J.D. Power’s Top Airlines for 2024, Ranked

Which airline receives the highest ratings from passengers? The latest report from a major consumer analytics firm offers some answers.

Delta Airlines received the highest scores among passengers who had recently flown in first class, business class or premium economy, according to results released Wednesday from the airline’s Satisfaction Study JD Power’s 2024 North American Aviation.

Southwest Airlines leads among economy travelers, and Delta comes in second place.

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J.D. Power’s annual airline rankings incorporate survey results from recent travelers on many of the factors that contribute to the air travel experience. Factors include ease of travel, interaction with staff, onboard experience and value for the price paid.

This year’s rankings focus on airlines’ performance from March 2023 to March 2024, as determined by surveys taken by passengers who flew in the previous month.

As in recent years, the rankings are divided into three categories: first and business class, premium economy and economy/basic economy.

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This is how major North American carriers operate.

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This year’s business/first-class results saw Delta surpass JetBlue for the top spot behind the Long Island City-based airline. mint product has propelled the airline to the top spot in the category A year ago.

Delta continues to focus heavily on its premium services, record Many recent quarterly reports have shown that revenue growth in luxury cabins has outpaced the economy.

Top economics

Delta also leads in satisfaction with premium economy. Here are the results:

1. Delta (716)
2. Alaska (687)
3. USA (684)
4. JetBlue (667)
5. WestJet (664)
6. Flowers (641)
7. Canadian Airlines (628)

Average score: 675

That Southwest took the top spot in the ranking of key economic classes is notable, since the evaluation period began just months after it was launched. holiday crisis 2022.

Southwest poured more than billion USD on improving its operational reliability after the chaos of December 2022. It reinforced ground equipment during winter weather and overhauled technology and internal processes.

According to data from FlightAware analyzed by TPG, from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024, Southwest canceled just 0.8% of flights, despite nearly a quarter of flights being delayed.

The airline also performed much better during the recent holiday season. Even though the airline has hints at possible future changes for its products, it continues to offer consumer-friendly options like two free checked bags, spacious seating and no change fees.

Operations and customer service are key factors

JD Power’s report specifically noted significant investments in employee training and the overall flight experience as key contributing factors to airlines achieving top scores; This is especially true in the face of record crowds at airports in 2023.

“Airlines are investing in training and recruiting employees looking to overcome overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by treating their customers well.” said in a statement.

For example, leaders at Delta recently praised the reliability of its operations; This is partly due to the airline’s extensive hiring efforts following the peak of the coronavirus pandemic and staffing challenges two years ago.

“One in three employees at Delta is new within the past three years,” CEO Ed Bastian noted in March at a Wall Street event.

The Atlanta-based airline, which ranked second in the economy rankings and led in the other two categories, canceled just 0.9% of its flights over the past year. FlightAware data shows it has delays of just under 17%.

Frontier took last place among North American airlines in J.D. Power’s survey. From March 2023 to 2024, the Denver-based ultra-low-cost airline canceled 1.4% of its flights and postponed nearly 30% of its flights, according to FlightAware.

By comparison, US airlines canceled a total of 1.3% of flights during that period, according to FlightAware; 20.6% of flights were delayed.

Like other low-cost carriers, Frontier also charges for everything beyond the ticket, from seat selection to any baggage other than personal items that fit under the seat – often a trade-off for Low base fare.

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