LCC's, UAL and ASA did well!

[Dizel8]

LCC's tops survey!

The Airline Quality Rating study, compiled by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute/School of Public Administration and Wichita State University, found the industry's overall score on the decline in 2004.

The study, which compiles monthly data, uses several criteria to come up with its scores, including statistics that measure on-time arrivals, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled baggage and customer complaints.

Only four carriers, the study found, saw their scores improve in 2004: Jet Blue Airways Corp. ; AirTran, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings ; Atlantic Southeast, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines ; and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, the only legacy carrier among the top six performing airlines.

United also made the biggest leap, vaulting from No. 9 in 2003 to No. 4. UAL e) is operating under Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection from creditors.

After JetBlue, AirTran ranked second in the 2004 overall rankings, followed by Southwest Airlines . Alaska Air Group's Alaska Airlines was No. 5, with America West rounding out the top six.

"The way the rankings break out shows a continuation of just how popular low-fare carriers have become," said Brent Bowen, director of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Aviation Institute, and co-author of the annual report. "The last few years of rankings have marked the growth of airlines like JetBlue and Southwest."

For the industry as a whole, the proportion of flights deemed as on-time arrivals fell to 78.3 percent in 2004 from 82 percent in 2003. Involuntary denied boarding per passenger increased slightly, to 0.87 per 10,000 passengers from 0.86 the previous year. Consumer complaint rates rose to 0.76 per 100,000 passengers, up from 0.67 in 2003.

While low-fare carriers dominated the top of the list, legacy carriers were largely grouped in the middle tier and regional carriers dominated the bottom tier, the researchers noted.

They also said the industry could face significant near-term challenges.

"The price of crude oil is going to be a big factor for the airlines. It's the second-largest cost item the airlines have in their budget behind people," said Dean Headley, associate professor of marketing at Wichita State University.

 

[Yank McCobb]

ASA did well? Came in dead last, following behind Comair, who was next to last. But hey, they "improved their score" from a year ago. Right.

 

[labbats]

I wouldn't put a lot of prudence from anything researched by the lackeys at UNO.

 

[Medeco]

As the Forbes.com artical about this said.

It is like comparing a boutique to a department store, for customer service grades with no known corrective factored in.

Majors basically kept things close to par while reducing staff, and lowering ticket prices.

While LCC's increased staff by 6% on average.


This "study" was a joke, but the dumb A$$ media will give the LCC's lots of free press for this, as they have in the past.

ASA simply improved, but it is pretty hard not to when your at the bottom to begin with. I see it first hand.

Medeco

 

[Phaedrus]

pru·dence
n.
The state, quality, or fact of being prudent.
Careful management; economy.
Synonyms: prudence, discretion, foresight, forethought, circumspection
These nouns refer to the exercise of good judgment, common sense, and even caution, especially in the conduct of practical matters. Prudence is the most comprehensive: “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older” (Jane Austen). Discretion suggests wise self-restraint, as in resisting a rash impulse: “The better part of valor is discretion” (Shakespeare). Foresight implies the ability to foresee and make provision for what may happen: She had the foresight to make backups of her computer files. Forethought suggests advance consideration of future eventualities: The empty refrigerator indicated a lack of forethought. Circumspection implies discretion, as out of concern for moral or social repercussions: “The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection” (Samuel Adams).