Reply #16: Customer satisfaction in tailspin at airlines [View All]

[UpInArms]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-0604030167apr03,1,320461.story?coll=chi-business-hed

WASHINGTON -- Travelers increasingly are unhappy with airlines, ranking lost luggage among their biggest complaints, according to an annual survey by university researchers that rates carriers' quality.

"They're less on time, they're losing bags at a rate they've never done before, and people are complaining again," said Dean Headley, co-author of the study being released Monday.

Passengers are now returning to pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels, but there are 200,000 fewer airline employees to serve them, Headley said.

Passenger complaints increased 17 percent last year over 2004, and the rate of mishandled baggage jumped from 4.83 for every 1,000 passengers to 6.06 in 2005.

Customer satisfaction last year was the lowest since 2000, said Headley, an associate professor at Wichita State University in Kansas.

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Intense competition from low-fare airlines and high fuel prices have forced many traditional airlines to cut back or charge passengers for amenities.

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