America's Meanest Airlines
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Central Florida
Programs: MP 1K/Onepass Plat 1MM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat
Posts: 540

#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 20,205
About as relevant as the AF A380 being the "meanest" A/C for pushing around that poor lil' Comair flight at JFK last night

#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,440
I could not agree more. Such sensationalism shouldn't be rewarded by a click. For gosh sakes, they have a "least-safe" airline, even though it's safer to fly than to drive.

#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 69,202
While I do not doubt that the stats are accurate in terms of being properly calculated given the particular formula that the researchers have chosen to implement, I'd say that the report is mostly garbage. It inappropriately skews certain issues more than its intended goals and manages to ignore that the spread on DOT complaints - an average of .5-2/100,000 passengers on mainline flights - is simply too small a range to actually be useful as a barometer of anything. The metrics for baggage and IDB issues are similarly narrow.
When 17 "incidents" out of 219,000 flight operations can get you labeled as the "least safe" airline out there something is very wrong with the folks assigning blame.
When 17 "incidents" out of 219,000 flight operations can get you labeled as the "least safe" airline out there something is very wrong with the folks assigning blame.

#5
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Manhattan
Programs: CO Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,468
While I do not doubt that the stats are accurate in terms of being properly calculated given the particular formula that the researchers have chosen to implement, I'd say that the report is mostly garbage. It inappropriately skews certain issues more than its intended goals and manages to ignore that the spread on DOT complaints - an average of .5-2/100,000 passengers on mainline flights - is simply too small a range to actually be useful as a barometer of anything. The metrics for baggage and IDB issues are similarly narrow.
When 17 "incidents" out of 219,000 flight operations can get you labeled as the "least safe" airline out there something is very wrong with the folks assigning blame.
When 17 "incidents" out of 219,000 flight operations can get you labeled as the "least safe" airline out there something is very wrong with the folks assigning blame.

#6
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Out and about..
Posts: 1,100
Actually, my rationale for the "Meanest Airline" ranking may be reflective that UA customers actually receive compensation when submitting complaints.
That is, because there is reward for complaining, it begets more complaints.
Us CO flyers obviously don't have that problem..
That is, because there is reward for complaining, it begets more complaints.
Us CO flyers obviously don't have that problem..
Last edited by jjgollum; Apr 12, 11 at 2:11 pm

#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hyatt GLOB, Marriott PLT, UA 1K.
Posts: 1,678
the A380 is such a bully, pushing around the poor little CRJ into the sand... 747's are over there, go pick on someone your own size. i guess that's what happens when the new kid comes to school...

#8
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: UA*S/Club, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 484
The sad part is now that CRJ700 is going to want to take its anger out on someone else -- I wouldn't want to be on a CRJ200/ERJ145 out of JFK any time soon...
