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When it comes to crummy airlines, American Airlines takes the cake.
An analysis of customer satisfaction scores by digital marketing firm Click Intelligence showed American is the world’s most loathed airline carrier, topping the list for passenger misery with a measly 2.9 out of 10 rating.
Passengers have been duct taped this year during American Airlines flights, suffered injuries from unexpected turbulence, forced from their seats thanks to smoke, and made to endure others’ vaping habits.
Last year, the Dallas-based airline carried 211 million passengers to 350 destinations across the globe, but also tied for the most recorded safety incidents with 11 and racked up hundreds of online lost-luggage complaints.
Budget carrier Frontier and United Airlines finished at Nos. 2 and 3, with ratings of 2.0 and 3.3, respectively. American took the top spot instead of Frontier because it served 178 million more customers, the study said.
Frontier also reported having 5 accidents within the last year.
“The airlines with the worst customer satisfaction share a common pattern: they treat service problems as isolated incidents rather than connected experiences that build up passenger frustration over time,” offered James Owen, co-founder and director at Click Intelligence.
“When an airline loses your bag, delays your flight, and then makes you wait on hold for hours, each problem makes the others feel worse, turning minor issues into major grievances,” Owen continued.
The best of the worst on the Top 10 list was British Airways, with a 6 out of 10 rating — and the most lost baggage complaints.
The airline also reported 10 accidents.
Air France netted a 5 out of 10 rating which was enough to land the airline at No. 4. Air France matched American Airlines with 11 safety incidents and showed the second-highest baggage complaint rate
Ireland’s Ryanair followed at No. 5, with a score of 2.8 — the same rating passengers gave to sixth place finisher AirAsia, which reported a single accident.
Aeromexico’s customer satisfaction rating was a 3 out of 10, with 6 accidents, securing the airline the No. 7 position on the list while Scandanavian Airlines followed at No. 8 with a rating of 3.4 and three accidents reported.
Budapest-based budget carrier Wizz Air was right behind it at No. 9 with an average customer rating of 3 out of 10.
United Airlines, Ryanar, and Wizz Air are the only carriers that did not report any accidents within the last year.
