JD Power airline ratings

[Dont call me Shirley]

J D Power airline ratings are out
http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2010/06/07/daily8.html
How did US do?
From its own intranet site:

"News You Can Use

J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Survey

As many of you have read this morning, J.D. Power and Associates (JDP&A) released their 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. The survey ranks airlines based on business and leisure satisfaction with cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in; and reservations. We are pleased to see that customer satisfaction with the airline industry as a whole is at a three-year high, thanks to improvements posted by every domestic airline (both network and low cost carriers) except Delta.



Our ranking, however, still placed us at the bottom of the network carriers. ."....


Who else is surprised?

 

[Dog Wonder]

Is 'below average' better or worse than mediocre?

 

[BuffaloJoe]

What a Surprise! I would think US Airways would bee on Top! Opppps, I have the list upside down!

 

[AstroLounge]

Personally, I find all these surveys, studies and ratings to be an absolute joke. There is no quantitative information to even drive their numbers. Southwest has the travelling public believing THEY are the greatest thing since sliced bread (yet I would never step foot on one of their planes.....duh), JetBlue rates very favourable but just a couple years ago during a fateful Winter Storm, the airline had a complete MELTDOWN and came to a screeching halt.........amazing what Blue Corn Chips and DirectTv can do to make the masses forget a colossal FAILURE of Events even though the Corporation pinned the disaster on their former Top Executive and ousted him.. AirTran seems to receive favourable scores but the Airline is STILL ValueJet........think Everglades, Oxygen and the rest is history. SPIRIT is an interesting entity. They continually GO Against the Grain and P*ss people off but they still manage to stay in the air (the Pilot Strike may change that though). And I actually like that they have a basic FU attitude......take it or leave it! But one of the biggest jokes of a survey is SKYTRAXX. I have never seen so many whiney, nit pickey people that rarely have a positive thing to say about any established carrier, its miserable, surly employees, their filthy trashed decrepit airplanes and all ending with a note of "NEVER AGAIN". It is funny because these same people have placed a halo around Southwest who more than likely flew them to the Moon, served them chateau briand and gave them an 'entertaining' version of a safety demonstration.....and all these years I thought the Briefing was done for a reason (silly Me). These surveys are Utterly Nonsense, Useless, Counterproductive and a barometer of Nothing. Every flight is different, Different people doing what appears to be the same job with different Company Procedures.....some You may like, some that You don't. The FAA and DOT can be clearly blamed for discepancies amongst carriers with regards to safety procedures and policies, but then again being within the Federal Government...I can see Why there is no end in sight. Surveys.....don't even read them.

 

[Oldhawker]

It's obvious astrolounge has never flown Southwest. They are a good airline with a sound business plan and happy employees. Is that a good combination? You bet. My creds-40 years as a USAir Lead Mech. Seen it all.

 

[AstroLounge]

It's obvious astrolounge has never flown Southwest. They are a good airline with a sound business plan and happy employees. Is that a good combination? You bet. My creds-40 years as a USAir Lead Mech. Seen it all.

WRONG! Wrong as in "You and Your 40 years of 'credentials' <ha> do not have ANY possibility of changing MY perspective of Southwest. It's a glorified CATTLECAR (hell even the pax line up like livestock) and they are not what I am looking for in an airline. The goofy,super casual 'ultra cool' atmosphere is NOT what I find appealing about SWA or any other airline that tries to emulate. People have a choice when it comes to airlines, restaurants, gas stations etc........I just happen to NOT Like Them!. PERIOD. It's kindda like Starbucks.........some people RAVE about it.....the most I would do with it is POUR it Down A Drain! I AM N-O-T a Follower.........I don't drink the koolaid, don't get hypnotised by the advertising and mass marketing. I make my decisions based on WHAT, I LIKE........sure as hell not what YOU think I should like. Point/Set/Game.

 

[SparrowHawk]

WRONG! Wrong as in "You and Your 40 years of 'credentials' <ha> do not have ANY possibility of changing MY perspective of Southwest. It's a glorified CATTLECAR (hell even the pax line up like livestock) and they are not what I am looking for in an airline. The goofy,super casual 'ultra cool' atmosphere is NOT what I find appealing about SWA or any other airline that tries to emulate. People have a choice when it comes to airlines, restaurants, gas stations etc........I just happen to NOT Like Them!. PERIOD. It's kindda like Starbucks.........some people RAVE about it.....the most I would do with it is POUR it Down A Drain! I AM N-O-T a Follower.........I don't drink the koolaid, don't get hypnotised by the advertising and mass marketing. I make my decisions based on WHAT, I LIKE........sure as hell not what YOU think I should like. Point/Set/Game.

