Delta, Southwest get top marks for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power airline survey

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines received top marks in J.D. Power’s North American airlines customer satisfaction survey for 2024.

The firm’s results, announced Wednesday, noted that airlines investing in their staff are seeing more satisfied customers despite higher airfares compared to a year ago.

“There are many aspects to the overall air travel experience that airlines cannot control, but one area in which they can profoundly influence is the positive effect that airline staff has on passengers,” Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, said in a statement. “The big takeaway from this year’s study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience. Airlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers.”

A Delta 737-900ER taxis to the runway of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on June 30, 2022.

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According to the survey, passengers’ main priorities are getting to their destinations easily and safely. That outweighs even ticket price in determining a traveler’s satisfaction with their chosen carrier.

J.D. Power conducted its survey between March 2023 and March 2024, polling 9,582 passengers who traveled on a major North American airline during that period. Here’s how the carriers broke down.

Delta Air Lines gets top marks in premium cabins

• Delta Air Lines scored highest in both the first/business class and premium economy segments in J.D. Power’s survey, earning 743 points in the former and 716 points in the latter out of a possible 1,000. Delta’s strategy has emphasized premium service in recent years, and that position seems to be paying off.
• JetBlue came in second in the first/business class category with 736 points, and the segment average was 701. Air Canada scored lowest for its most premium cabins, earning 629 points.
• In premium economy, Alaska Airlines took the second spot with 687 points, beating the segment average of 675. 
• Air Canada again scored lowest in the premium economy sector, with 628 points.

Southwest Airlines is a flyer favorite for economy

• Southwest Airlines kept its position as the preferred economy carrier for the third year in a row, earning 685 points. The airline recently announced it is considering changes to its cabin layout and boarding process, which could upend one of the key differentiators between it and other airlines.
• Delta Air Lines was second-favorite among economy travelers with 651 points, beating the segment average of 613.
• Frontier Airlines scored the lowest in customer satisfaction, earning 472 points for its economy offering.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta, Southwest get top marks for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power airline survey