United ranks 12th of 15 in 2013, Southwest is 8th and American 9th based on 4 measures crucial to travelers
The average air traveler might not agree, but the quality of U.S. airlines last year improved to the highest level in the 24-year history of a widely reported rating system.
"All in all, it's a good time to fly," said Dean Headley, one of the authors of the report released Monday.
But airlines dominant in the Chicago region did not fare well overall, with none ranking in the top half of the industry.
While Chicago-based United Airlines, the largest carrier at O'Hare International Airport, improved on every measure, it ranked just 12th out of 15 airlines in the annual Airline Quality Rating report. The report is a joint project of researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Wichita State University.
Ratings are based on four measures crucial to consumers — on-time performance, baggage handling, customer complaints and being involuntarily bumped from a flight. Data come from metrics measured by the Department of Transportation and are weighted by researchers.
American Airlines, also a big carrier at O'Hare, ranked ninth, while Southwest Airlines, the largest carrier out of Midway Airport, ranked No. 8 and was the only airline to worsen on all four measures.
The best airlines in America, based on the report, were, in order: Virgin America, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which was top ranked among large airlines. The worst were American Eagle, SkyWest Airlines, Express Jet Airlines and United.
United, which rated last a year ago, was able to improve its performance on all four consumer criteria but remained on the bottom rungs.
"It had nowhere to go but up," said Headley, a professor at Wichita State. "At least, they went in the right direction. They had to. Their complaint ratio last year was just through the roof. … They still have a long ways to go."
United combined operations, including computer systems, with Continental Airlines in 2012. That led to glitches and inefficiencies that caused flight delays and cancellations during the year, especially during the busy summer travel season. It was the most-complained-about airline in America that year.
"United is investing significantly to improve our customers' experiences and provide employees the tools to deliver great service, with customer satisfaction ratings consistently reflecting that improvement," United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said. "While we are pleased to see the latest rankings reflect our progress, we continue to develop new products, services and employee programs to better ensure we are delivering the experience customers expect."
Sometimes, travelers' experiences with airline quality don't jibe with dispassionate statistics, Headley said. "The numbers can move in the right direction, but perception oftentimes doesn't catch up with that," Headley said. "Let's face it, if your bag gets lost, that sucks."
And the data in the rankings do not account for fliers' distaste for added fees, which consumers sometimes view as "nickel-and-diming" by airlines.
Overall in 2013, airlines received fewer consumer complaints and bumped fewer passengers from flights, compared with the previous year. But on-time performance and the rate of mishandling bags worsened from the previous year.
The good news for Chicagoland fliers and travelers who connect through O'Hare is that the dominant airlines at that airport, United and American, were the only two U.S. airlines to improve their on-time performance in 2013.
In the past, airline mergers "almost always" meant worse quality for the consumer, at least in the near term — two to four years after the merger, Headley said.
That probably doesn't bode well for customers of the new American Airlines, a recent combination of American and US Airways that created the world's largest carrier, Headley said. It depends, in part, on what culture takes root at the new American.
"US Air has kind of a checkered history," he said. "Their ability to merge has not been stellar."
Headley said he's less worried about Southwest's ongoing merger with AirTran Airways, which experienced the biggest decline in the 2013 ranking, to 10th from third.
gkarp@tribune.com
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