Hassled by sky-high baggage fees and the nightmare that has become airport security terminals, the last thing passengers need are airlines that can't get them from point A to point B as efficiently as possible.
Each year, Airfarewatchdog compiles a list of the best carriers out there, factoring in key metrics such as cancellation rates, mishandled baggage and, of course, consumer satisfaction.
This year's list features a host of familiar brands, with favorites like Virgin America and JetBlue leaving "legacy" carriers Delta and US Airways in their dust.
"It’s probably no surprise that Virgin America and JetBlue top the list, although other rankings may elicit some raised eyebrows," said CEO George Hobica. "Virgin is stylish, flies new planes, has Wi-Fi and power ports at every seat, and great customer service. JetBlue is famous for its extra legroom and not overbooking flights."
Others struggled to keep up. American Airlines barely missed the bottom spot, but its recent decision to lay off 11,000 staff could spell trouble for next year's ranking. And marred by technical glitches that have snarled flight bookings on multiple occasions this year, it's no wonder United scored low with customers.
Read on to see how the top 10 shaped up:
1. Virgin America:
Consumer Satisfaction*: 74
Cancelled flights: 0.0%
Denied boardings: 0.09
Mishandled baggage: 0.76
On-time arrivals: 86.9%
2. JetBlue
Consumer Satisfaction: 81
Cancelled flights: 0.1%
Denied boardings: 0.01%
Mishandled baggage: 1.67
On-time arrivals: 83.0%
3. AirTran
Consumer Satisfaction: 74
Cancelled flights: 0.3%
Denied boardings: 0.83
Mishandled baggage: 1.49
On-time arrivals: 88.0%
4. Alaska
Consumer Satisfaction: 74
Cancelled flights: 0.4%
Denied boardings: 0.63
Mishandled baggage: 2.52
On-time arrivals: 91.5%
5. Frontier
Consumer Satisfaction: 74
Cancelled flights: 0.1%
Denied boardings: 0.45
Mishandled baggage: 1.85
On-time arrivals: 81.7%
6. Southwest (Tie)
Consumer Satisfaction: 77
Cancelled flights: 0.6%
Denied boardings: 0.75
Mishandled baggage: 2.74
On-time arrivals: 84.2%
6. Delta (Tie)
Consumer Satisfaction: 65
Cancelled flights: 0.2%
Denied boardings: 0.44
Mishandled baggage: 1.93
On-time arrivals: 86.4%
8. US Airways
Consumer Satisfaction: 65
Cancelled flights: 0.5%
Denied boardings: 0.72
Mishandled baggage: 2.02
On-time arrivals: 84.2%
9. American Airlines
Consumer Satisfaction: 64
Cancelled flights: 0.6%
Denied boardings: 0.81
Mishandled baggage: 2.60
On-time arrivals: 80.3%
10. United
Consumer Satisfaction: 62
Cancelled flights: 0.9%
Denied boardings: 1.73
Mishandled baggage: 3.50
On-time arrivals: 77.8%
*Based on the June 2012 American Consumer Satisfaction Index.
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