Industry's score is worst in 18 years

For 18 years, researchers at the University of Nebraska and Wichita State University have issued an annual report card on the quality of service provided by the airline industry, and this year the industry reached a milestone of sorts: It achieved its lowest level ever. The researchers’ annual Airline Quality Report (AQR) combines 15 different statistical elements for 16 U.S. carriers in determining how airlines are doing in customer service, and for 2008, “as far as an overall rating for the industry, this is the worst AQR score ever,” they said. The previous low came in 2000, when there were also widespread concerns that the U.S. economy was headed into a recession.

The airline with the highest quality score this year – up from third place last year – is AirTran Airways. In fact, the top three are all low-cost carriers – AirTran, JetBlue and Southwest. Northwest finished in fourth place, followed by Frontier in fifth and Continental in sixth place. “AirTran gained ground in the industry and in the ratings because of superior baggage handling,” the researchers said. However, “Taken as an entire industry, the airlines declined in all areas of performance.” Prof. Bent Bowen, one of the lead researchers on the project, said he does not anticipate any improvement in airline performance in the near future. “There’s no incentive,” Bowen said. “The airlines are losing money. Fuel prices are high. They’re cutting back on services. They’re cutting back on people. Everything it takes to run an airline is more expensive, and the airlines want less of that expense.”

The airlines that had the worst quality scores were all regional affiliates of major carriers. Ranking at the bottom of the list, in 16th place, was Atlantic Southeast. American Eagle finished 15th, while Comair was 14th, SkyWest 13th, and Mesa in 12th place. The researchers noted, however, that American Eagle, Atlantic Southeast and Mesa all improved their scores over 2007. “The most improved airline was Mesa,” they said, which had fewer denied boardings, mishandled bags and customer complaints than last year. The legacy airline with the lowest rating was US Airways, in 11th place overall. “The airline that declined the most in performance was US Airways,” the study noted.