So, sometimes things happen that are so startling and so unbelievable that you can't help but think the world is closing in on collapse. The article below is one such moment. Somehow, in all the chaos and frustration that has been Northwest Airlines that last couple of years we've managed to beat out every other major domestic airline in the US for overall customer service. Boy, I pity the people that fly the other airlines cause I know we still suck. Heavens, we even beat out SOUTHWEST!
For those less familiar with the industry, the major airlines are considered American, United, Northwest, Delta, Continental and USAirways. The others are considered smaller or "LCC" (low cost carriers) like Southwest, jetBlue, Hawaiian and Aloha. The smaller airlines fair better in these sorts of rankings because of their smaller route schedules and fewer connection problems. Also, the two Hawaii based airlines have extremely high on time rates because there are no weather issues on their route structures. For a tradition network carrier to beat Southwest in this ranking is a bit shocking. Also, I think it is interesting to point out that NWA is nearly the same size as the four airlines that beat us COMBINED! For some more context in size, while NWA is as big as those four combined, Delta is twice our size and American is nearly four times our size. Just an interesting bit of info.
While I'm a bit dismayed by these rankings, I'm also a bit excited. It is nice to be able to say "we're better". Anyway...enjoy the article!
Northwest Airlines provided the best customer service among big network airlines in 2006, even though it was in bankruptcy and its employees were working under significant pay cuts.
The Eagan-based carrier had the fifth-best operational statistics among 18 large U.S. carriers ranked in the 17th annual Airline Quality Ratings study released Monday.
While the performance of the overall industry slipped last year, Northwest's treatment of customers improved in all four categories measured. In addition to showing a slight gain in its on-time arrivals -- 75 percent in 2005 to 75.8 percent in 2006 -- Northwest reduced its numbers of consumer complaints, mishandled bags and involuntarily bumped passengers.
"The people of Northwest Airlines have done an amazing job," said Terry Trippler, a Minneapolis-based airline analyst.
Hawaiian Airlines came in first in the rankings, followed by JetBlue Airways, AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines.
Northwest has almost as many flights per day as those four airlines combined, Trippler said.
The other big network airlines ranked as follows: Continental, seventh; United, eighth; American, 10th; Delta, 12th, and US Airways, 13th.
"Northwest continues to strive to offer our customers the best flight experience possible," the carrier said in a prepared statement Monday. "Our employees have consistently maintained their focus on meeting the needs of customers."
Among the six major network airlines, Northwest noted that it had the smallest rate of mishandled bags during 2006, and it was the second-lowest in the rate of consumer complaints and third-best in on-time arrivals.
The study is done by researchers at the University of Nebraska and Wichita State University, who weight data collected by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
During 2006, Northwest was engaged in contentious negotiations with its pilots, flight attendants and ground workers.
But Robert Mann, a New York-based airline consultant, said that front-line employees still managed to serve customers. "Most employees realize that it doesn't help them in their negotiations with the company to take customers hostage," Mann said.
He also noted that Northwest has been investing in systems and making policy decisions that will allow front-line employees to do a better job. One example he cited is ticket-selling approaches that maximize revenue but reduce the number of oversold flights.
On an industry basis, the number of on-time flights dropped from 77.3 percent in 2005 to 75.5 percent last year. In addition, the rate of mishandled bags increased from 6.06 per 1,000 passengers in 2005 to 6.5 in 2006.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said consumers have decided that cheap fares are their priority, so people are "getting the kind of airline system that we've paid for. We are only willing to pay bus-type fares, so we are getting bus-like service."
Big airlines have stripped their services and no longer offer food, blankets or pillows in coach class, Stempler said, and they've reduced staff so they can save money and offer fares that compete with low-fare airlines.
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