Delta Air Lines ranked 2nd among traditional carriers in the latest J.D. Power airline satisfaction study, on par with its ranking in the study in recent years.
The top traditional carrier in the ranking for 12 years in a row is Alaska Airlines.
But among low-cost carriers, Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier in Atlanta behind Delta, tied with JetBlue for the No. 1 spot.
Both Southwest and JetBlue scored higher in customer satisfaction than Alaska Airlines, though they are in the low-cost carrier category instead of the traditional carrier category.
Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines scored lowest among all carriers.
It's the latest airline ranking this year among a series released by different organizations.
The J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction study's scores and rankings are based on cost and fees, in-flight services, aircraft, boarding/deplaning/baggage, flight crew, check-in and reservation, according to responses from 5,966 passengers who flew between March 2018 and March 2019.
Overall, customer satisfaction with airlines is at a record high based on the J.D. Power scores, due to newer planes, better ticket value and improved technology for reservations and check-in.
“Fleets are newer and travelers generally feel that they are getting great value for their money,” said J.D. Power travel intelligence lead Michael Taylor in a written statement.
However, in the airline industry overall, in-flight services continue to be the lowest-ranked factor in the study, according to Taylor. That includes connectivity, in-seat power, food service and entertainment.
J.D. Power 2019 North American Airline Satisfaction Study
Score based on 1,000-point scale
Traditional carrier satisfaction index ranking
1. Alaska Airlines, 801
2. Delta Air Lines, 788
3. American Airlines, 764
4. Air Canada, 729
5. United Airlines, 723
Low-cost carrier satisfaction index ranking
1. JetBlue Airways, 817
1. Southwest Airlines, 817
2. WestJet, 758
3. Spirit Airlines, 711
4. Frontier Airlines, 702
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