Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are two of the big winners of the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study released on Wednesday.

The study, which was redesigned for 2024, measures passenger satisfaction with North American airlines based on performance in seven core dimensions on a poor-to-perfect 6-point rating scale. The factors include airline staff; digital tools; ease of travel; level of trust; on-board experience; pre/post-flight experience; and value for price paid.

J.D. Power analyzed passenger satisfaction across three segments—first/business, premium economy and economy/basic economy—gathering responses from 9,582 passengers who flew on a major North American airline within the past month of completing the survey between March 2023 and March 2024.

Delta ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the first/business segment with a top score of 743 on a 1,000-point scale. Meanwhile, the Atlanta-based carrier ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the premium economy segment for the second straight year with a score of 716.

JetBlue ranks second in the first/business segment, earning a score of 736 while United Airlines finished third with a score of 698, three points below the segment average. Alaska Airlines (687) and American Airlines (684) trail Delta in the premium economy segment in 2024.

Low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the economy/basic economy segment for a third consecutive year, earning a score of 685 to edge out Delta (651) and ultra-low-cost Allegiant Air (633).

Southwest Airlines flight over Southern California. (Photo Credit: Felipe Sanchez/Adobe)

The study found that the top-performing airlines are overcoming crowded airports and planes and rising airfares with friendly staff and attentive customer service. J.D. Power notes that both Delta and Southwest have made substantial investments in the people side of their business of late and it’s paying off with significantly higher scores in all areas where interpersonal interactions can make a difference.

“There are many aspects to the overall air travel experience that airlines cannot control, but one area in which they can profoundly influence is the positive effect that airline staff has on passengers,” Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, said in a statement. “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.”

The study also found that, for the most part, passengers simply want to reach their destination safely and without hassle. The two biggest factors driving overall airline customer satisfaction are ease of travel and trust, according to J.D. Power. Travelers just want an uncomplicated flight.

Additionally, media coverage has a major influence on trust scores. After all, overall satisfaction scores for trust are 400 points lower on a 1,000-point scale among passengers who saw negative news coverage of an airline’s performance in the past year.

Click here to learn more about the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.

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