Feature of the Month
JetBlue Airways, AirTran Airways and FlyI Rank Highest in Quality in 2006
Airlines Using Navitaire Services Sweep Top Three Airline Quality Rating (AQR) Awards
Navitaire salutes customers, AirTran Airways, JetBlue Airways and Independence Air (FlyI)1, on achieving the highest honors in one of the U.S. aviation industry's most highly regarded quality studies in 2006. First ranked JetBlue and second place AirTran continued to top the rankings, and Independence Air was rated third in its first year in the rankings.
The AQR quality assessment uses mathematical measures to objectively rank airline customer satisfaction and performance of the top 16 U.S. domestic airlines using 15 criteria in four areas of paramount importance to travelers:
- Involuntary denied boardings
- Mishandled baggage
- On-time flight arrivals
- Total customer complaints
All data for these criteria are published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in its Air Travel Consumer Report as reported by the airlines to the U.S. DOT.
"Despite an increasingly difficult operational environment, these airlines delivered the highest quality service to U.S. domestic travelers," said John Dabkowski, Navitaire's managing director. "They accomplished this with a highly-motivated team of employees armed with the right tools to support a strong commitment to customer service. We congratulate the employees of AirTran Airways, JetBlue, and former employees of FlyI, on a job well done."
"With the top three airlines all using Navitaire services in 2005, we believe the AQR rankings continue to demonstrate that Navitaire provides the best tools to enable airlines to meet and exceed customer expectations on a daily basis," he continued. "Our suite of efficient services to streamline booking, check-in, operations management, and service recovery create a winning package to increase loyalty for airlines not just in the U.S., but around the globe."
For complete details on the 2006 Airline Quality Rating and its authors, Dr. Brent Bowen of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Dr. Dean E. Headley of Wichita State University, please visit the AQR website at http://www.aqr.aero/.
1Navitaire served Independence Air until it ceased operations in January 2006.