A Report Card on Airlines is Helpful to Vacation Travelers
Feb. 7, 2007. Although most travelers to luxury vacation rentals travel by auto, many travelers use the airlines during this time of year to head for warmer climates. Trips to the beaches of South Florida, the Caribbean, or Hawaii require using our nation’s air travel system.
For those taking to the air, it is worthwhile to read the column of Scott McCartney of the Wall Street Journal, who reports that despite financial recovery, many carriers are still plagued by spotty customer service. McCarthy gives US Air poor marks for, “customer service, ranking last among the 10 biggest airlines in the rate at which bags were lost and the frequency of consumer complaints.� . He says, “The same could be said for Continental Airlines Inc. -- strong financial performance with lots of growth, but a black eye from ending up in last place in both on-time percentage and the rate that it involuntarily bumped passengers from flights.�
McCartney explains the poor customer service as follows, "Even though airlines started making money again, a lack of employees and broken-down equipment added to travel woes last year, suggesting that carriers need to spend more now that they are making more. Planes were fuller last year. Ticket prices were higher. Flight delays increased. More bags got lost. And security hassles rose exponentially after liquids were banned from airplane cabins, then permitted in small quantities under rules still not uniformly enforced or even understood by federal security screeners."
The article reports that only Southwest Airlines Co. was on top of a 2006 scorecard both financially and in its operating performance. For a list of airlines, and their rankings in five service categories check the chart in the Wall Street Journal (Subscription Only).
