No matter who you meet, everyone has an opinion about which airline is the best or worst. Some of those opinions even come straight from flight crew members who sometimes aren’t rooting for their own team.
Dozens of horror stories abound in the news about mistreatment, misconduct, lost luggage, and more so that it’s made customers think twice about who they book for flights. These days, it’s not always about cost.
That’s why it’s so useful to hear about others’ experiences and to stay tuned into the latest ratings by consumer groups. But guess what else? We can also tap into the government’s reports on which airlines are doing the best and worst in the complaints department.
NerdWallet dug into the Department of Transportation’s air travel report to find out who’s doing the best when it comes to being on time, taking care of baggage, and having the least amount of complaints. So, which airlines are top ranking right now?
On Time Arrivals:
Hawaiian Airlines has consistently been on top of arriving on time, with its average percentage of 88.2% putting it at number one for 2017. Following at a close second is Delta, and Alaska ranked third. In spite of all its troubles in the past year or so, United made fourth place for the “on time” category.
Now, bear in mind that there are a number of reasons why a flight could be delayed, with weather being a major factor. Passenger problems, flight crew issues, and snags on the tarmac could also account for delays.
Baggage Claims:
One of the many things that can go wrong on a flight is for the airline to lose your checked luggage. You pay them (most), trust them, and then it’s lost. The report analyzed the amount of lost baggage claims filed per 1,000 passengers, and the airline with the lowest average is Spirit. JetBlue and Virgin follow in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Customer Complaints:
And now it’s time to sound the drumroll for the airline with the least amount of overall customer complaints: Southwest.
For 2017, numbers were tallied for the average amount of complaints per 100,000 customers. SkyWest came in at number two while Alaska Airlines made the top three again in this category. Alaska is consistently consistent, aren’t they?
The net was widely cast as complaints varied from customer service issues to fares to problems with reservations. Incidentally, the top consumer complaint last year was about fares, slightly edging past flight problems.
You probably have your own bad experiences and ranking system going on, but to hear who made last place this past year, click on the video. You may or may not be surprised! If you’ve been wondering about who to fly with for your next trip, this report could be the guide you need to make your final decision.
Are you shocked by any of these results? Which airlines rank in your top three best or worst? Is there an airline that you don’t want to fly anymore?