Travel -: The toughest airline critics

Travel - Headlines from The toughest airline critics 28 Jun 2011, 9:11 pm In its recently released look at the travel industry, the American Customer Satisfaction Index probably didn't surprise too many people by announcing that of the 47 industries it examines, airlines finished last, with a score of 65 out of 100 points. What did surprise me was which travelers are most disenchanted with the airlines: business travelers. David VanAmburg, managing director of the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based index, said the airline industry's low score largely can be traced to the "perception of being nickel-and-dimed," such as with bag fees. But a perk of business travel is sticking such costs on the corporate credit card. Business travelers also are more likely to sit in an airplane's premier seating. Why, then, so disenchanted? Frequency, VanAmburg said. "Business travelers are up against the complexities of the process more frequently," he said. "There are, therefore, greater opportunities for things to go wrong." The consumer index, which rates companies based on 250 phone and email surveys per brand, reported an airline score of 64 from leisure travelers and 61 from business travelers â€" a statistically significant difference, VanAmburg said. (The overall 65 score takes other statistics into consideration.) Southwest, with a score of 81, was the top-ranked airline for the 18th year in a row, most likely because its "policy of no baggage or change fees is paying dividends in satisfaction," according to the index. Southwest's nearest competitor was Continental (64), though that airline plunged 10 percentage points from last year. (Part of the reason for the dip likely is Continental's merger with United, VanAmburg said; mergers tend to affect brand perception negatively, though it often rebounds.) He offered some sympathy for the airlines, however. "It's such a complex process from the moment you book a flight online to picking up your bags at baggage claim," he explained. "The potential of things going wrong are so many. And you're captive for three hours on that flight." The news was much better for hotels, which scored a total of 77, up from 75 last year and an all-time high for the industry. Hotels have succeeded because they are adding elements to the customer experience â€" extras such as free Wi-Fi, exercise rooms and improved room layouts â€" while charging only nominally more than before. Upscale brands outperformed budget brands. Hilton (score of 80) was at the top for a fourth consecutive year, followed by Marriott and Starwood (both at 79). Is there a lesson for the airlines in hotels' success? "People appreciate transparency," VanAmburg said. "Take them seriously." A sampling of the customer satisfaction Index 2011 scores Airlines Southwestâ€"81 Continentalâ€"64 Americanâ€"63 Unitedâ€"61 You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed.