US Airways service rated low despite some gains
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 6, 2007 12:00 AM
US Airways had fewer lost bags and customer complaints in January than a year earlier, but the airline still ranked in the bottom half among its peers in all key customer-service categories.
The Tempe airline's best showing in the government's monthly "Air Travel Consumer Report," out Monday, was 10th out of 20 airlines for on-time arrivals.
Its on-time rate was 71.8 percent, compared with an industry average of 73.1 percent. The top three carriers in the Department of Transportation rankings were Hawaiian, Aloha and Southwest. advertisement
In a monthly employee incentive program based on the results, US Airways excludes commuter airlines and smaller carriers.
On that basis, it ranked sixth of 10 major airlines in on-time arrivals.
The airline has to be in the top three among major airlines in on-time arrivals, baggage handling or fewest customer complaints to get a bonus. A bonus hasn't been paid in about a year.
US Airways ranked seventh of the 10 major airlines in mishandled bags and customer complaints.
Its lost baggage rate was 7.52 per 1,000 passengers. That was down from 9.68 in January 2006 at a time when the industry average was up significantly due to a surge in mishandled bags at several commuter airlines.
US Airways has been spending millions at its Philadelphia hub to improve services like baggage handling, a major customer gripe there.
US Airways ranked ninth of the 20 reporting airlines. The top three finishers were AirTran, Aloha and Hawaiian. Among the majors, it was AirTran, Continental and Northwest.
US Airways' customer-complaint rate was down to 1.04 per 100,000 boarding from 1.49 a year earlier. That placed it 15th out of 20. Phoenix-based Mesa Airlines, a commuter carrier for US Airways, United and Delta, was No. 1, followed by Atlantic Southeast and ExpressJet.
Among the majors, Southwest was tops, followed by JetBlue and Continental.
Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 6, 2007 12:00 AM
US Airways had fewer lost bags and customer complaints in January than a year earlier, but the airline still ranked in the bottom half among its peers in all key customer-service categories.
The Tempe airline's best showing in the government's monthly "Air Travel Consumer Report," out Monday, was 10th out of 20 airlines for on-time arrivals.
Its on-time rate was 71.8 percent, compared with an industry average of 73.1 percent. The top three carriers in the Department of Transportation rankings were Hawaiian, Aloha and Southwest. advertisement
In a monthly employee incentive program based on the results, US Airways excludes commuter airlines and smaller carriers.
On that basis, it ranked sixth of 10 major airlines in on-time arrivals.
The airline has to be in the top three among major airlines in on-time arrivals, baggage handling or fewest customer complaints to get a bonus. A bonus hasn't been paid in about a year.
US Airways ranked seventh of the 10 major airlines in mishandled bags and customer complaints.
Its lost baggage rate was 7.52 per 1,000 passengers. That was down from 9.68 in January 2006 at a time when the industry average was up significantly due to a surge in mishandled bags at several commuter airlines.
US Airways has been spending millions at its Philadelphia hub to improve services like baggage handling, a major customer gripe there.
US Airways ranked ninth of the 20 reporting airlines. The top three finishers were AirTran, Aloha and Hawaiian. Among the majors, it was AirTran, Continental and Northwest.
US Airways' customer-complaint rate was down to 1.04 per 100,000 boarding from 1.49 a year earlier. That placed it 15th out of 20. Phoenix-based Mesa Airlines, a commuter carrier for US Airways, United and Delta, was No. 1, followed by Atlantic Southeast and ExpressJet.
Among the majors, Southwest was tops, followed by JetBlue and Continental.
