Airline Quality Rating Report: Discount Airlines Are Most Consistently Reliable

For most small businesses, airline travel was consigned to the island of misfit perks a couple of years ago. Between the early bite of the recession, and the post-9/11 price increases for air travel, many companies changed the way they do business. And for some, that meant an end to sending execs to conferences in far away and exotic places.

Those travelers who are still taking to the skies have been flocking to discount providers for years now, and have been rewarded with better service levels.

According to the Airline Quality Rating Report from Dr. Dean Headley at Wichita State University, and Dr. Brent Bowen at Purdue University, discount airlines continue to provide a better level of service than their higher fare competition. The Airline Quality Rating Report surveys travelers about their experiences with 18 airlines, and has been produced for 19 years.

If you're flying into or out of Hawaii you're going to get the most accurate arrival time, with Hawaiian Airlines being ranked #1 in the survey, which takes into account on-time arrivals, denied boardings (bumping of passengers), mishandled (lost) baggage, and customer complaints.

The top five is rounded out by AirTran, JetBlue, Northwest, and Southwest. Major players such as American (9), United (13), and Delta (15) all failed to impress passengers by overbooking flights and mishandling baggage. 

The industry's best scores in each category were awarded to Hawaiian Airlines for on-time arrivals, JetBlue for denied boardings/over-booking, AirTran for mishandled baggage, and Southwest for customer complaints to the Department of Transportation.

Worst performing in each category were Comair for on time arrivals, American Eagle for denied boardings, Atlantic Southeast for mishandled baggage, and Delta for customer complaints.

Dr. Headley, co-author of the report, suggests that the overall increase in "bumped" passengers is due to the number of available seats being reduced. "The airline industry performs most efficiently when the system isn't stressed by high passenger volume." He said. 

You can download the full report here.

While most airlines saw thier mishandled baggage numbers reduce, there is speculation that the reduction is, at least in part, due more carriers charging passengers to check bags -- the reduction in mishandled baggage corresponds to an overall reduction in the number of bags being checked.

Speaking to CNN, Claes Fornell, a professor of business at the University of Michigan and creator of the American Customer Satisfaction Index said, "There are fewer flights, fewer passengers, you know airlines have been able to lose fewer bags and arrive on time more often."

None of this, however, speaks to what passengers go through in the airports, on both sides of the journey. From long lines at security, to long waits at baggage claim. Nor does it address concerns of passengers in-flight. We all would like a couple more inches of leg-room, or maybe (just once) an empty seat next to us so we can take a nap.

Even if that golden age of free airline food returns, it's not likely to be soon. In the meantime, I'll be factoring this data into my travel plans, and choosing my airline on more than just price.