Editor’s Note: The month the company began collecting data for the study has been corrected.

(WJET) — J.D. Power has released their annual Airline Satisfaction Study results. The study, which began collecting data in March 2023, broke down overall satisfaction in three classes: first, premium economy and economy.

The study was redesigned for this year and collected results from 9,582 passengers. It measures a passenger’s satisfaction based on performance in seven categories on a six-point scale. The categories are airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, on-board experience, pre/post-flight experience and value for the price paid.

According to J.D. Power, one key finding from the study was that media coverage has a major impact on the level of trust passengers have in the airline. They go on to say that overall scores for trust are 400 points lower among passengers who saw negative news about an airline.

Another key finding was that passengers want a safe and fast journey, especially due to the rising costs of plane tickets. The two largest overall things that passengers want are ease of travel and trust.

“The big takeaway from this year’s study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience. Airlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers, ” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service.

First/Business Class

Delta Air Lines took the top spot in customer satisfaction with a score of 743 for the first and business class segment. JetBlue Airways came in second place with 736 points.

Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [First/Business Class]:

  1. Delta Air Lines (743)
  2. JetBlue Airways (736)
  3. United Airlines (698)
  4. Alaska Airlines (695)
  5. American Airlines (676)
  6. Air Canada (629)

Premium Economy

For the premium economy segment, Delta Air Lines also took first place with 716. Alaskan Airlines took second place with 687 points.

Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [Premium Economy Class]:

  1. Delta Air Lines (716)
  2. Alaska Airlines (687)
  3. American Airlines (684)
  4. JetBlue Airways (667)
  5. WestJet (664)
  6. United Airlines (641)
  7. Air Canada (628)

Economy/Basic Economy Class

For the economy and basic economy class, Southwest Airlines with 685 points and Delta Airlines taking second place with 651 points.

Overall Customer Satisfaction Index Rating [Economy/Basic Economy]:

  1. Southwest Airlines (685)
  2. Delta Air Lines (651)
  3. Allegiant Air (633)
  4. Alaska Airlines (630)
  5. JetBlue Airways (630)
  6. American Airlines (611)
  7. WestJet (591)
  8. United Airlines (585)
  9. Air Canada (542)
  10. Spirit Airlines (507)
  11. Fronier Airlines (472)