Best in Class...
 

or not! Please read on!!!

A lot of the time it begins with the airports: dizzying parking garages, overpriced food and a series of long lines have a way of making even the most serene travelers a little bit agitated. And that's even before the airplane leaves the ground. So it's easy to see how poor service from an airline can put the finishing touches on a ruined day -- long check-in lines, flight delays, lost luggage, baggage fees and general rudeness have a way of doing that. Not to mention the scary food (at least it used to be free scary food).

Based on the Airline Quality Rating (AQR) Report, which covers 18 domestic carriers, here is a list of the airlines that could stand to do the most work on making their customers happy. The report's conclusions are based on surveys of airline industry experts, with positive and negative values assigned to different elements in airline quality. Several common complaint areas were factored in -- including on-time arrival, mishandled baggage, delays and involuntary denied boardings -- the scores of which were then calculated to produce an overall quality score. We also took a look at a number of other sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and the Air Travel Consumer Reports by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Regional airlines are ranked separately because of their tendency to score lower.


Worst Major Airlines

5. US Airways

2009 AQR Score: -1.19

While US Airways improved five percent in passenger satisfaction according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, they were one of three airlines cited as having the rudest flight attendants and serving the worst food, in a survey conducted by SeatGuru last year. Additionally, US Airways received a below-average score in the J.D. Power 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.

Domestic Baggage Fees:

1st Bag: $25

2nd Bag: $35 3rd Bag: $100

Overweight Bags: $50 Extra (51 - 70 lbs) $100 Extra (71 - 100 lbs)

Oversized Bags: $100 Extra (larger than 62")

4. American Airlines

2009 AQR Score: -1.25

American Airlines has an Airline Quality Rating (AQR) of -1.25 -- which isn't awful, but where its reputation takes the hardest hit is with its regional airline, American Eagle (more on it later).

This year AA has had frequent incidents of mishandled baggage with an average of 4.07 reports per 1,000 passengers, according to the Air Travel Consumer Reports (this is the worst rating among the major airlines in the study). SeatGuru's survey named American Airlines as one of the three airlines that have the rudest flight attendants and the worst food.

Domestic Baggage Fees:

1st Bag: $25

2nd Bag: $35

3rd Bag: $100

Overweight Bags: $50 (51 - 70 lbs) $100 (71 - 100 lbs)

Oversized Bags: $150 (larger than 62")

3. Alaska Airlines

2009 AQR Score: -1.39

Alaska Airlines has an Airline Quality Rating (AQR) of -1.39, which can be partially attributed to the airline's high number of mishandled baggage reports. According to Air Travel Consumer Reports, the airline averaged 3.98 incidents per 1,000 passengers last year. However, Alaska Airlines did a stellar job when it came to delays, with 88 percent of its flights having on-time arrivals (in the 12-month period ending August 2010).

Domestic Baggage Fees:

1st Bag: $20

2nd Bag: $20

3rd Bag: $20

Overweight Bags: $50 (51 - 100 lbs)

Oversized Bags: $50 (63 - 80") $75 (81 - 115")

2. United Airlines

2009 AQR Score: -1.43

Now that the merger with Continental Airlines is official, United can turn its attention to improving customer service. United received a score of "about average" in the J.D. Power 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Study but it placed last in passenger satisfaction in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. According to the SeatGuru survey, United joins American Airlines and US Airways as one of the three worst airlines for meals and rude flight attendants. In addition, the Air Travel Consumer Reports places this airline second in consumer complaints (behind Delta), averaging 1.82 per 100,000 enplanements in 2010.

Domestic Baggage Fees:
v1st Bag: $25

2nd Bag: $35

3rd Bag: $100

Overweight Bags: $100 (51 - 100 lbs)

Oversized Bags: $100 (larger than 62")

1. Delta

2009 AQR Score: -1.73

Delta had the worst AQR among major airlines with a -1.73, and a couple of its regional airlines did even worse (see Comair and Atlantic Southeast below). It also had the largest drop in passenger satisfaction in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. According to the Air Travel Consumer Reports, Delta was number one in delays for major airlines (78 percent of flights arriving on time in the 12-month period ending August 2010) and first in consumer complaints (averaging 2.23 per 100,000 enplanements in 2010). Also, make sure to note Delta's baggage fees below, as they can get quite painful for those hauling heavy and/or large cargo.

Domestic Baggage Fees:

1st Bag: $25 ($23 if checked online)

2nd Bag: $35 ($32 if checked online)

3rd Bag: $125

Overweight Bags: $90 (51 - 70 lbs) $175 (71 - 100 lbs)

Oversized Bags: $175 (larger than 63 - 80") $300 (larger than 81 - 115")

in before the lock!

Why would this be locked? Moved, yes but I do not see anything bad here.

Third thread of the day on this if I'm counting correctly.

I'm in too! i am bored got into two of these threads in minutes!

obscure2K locked earlier thread and referred to another forum.

I understand that plagiarism is the most sincere form of flattery, but couldn't you have just posted the link? :D

I get that now (just saw the other 2) but usually a lock indicates an infraction. This was just put in the wrong place (already a thread in a different forum). I think sometimes people here think if it is negative to DL it should be locked and that is not the case.

Although the DOT metrics tell a lot, compiling TWO lists of the 4-5 worst airlines out of one list of 19-20 a bit much. Half the population of domestic airlines are now on the "worst" lists.

That said, I'm not suprised to see Delta, Comair & ASA down there. Delta's spot is well earned based on their recent & horrible track record with regard to the rate of complaints / travellers. Perhaps this will finally be addressed in the "Year of the Customer" -- any bets?

Comair & ASA are simply there because they are Comair & ASA -- being worst seems to be their birthright.