 — the sharpest drop of any airline this year, and the only decline among major airlines. “Whenever there’s a merger, it appears to be difficult to execute in terms of customer service,” says ASCI developer Claes Fornell, a professor of business administration at the University of Michigan. Read Buyouts and busts in the U.S. airline industry
JetBlue planes, each with distinctive tail art, are seen at the JetBlue
terminal at Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 25,
2011.
The airlines say mergers do require changes that can impact service, but the effects are temporary. “United has been working to improve service and reliability,” says a spokesman, noting that the airline had its best on-time performance for 2012 in November. The carrier is also upgrading its cabins and implementing new customer-service training, he says. A Southwest spokeswoman says the airline has prioritized customer service. “We set very high internal expectations of ourselves and we’re constantly finding ways to improve our situation,” she says.
To be sure, there are plenty of other problems fliers encounter these days, including delays, high fares and even higher fees, as well as packed planes as airlines scale back schedules. In fact, consumers hate airlines more than they do most other industries, says Fornell. In the 47 industries the ACSI ranks, only subscription TV services and newspapers generate more ill will. Read How to save on Christmas travel
But consumers can avoid at least some of the hassle by picking an airline whose strengths — low fees, rewards, timeliness — align with their priorities:
Getting a cheap flight
Fares are rising: In the second quarter of 2012, the latest quarter for which data is available, the average domestic roundtrip fare was $385, according to the Department of Transportation. That’s up 3.2% from the first quarter of 2012, and up 4.1% from a year ago. From a practical perspective, though, travelers should consider not just fares but also fees to get the best deal, says Rick Seaney, chief executive of fare-tracking site FareCompare.com. “When one has a fare sale, they all have a sale,” he says. “And when one hikes fares, they all hike fares.” Fees, therefore, can make all the difference. Airlines’ ancillary revenue — which includes fees as well as commissions from hotel, car rental and credit card partnerships — tallied $22.64 billion globally in 2011, a 5.5% increase from 2010, reports IdeaWorksCompany. That’s not all bad for consumers. It’s possible to save if you’re a no-frills flier. The average fare on Spirit fell from $98 in 2007 to $81 last year, even as the carrier added bag fees. Read Power 30: Consumer Game Changers
Best: Frontier Airlines Frontier made just 7.7% of its 2011 revenue from ancillary fees, or $9.10 per passenger, according to IdeaWorksCompany. SmarterTravel.com also pegs it as having competitive fees: $20 for a first checked bag, versus $25 on most major carriers, and $50 to change a ticket, which costs up to $150 on other carriers.
Worst: Spirit The airline may have cheaper fares for folks who don’t require more than a seat, but many fliers seem to still want some extras — like the option to print a boarding pass at the airport ($5) or pick their seat (up to $50). The airline made 33.2% of its 2011 revenue in ancillary fees, according to IdeaWorksCompany. That works out to $41.37 a passenger. Spokeswoman Misty Pinson says the carrier is the best value. “Our ultralow fares have given many the opportunity to travel who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford to do so before Spirit entered their market,” she says.
Arriving on time
The upside of airlines’ scaled-back schedules is that there’s less congestion at airports, making it easier for flights to depart and arrive on time, Headley says. On-time arrivals hovered at 80% industrywide in 2011 and 2010, and Department of Transportation data through September puts them at 82.2% this year. But travelers still risk arriving late: If weather or mechanical problems prompt delays or cancellations, or an overbooked flight bumps passengers, there may not be a timely flight to switch to. “The system is running much, much tighter than it ever has,” he says. “It’s right on the edge of being able to function the way a consumer is used to.” As evidence of that, Headley points to rising complaints to the DOT about “flight problems” — cancellations, delays and other schedule deviations. The department tallied 3,290 such complaints in 2011, up from 3,000 in 2010.
Best: Hawaiian Airlines In 2011, 92.8% of the airline’s flights arrived on time, up from 92.5% in 2010, according to the Airline Quality Rating. They had the second-lowest rate of bumped passengers, at 0.11 per 10,000 boarded; however, that’s up from 0.04 in 2010. So far for 2012, they have the highest rate of on-time arrivals and departures for domestic flights, and the fewest canceled flights, according to DOT data.
Worst: JetBlue The carrier’s 73.3% on-time performance in 2011 put it dead last in the AQR — and was worse than in 2010, when 75.7% of flights were on time. The DOT also puts JetBlue’s delays as the longest over the past year compared with other big carriers, averaging 63.47 minutes late on departure and 61.28 on arrivals. If there’s a bright side, it’s that the carrier has the lowest rate of bumped passengers in the, with just 0.01 bumps per 10,000 boarded. (In comparison, the industrywide rate is 0.78.) JetBlue did not respond to requests for comment.
