Airline Industry Information: Airline Quality Rating study reveals 60% increase in passenger complaints

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Airline Quality Rating study reveals 60% increase in passenger complaints

Air passenger complaints have increased by 60% overall, according to the most recent Airline Quality Rating study, which is sponsored by the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and by Wichita State University and is based on US Transportation Department statistics for airlines carrying at least 1% of the passengers who flew domestically in the US, last year.

The study revealed industry declines in every area of the rating last year, with customer complaints reportedly more than doubling at US Airways and Comair and increasing for 15 out of the 16 airlines included in the study, with the exception of Mesa Airlines.

CBS News reported that the study found on-time arrivals fell for the fifth consecutive year, with over 25% of all flights late, while the rates of passengers bumped from overbooked flights and bags lost, damaged or stolen, also increased in 2007. Airlines are facing increasing fuel prices and safety problems and three airlines: ATA, Aloha Airlines and Skybus, stopped flying last week due to financial pressures.

Southwest gained the highest on-time arrival mark at 80.1% and had the lowest consumer complaints rate; while Mesa's customer complaint rate fell by around 33%; and JetBlue and AirTran avoided bumping passengers from flights, with rates of 0.02 and 0.15 per 10,000 passengers, respectively.

AirTran offered the best baggage handling rate at 4.06 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers; while American Eagle ranked last with 13.55 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers; and over 33% of Atlantic Southeast's flights were late.

Airlines included in the study were: American, Delta, Frontier, SkyWest, Northwest, Southwest, United, US Airway, AirTran, Alaska, American Eagle, Atlantic Southeast, Continental, Jet Blue, Comair and Mesa.

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