JetBlue Tops J.D. Power Passenger Survey

JetBlue Airways earned the highest marks among major North American airlines, according to a J.D. Power survey released today that measures carrier performance in seven areas, including cost, inflight service, aircraft and reservations. The study, based on responses from 9,653 passengers who flew in the past year, shows a divide in customer service perception between legacy carriers and what J.D Power defined as low-cost carriers—"airlines that operate single-cabin aircraft with typically low fares."

"JetBlue continues to lead in satisfaction with low-cost carriers by a significant margin," said J.D. Power and Associates executive director of the travel practice Linda Hirneise. "Although the airline fell prey to severe weather delays in February 2007, they have been able to retain feelings of goodwill among their passenger base."

On a 1,000-point scale, JetBlue garnered 810 points, while the entire low-cost carrier category, including Frontier, Southwest and AirTran, averaged 748 points. AirTran, the lowest scorer in the category, achieved 721 points—beating out Continental Airlines, its closest legacy competitor at 704 points.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines rounded out the top three network carriers, as Air Canada and Northwest Airlines fell to the bottom of the network carrier segment, which averaged 667 points.