Well there is a lot to be said in favor of WN. I was forced onto them by an employer for 4 segments and as long as they stick to their niche of short haul (2 hrs) they are fine. All four planes were absolutely spotless. InFlight experience was very very good. Big bone of contention for me is not having an assigned seat and the boarding process in general.

Operationally, there is none better, partly due to a simplified business model. Now if you want Wolf's "Images of Excellence" type service your surely on the wrong airline.

There are tow very simple reasons for WN being the darling of the media. They under promise and over deliver. Us OTOH does exactly the opposite, they over promise and under deliver.

Given US's anti customer attitude I've been forced to rethink my travel preferences, and just like Astro I buy what I like. All I'm saying is fly WN it might change your perceptions. I know doing so changed mine.

 

[phasersonstun2]

People... the Power ratings are consumer driven. If you can't make your customers happy, it's time to look at the coaching staff.

 

[john john]

People... the Power ratings are consumer driven. If you can't make your customers happy, it's time to look at the coaching staff.

The coach says it’s the employee’s fault
Lets express some more flying

 

[john john]

Now if you want Wolf's "Images of Excellence" type service your surely on the wrong airline.

Are you talking about WN or US/US express

 

[AstroLounge]

The coach says it’s the employee’s fault
Lets express some more flying

Part of the problem with US's "Customer Perception" can squarely be directed at the EXPRESS/Regional operation. Way too many carriers serving the same function, operating under different Company formats and basically being a "feeder" to Mainline. All one has to do is fly ANY of the various regionals that operate under the US brand and see the difference in the operation. There are WAY TOO MANY US Express carriers doing way too many things DIFFERENTLY that either need to be Reigned In or have their contracts terminated. This area of the Company has been a dysfunctional MESS for years and WHY Management allows this nonsense to continue is a disgrace. Whomever is in charge of this abomination needs to be held accountable for this ONGOING Mess. (I have never understood the need to have so many damned different contract carriers when you have TWO wholly owned regional carriers (PI and PSA) in your cache' that are more than capable of COMPLETING THE MISSION. I can understand the airWisky and Republic contracts (BK financing) but colgan, mesa.....no way.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Part of the problem with US's "Customer Perception" can squarely be directed at the EXPRESS/Regional operation. Way too many carriers serving the same function, operating under different Company formats and basically being a "feeder" to Mainline. All one has to do is fly ANY of the various regionals that operate under the US brand and see the difference in the operation. There are WAY TOO MANY US Express carriers doing way too many things DIFFERENTLY that either need to be Reigned In or have their contracts terminated. This area of the Company has been a dysfunctional MESS for years and WHY Management allows this nonsense to continue is a disgrace. Whomever is in charge of this abomination needs to be held accountable for this ONGOING Mess. (I have never understood the need to have so many damned different contract carriers when you have TWO wholly owned regional carriers (PI and PSA) in your cache' that are more than capable of COMPLETING THE MISSION. I can understand the airWisky and Republic contracts (BK financing) but colgan, mesa.....no way.

Managing standards with outsourced contractors is a real challenge for many reasons. Sadly for US, it's a spreadsheet issue. Customer Service is "Outside the value stream" in MBA speak, so as long as US doesn't have to many complaints, cancelattions, it's of no real concern.

US Airways is now an airline that actively strives not to be the best but to be "Good Enough". That attitude effect employees too. Going forward your pay will be "Good Enough" to keep a strike from happening, high turnover, etc. No real regard for employees and customers, just be "Good Enough"NOT to to pizz them off to bad.

 

[Monkee]

Managing standards with outsourced contractors is a real challenge for many reasons. Sadly for US, it's a spreadsheet issue. Customer Service is "Outside the value stream" in MBA speak, so as long as US doesn't have to many complaints, cancelattions, it's of no real concern.

US Airways is now an airline that actively strives not to be the best but to be "Good Enough". That attitude effect employees too. Going forward your pay will be "Good Enough" to keep a strike from happening, high turnover, etc. No real regard for employees and customers, just be "Good Enough"NOT to to pizz them off to bad.

Don't fly it then. That way you can be happy.

 

[Borescope]

The FAA and DOT can be clearly blamed for discepancies amongst carriers with regards to safety procedures and policies, but then again being within the Federal Government

The airline develop their own procedures for everything from tickets to checklists. Boeing puts out checklists for each of their airplanes, but I doubt you would see any airlines use that checklist exclusively. Sure the FAA signs off on the procedures, but the discrepancies are produced at each individual airline. It appears the best way is to find someone else to blame, that's what wrong with our country today. Take ownership.