JetBlue, Southwest top loyalty rankings

JetBlue and Southwest have topped the list in J.D. Power's rankings of Loyalty Program Satisfaction, followed by Alaska. The Big Three were at the bottom of the list, with American and United falling below the industry average.

This is the second year that Power has has ranked loyalty programs as well as overall airline satisfaction. Responses from 3,025 program members included ranking of earning and redeeming awards, program benefits, account management and member communication.

Among the findings most often reported were confusing program rules, and difficulty in redeeming awards. On the other hand, it appears that simple things such as recognizing members by name offers a big satisfaction boost.

Here are the rankings:

1. JetBlue (TrueBlue): 812 points (on a 1,000-point scale)

2. Southwest (Rapid Rewards): 798 points

3. Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan): 791 points

4. Delta (SkyMiles): 786 points

5. American (AAdvantage): 749 points

6. United (MileagePlus): 746 points