Airline travel is back to pre-pandemic levels and it's predicted that summer travel will break all-time records. So how do you avoid those travel nightmares like being stuck at an airport when you're supposed to be out on a beach somewhere?
There are so many things you can't control: the weather, airline staffing issues even lost baggage. But you can at least improve your odds of a smooth flight and experience by choosing the right airline.
Jose Duran is an avid traveler, who blogs about his trips around the globe. And while getting there can be half the fun, sometimes traveling by air is no fun at all.
“In June of last year, I was in San Francisco, I had the last flight, the red eye back to New York and that flight ended up being canceled and that created a whole cascade of events that spiraled out of control really they canceled on us at the last minute,” Duran said.
Consumer Reports surveyed over 17,000 of its members about nearly 33,000 flights – asking about everything from ease of check-in, to delays, cleanliness and
price!
The airline with the top overall satisfaction score for economy travel was Hawaiian Airlines. The big three – Delta, United and American were in the middle,
and Frontier Airlines was at the bottom of the list.
And it’s no surprise that the members who took business or first-class flights were more satisfied than those who flew coach, where traveler’s top gripe related to airline seats!
“26 percent of folks in coach reported either being uncomfortable, booked in the wrong seat, or not able to sit with family!” Consumer Reports Survey Tian Wang said.
And twenty percent of travelers had gripes related to flight schedules, things like delays, reschedules and cancellations. Yet most people surveyed did not formally complain to the airline.
“Whatever your air travel issues – it’s important to log complaints with the airline while you are still at the airport. If you’re stranded, you may be owed meals or a hotel room, or even money if you’ve bumped from your flight!” Wang said.
You can visit the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection website, for a list of what each airline offers in the event of a controllable delay or cancellation!
