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Subscribe to RSSIn December, on-time performance was the highest it's been in 17 years. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
When it comes to air travel, 2011 wasn’t the best of times, but it wasn’t the worst of times.
On Tuesday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released its latest Air Travel Consumer Report (PDF), which includes airline-performance data for both December and the entire year.
Figures for the former showed significant improvement over December 2010 while those for 2011 suggest the industry has leveled out its performance, with fewer drastic improvements or declines in service.
Thanks, in part, to this winter’s mild weather, the nation’s 16 largest airlines operated 84.4 percent of their December flights on time, a record for the month in the 17 years during which the DOT has collected such data. In December 2010, carriers arrived on time just 72 percent of the time.
Cancellations during the month also dropped from December 2010 (from 3.7 percent to 0.8 percent), as did reports of mishandled bags (from 4.72 reports per 1,000 passengers to 3.37 reports), and there were no extended tarmac delays for either domestic or international flights. Passengers apparently took notice: complaints were down from 756 in December 2010 to 710 in December 2011.
Over the course of the year, the industry’s performance was more stable than superb. On-time performance was flat — 79.6 percent vs. 79.8 percent in 2010 — while reports of mishandled bags dropped from 3.51 to 3.39 reports per 1,000 passengers.
Incremental changes aside, however, travelers remain unimpressed with their flying experience. Last year, they filed 11,545 complaints with DOT over flight problems, mishandled bags and other issues compared to 10,988 in 2010, an increase of 5 percent. (Both figures include complaints against U.S. and international airlines, tour operators and travel agents but not complaints filed with the travel providers themselves.)
Little wonder, then, that the industry continues to fare poorly in the public eye. “There was a bit of a falling-off in customer satisfaction from the previous year,” said David VanAmburg, managing director of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which has tracked the airline industry since 1994. “On a scale of 100, they dropped from a 66 to a 65.”
The problem, at least in part, is one of perception. “You can say that the quality of the experience has been declining in the sense that what we used to get (for example, complimentary meals, free checked bags), we don’t get any more yet we’re not paying any less,” said VanAmburg.
“If the airlines were charging us more and offering more perks — or taking away perks but giving us a break on the price — then we might see different numbers,” he told msnbc.com.
In fact, consumers’ unhappiness over fares and fees is so strong, it’s negating their positive impressions of airline service, said Jessica McGregor, global account manager at J.D. Power and Associates.
McGregor said customer rating of overall airline services such as boarding, reservations and check-in had actually improved last year. “Cost and fees was the only area to show a decline from 2010 to 2011,” she said. “People are feeling nickel and dimed.”
In terms of customer satisfaction going forward, said McGregor, “Things are looking pretty stable from last year but satisfaction over costs and fees continues to trend downward.”
Barring a long-term improvement in on-time performance, a significant drop in mishandled bag rates or the surprise elimination of those much-hated fees, the relationship between airlines and passengers will likely follow a similar path.
Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.
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Do they even really care about if their "customers" are happy? Given the extreme lengths the airlines have gone to nickel and dime us while providing even less comfort and/or service. I'd have to argue that they really truly dont give a crap about us..only our money and how many more cattle they can squeeze into a tube with bad air.
I will only fly if I absolutely have to. Service has declined, seats are closer, high fees for baggage,....
With gov't trying to regulate OUR lives more and more, why don't they force the hand of the airlines and mandate seats more condusive to transporting the human body instead of household pets. Not even midgets can say they're comfortable in the torture of an economy class seat. Having a seat that accommodates the dimensions of an average person and a decent meal that isn't fused-together plastic shouldn't be a luxury only the mega rich can afford.
Send all of your complaints to Representative John Mica (R) Florida. He is always quick to grab credit let him also carry the blame.
Boeing and Airbus are building bigger airplanes, with more cramped, seats, and better fuel efficiency engines, so the airlines can get more "cattle" into the limited spaces called airports, with a higher profit margin for the airlines. Until people, the "cattle," can get a united voice, and hurt the airlines pocket book, nothing will be done.
We, as the customer, must demand satisfaction. Shop around, and don't be afraid to call attention to the problems encountered. As mentioned above, bring up the subject with your elected representatives in Washington, D.C. Whether that rep is a member of the transportation committees, or not, if they know you are unhappy with their performance, and will remember that at election time, and then DO act on that, things will start to happen, as it will start to affect the purse strings of the airlines. Another consideration, something as simple as a "Letter to the Editor," to various newsmedias, papers, television, even old fashioned radio, can have an effect. America, USE YOUR VOICES to influence the decision makers in this ridiculous situation, and don't let the talking heads on TV make your decisions for your, or the talking heads in Washington, D.C. determine your satisfaction level.
It is YOUR responsibility to create the change, not some politician that could care less for you, regardless of what they spout. Remember - you are the people paying, and, as such, deserve a responsible and respectful and satisfying service.