Study: Customer satisfaction with airlines is improving

Even though air travel can be a stressful experience, customer satisfaction with airlines overall is improving, according to a new study.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index travel study found that customer satisfaction with the airline industry reached an all-time high score of 77, up 1 percentage point from the previous year.

“Carriers have bounced back strongly, showing that innovations and service improvements implemented during the last two years have resonated with customers,” said

Forrest Morgeson, ACSI director of research emeritus and associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University.

Respondents gave higher scores to a number of elements of the customer experience, including ease of making a reservation, cleanliness of cabin and lavatory, courtesy and helpfulness of flight crew, baggage handling, quality of in-flight entertainment and quality of complimentary in-flight beverage and food.

Of the nine U.S. airlines ranked, Alaska Airlines had the highest customer satisfaction ratings, while the lowest-ranked airline was Spirit.

All of the airlines ranked maintained or improved their scores with the exception of United Airlines, which saw a 2 point decline.

That’s based on surveys of 16,352 customers between April 2023 and March 2024.

Among the respondents, business travelers were twice as likely to complain as leisure travelers and more likely to pay fees for checked or carry-on bags, according to the survey.

Satisfaction with hotels and car rentals also improved, according to ACSI.