Air Canada has been ranked near the bottom for customer satisfaction among North American airlines, according to a new poll.
Analytics company J.D. Power released its annual North America Airline Satisfaction Study today based on responses from 9,582 passengers from March 2023 to March 2024. The rankings are based on a 1,000-point scale.
The report said airlines that committed to big investments in staff training and efforts to improve the overall flight experience with friendly and attentive service resulted in a higher ranking in customer satisfaction.
“The big takeaway from this year’s study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience. Airlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers,” Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, said in a statement.
Delta Air Lines ranked the highest in customer satisfaction in the first/business segment with a score of 743 out of seven airlines, followed by JetBlue Airways (736). Air Canada ranked last with 629.
Delta Air Lines also ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the premium economy segment for a second consecutive year out of eight airlines, with a score of 716. Alaska Airlines (687) followed and Air Canada came in last with 628.
Meanwhile, Air Canada ranked a little higher in the economy/basic economy segment in 10th place out of 12 airlines, with a score of 542. Southwest Airlines ranked highest in this segment for a third consecutive year, with a score of 685, followed by Delta Air Lines (651).
In response to the study, Air Canada said this is one of a number of annual surveys and that Air Canada “has performed very well” in others.
“Most recently, this includes: the Skytrax World Airline Awards (World’s Most Family Friendly Airline, Best Airline in Canada, Best Airline Staff in Canada and Best Low-Cost Airline in Canada), the Trazee Awards, where for five consecutive years we were voted North America’s favourite airline for 2023; Best Airline for Onboard Entertainment for the fifth consecutive year from Global Traveler; and for the last two years the Passenger Choice Award for Best Entertainment in North America from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX),” Air Canada said in a statement to Now Toronto.
The J.D. Power study measures passenger satisfaction with North American airline carriers based on airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, level of trust, on-board experience, pre/post-flight experience and value for price paid. The study also looked at satisfaction in three seating areas: first/business, premium economy and economy/basic economy.
