Ah, report cards. That magical time of year when school kids shudder and parents wonder whether or not their little genius made it through another semester.
What do report cards and vacation planning have in common?
It’s not just the kids who quiver when the grades are handed out. This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released its Air Travel Consumer Report, which gives travelers a glimpse at the good, the bad, and the ‘most improved’ airlines.
The monthly report gives consumers information on tarmac delays, flight cancellations and overall customer service with carriers, including complaints on discrimination, disability, lost luggage and pets.
Airlines made great improvements since the beginning of the year – the report states that of the 19 carriers reviewed, the on-time performance recorded had an overall on-time arrival rate of 82.6 percent in February, up from 77 percent in January 2009 and 68.6 percent in February 2008.
Final grade from Cheapflights: B+
Cheapflights ranked the airlines in some of the key consumer categories. For the entire report, click here.
Cancellations: Overall, airlines improved in this category and cancelled only 1.2 percent of their scheduled domestic flights. American Airlines ranked top of list with cancelled flights; Hawaiian Airlines had the best score: 0.1 percent. B+
Mishandled/Lost Baggage: Looks like luggage found its way to travelers easier in February 2008 (or more travelers are just not checking bags). Either way, airlines posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.56 reports per 1,000 passengers in February, “an improvement over both February 2008’s rate of 6.41 and January 2009’s 5.20 rate,” according to the report. A-
Pets: According to the BTS report, there were two incidents involving pets in February, compared to one incident in February 2008 and no incidents in January 2009. C-
Complaints About Airline Service: We’re most pleased with the progress in this category. In February, The DOT received only 576 complaints about airline service from consumers, down 38.5 percent from February 2008 and 34.8 percent fewer than January 2009. Way to step up the service! A+
With all the new routes, discount flights and deals on vacation packages, it’s no wonder airlines have progressed this quarter.
© Cheapflights Ltd
