The airlines are doing something right, or so the results of an industry-sponsored annual survey indicate. The study indicated that 85% of last year’s passengers were “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with their experience.
The survey was sponsored by industry group Airlines for America, continuing a series that started in 1971. This year’s number is up from 79% the year before. While “passenger satisfaction” was not a question on the early surveys, a 1978 US News and World Report survey found only 52% of passengers then gave their airlines a “good.”
This year’s survey reflected a period in which the airlines had the fewest canceled flighs, fewest bumps off oversold flights, and fewest mishandled bags, at the same time as some declines in fares. Some of those improvements reflect new technology coming on line in airports and planes.
The survey and its previous years also provide some interesting numbers on other topics. When the survey began in 1971, for instance, only 21% of the population took a flight during the year; last year it was 49%.
Among those who traveled, the average was 4.5 trips, but that hides a wide gulf: 47% took only one or two trips, while 11% took nine or more. Leisure travel accounted for 51% of travel, with another 18% for personal business such as job interviews and family events. The remaining 18% was for business.
