With airlines boasting their highest overall ratings in 22 years, there’s never been a better time to fly. We took a look at the latest results from the Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) and Skytrax to help you decide which one is right for your next trip.
United Airlines
Despite being the world’s largest airline, after merging with Continental, United still lags behind the other major carriers. It has the highest customer complaint rating (2.21 per 100,000 passengers) of its competitors and did worse in almost all of the categories measured by the AQR than it did last year.
American Airlines
American Airlines scores points due to its frequent flyer program, AA Advantage, which is one of the largest and most popular in the world. Your rewards range from flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, and hotel stays, and you won’t have to wait long to talk to someone on the phone. It also makes frequent flights, so if you miss one, it’s likely you won’t have to wait long for the next. However, their ratings according to the AQR slipped a bit, mainly because of customer satisfaction and on-time arrival rate.
Delta
It’s impossible to underestimate good in-flight service, and that’s why Delta has some of the nicest flight attendants in the business! Delta also has the most flights around the world, which means it’ll be easier to use the same carrier when you plan multi-flight trips. They’ve also improved their service since last year, and there were much fewer customer complaints this time around. Steer clear of Delta if you’re traveling with animals – they’re responsible for the highest number of in-flight pet deaths in 2011.
Southwest
The fact that Southwest has the lowest rating for customer complaints in the industry should tell you all you really need to know. Unfortunately, its limited number of destinations makes it a bit inconvenient, and mishandled baggage is a common complaint. Still, Southwest won the Best US Airline in About.com’s Reader’s Choice Awards, and it recently bought AirTran, which won the Best US Airline in the AQR. Maybe it’s the low cost, but who knows, maybe people just really like the colorful planes?
Jetblue
Even though it had the worst on-time performance of all airlines according to the AQR, Jetblue also has a low customer complaint rate and continues to offer relatively cheap flights. Your first checked bag is free, and you can usually count on them to have great in-flight entertainment. But beware if your flight is cancelled or delayed- the airline isn’t great at dealing with surprise misfortunes.