If it needed any help selling itself to Atlanta fliers, Southwest Airlines just got a boost from Consumer Reports.
The magazine gave Southwest the top ranking among U.S. airlines in a new survey that comes just after the Dallas-based carrier completed its buyout of AirTran Airways.
Southwest got the highest ratings for ease of checking in for flights, in-flight service, cabin cleanliness and baggage handling.
AirTran -- which continues operating as a unit of Southwest until full integration over the next year or two -- ranked 5th.
Atlanta's biggest carrier, Delta came in 8th out of the 10 carriers ranked. At the bottom: US Airways.
Consumer Reports noted that it conducted its survey before Southwest's fuselage tear incident in April when a hole opened in the roof of one of its Boeing 737s mid-flight.
Southwest doesn't expect to start flying its own planes to Atlanta until next year.
The proliferation of airline fees plays a big role in passengers' dissatisfaction with flying, according to Consumer Reports. About 40 percent of survey respondents said they fly less due to higher fees. Southwest, unlike most airlines including both Delta and AirTran, allows two free checked bags. .
"We know that customers hate fees," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said.
The airline rankings are in the June issue.
Separately, government data for March released Tuesday showed Southwest with the lowest rate of consumer complaints. Delta improved its standing and came in 9th out of 16 carriers ranked.
Delta's improvements in technology, customer training and operations in 2010 are "paying dividends" in early 2011, said Delta spokesman Anthony Black.
The federal report also showed Delta had four of the industry's seven animal incidents in March. They included the deaths of two guinea pigs, a King Charles spaniel and a French bulldog -- despite a ban on the transport of bulldogs Delta imposed in February. Black said there was confusion about what type of dog the bulldog was, and the airline is investigating the incident.