Earning a free seat
Airlines have added more merchandise and travel experiences to their reward repertoire in recent months, but experts say the best use for miles is still free travel. Industrywide, the number of free seats is up 5% compared with last year, according to IdeaWorksCompany, which surveys seat availability on major domestic and international carriers. “For consumers who value that [free seat] attribute, there’s a big difference in these programs,” says Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorksCompany. Read 3 Ways Not to Use Airline Miles
A Southwest Airlines 737-700 takes off (REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)It’s also a little easier to earn a free seat by spending, rather than traveling: Sign-up bonuses for new airline cards are 20% higher than last year, with the average offering 60,000 miles. Read The Best Ways to Earn Free Travel
Best: Southwest In an IdeaWorksCompany study earlier this year, the carrier had reward availability 100% of the time. (That’s because travelers can use their accrued rewards for any available seat.) CardHub.com also pegs the airline’s credit card as one of the most rewarding. New cardholders get 50,000 bonus points when they spend $2,000 in the first three months, worth up to $800 in free fares, says Odysseas Papadimitriou, the chief executive of CardHub.com. Its $69 annual fee is low for an airline card, and is offset by $50 worth of anniversary points each year.
Worst: Delta The airline had reward seats available just 27.1% of the time, and came in last in the IdeaWorksCompany study. It also had the least availability — 25% — on reward seat requests made at the last minute, five to 15 days out. Perhaps more telling: Delta has been among the bottom-ranked for three years, while other airlines such as United have shown steady improvement, Sorensen says. Delta did not respond to requests for comment.
Flying in comfort
If airline seats seem like a tighter squeeze these days, it’s not your imagination. Airlines have been adjusting cabin configurations this year, with carriers including JetBlue and Southwest reducing legroom by an inch in some sections and aircraft. It’s part of the push to maximize capacity, and has the attractive side effect of making premium seating upgrades seem like a better deal, says Seaney. Tricks like avoiding the back row and reviewing ratings can help travelers get a better seat on a given flight. But some airlines offer a more comfortable basic experience than others. Read 7 Ways to Snag the Best Airline Seat
Best: JetBlue and Virgin America Both carriers offer seats with at least 32 inches legroom on economy seats, according to SeatGuru.com. While the industry’s narrowest seats measure 17 inches across, Virgin America’s are 19.7, and JetBlue’s range from 17.8 to 18. Amenities further set the carriers apart from competitors: Both offer personal TVs at every seat. JetBlue provides free snacks, while Virgin America offers outlets at every seat to power personal devices and Wi-Fi for an additional charge. (JetBlue also has plans to add Wi-Fi in 2013.)
Worst: Spirit The carrier offers the least amount of legroom, at 28 inches, although seats are a half-inch wider than the narrowest, measuring 17.5 inches. Travelers won’t find much in the way of entertainment: The carrier doesn’t offer in-cabin video, seat power or Wi-Fi on any of its flights. Spirit spokeswoman Pinson says the carrier caters to travelers who want a low base fare, with the opportunity to pay for extra amenities they want.
Traveling with bags in tow
Airlines have steadily improved their baggage operations, resulting in fewer lost and damaged bags, says Headley. Industrywide, DOT complaints regarding bags fell 7% from 2010 to 2011. Carriers mishandle 3.35 of every 1,000 passengers’ bags, down from 3.49 in 2010, according to the AQR. Part of the improvement, however, is a trade off against prevalent checked-bag fees, which cost travelers $3.4 billion last year. Paying such a fee raises consumer expectations, he says: “If I paid $25 and my bag doesn’t show up, I’m going to be a lot madder than if I didn’t pay that bag fee.” On some carriers, carry-on bags are also getting pricier. In November, Spirit raised its maximum fee from $45 to $100 for travelers who wait to pay at the gate.
Best: Southwest It remains the only carrier to offer two free checked bags, which would cost $60 on many other carriers, according to SmarterTravel.com. Southwest’s policy on overweight bags is among the more generous, with a flat charge of $50 for bags that weigh more than 50 pounds. (Carriers including JetBlue, United and Virgin America have a second tier of fees for bags weighing 70 pounds or more, which cost travelers as much as $200.) But Southwest’s mishandled bag rate is slightly worse than the industry average, at 3.65 per 1,000.
Worst: American Eagle and Spirit On expense, Spirit takes the lead, with charges of as much as $45 for either a carry-on or first checked bag, depending on when travelers pay the fee. It’s also the only domestic carrier to have three tiers of overweight bag charges, the lowest of which kicks in at 41 pounds, 10 pounds lighter than other carriers. But American Eagle, a regional carrier of American Airlines, has the worst mishandled bag rate, according to the AQR. The airline mishandled 7.32 per 1,000 bags in 2011, up from 7.15 in 2012. A spokesman for American Eagle says the airline has improved its record this year, in part by refurbishing bag areas in some airports. ( MarketWatch )
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