April 26--United Airlines' passengers are increasingly satisfied with the Chicago-based carrier's service, though several major rivals are still more highly regarded, a new survey shows.
Among nine airlines, United ranked sixth, with a score of 68 out of a possible 100, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Report, released Tuesday. Its score last year was 60.
Other legacy carriers, American and Delta, edged it out with scores of 72 and 71, respectively.
Scores overall for the airline industry improved, according to the report, whose issuance coincided with newly released Transportation Department figures showing a drop in domestic airfares.
"New planes, more options for in-flight entertainment, and the return of free snacks have resulted in higher passenger satisfaction," Claes Fornell, founder and chairman of the index, said in a statement.
JetBlue and Southwest had the highest scores, at 80. The lowest-scoring airline was Spirit, at 62.
Scores overall for the airline industry were up 4.3 percent to 72, the report said.
The report, which is focused on hotels, online travel sites and airlines, was based on a survey of 6,913 consumers last month.
Separately on Tuesday, the Transportation Department said the average domestic airfare fell to $363 in the fourth quarter, down 8.3 percent from the same period a year earlier. That's the lowest level since 2010, adjusted for inflation.
Still, those fares include only the price paid at the time of the ticket purchase; they don't include fees for optional services, such as baggage fees.
Also, fuel prices have fallen by an even bigger percentage for some carriers.
United, for example, saw its fuel costs fall by 36 percent, to $7.5 billion last year, according to financial results. It said it earned a record profit in the fourth quarter.
Flying out of a bigger airport doesn't give air travelers an edge.
The Transportation Department found that all fares at 15 of the biggest airports averaged $365 in the fourth quarter.
At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, they averaged $333.
byerak@tribpub.com
