Airline Passenger Satisfaction Improves Slightly as Industry Confronts Economic Headwinds, J.D. Power Finds

TROY, Mich.: 7 May 2025 — Is this the end of the “revenge travel” era? With domestic air passenger volume down through the first quarter of 2025,¹ consumer confidence is sinking to its lowest level since the pandemic² and airlines introducing new fees on everything from baggage to seat selection, North American air travel is going through some changes. According to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study,^SM released today, airlines are heading into this new era from a position of relative strength, with overall passenger satisfaction up 6 points (on a 1,000-point scale) from 2024.

“Throughout our one-year study period, we’ve seen a slight decline in both ticket prices and passenger volume, which has helped keep overall passenger satisfaction levels high,” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service at J.D. Power. “But it’s clear that market dynamics are changing and will likely affect passenger experience in the coming weeks and months. Airlines will likely have a tougher year this year, economically, but the key to their longer-term success will be how well they manage economic headwinds without compromising on customer experience.”

Following are some key findings of the 2025 study:

• Overall satisfaction rises, driven by gains in main cabin: Overall passenger satisfaction for North American airlines is up 6 points from 2024. That improvement is driven by an 8-point increase in satisfaction among passengers flying in the economy/basic economy class, which represents the majority of airline passengers. Passenger satisfaction declined 7 points in the premium economy class and just 1 point in first/business class.
• Airline staff crucial to passenger satisfaction: Positive passenger experiences with airline staff were responsible for a 9-point increase in customer satisfaction in the economy/basic economy segment, underscoring the importance of frontline personnel to the overall passenger experience.
• Fewer than 10% of passengers experienced problems: Fewer than 10% of North American airline passengers experienced problems in this year’s study. Of those who did experience problems, flight delays were the most common across all passenger segments. Customers who did not cite a problem had satisfaction scores that were 125 points higher on overall level of trust with the airline than those who experienced a problem.
• Passenger experience directly linked to brand loyalty: Among passengers who describe their overall air travel experience as “perfect,” 81% say they “definitely will” fly that airline again. That level of brand loyalty falls to just 4% among passengers who describe their experience as “poor.”

Study Rankings

JetBlue Airways ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the first/business segment with a score of 738. Delta Air Lines (724) ranks second and Alaska Airlines (709) ranks third.

Delta Air Lines ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the premium economy segment for a third consecutive year, with a score of 717. JetBlue Airways (699) ranks second and Alaska Airlines (691) ranks third.

Southwest Airlines ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the economy/basic economy segment for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 694. JetBlue Airways (663) ranks second and Delta Air Lines (662) ranks third.

The North America Airline Satisfaction Study measures passenger satisfaction with airline carriers in North America based on performance in seven core dimensions on a poor-to-perfect 6-point rating scale. Individual dimensions measured are (in alphabetical order): airline staff; digital tools; ease of travel; level of trust; on-board experience; pre/post-flight experience; and value for price paid. The study measures passenger satisfaction in three segments—first/business; premium economy, and economy/basic economy.

The 2025 study is based on responses from 10,224 passengers. Passengers needed to have flown on a major North America airline within the past month of completing a survey. The study was fielded from March 2024 through March 2025. 

For more information about the North America Airline Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/jd-power-north-america-airline-satisfaction-study.

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 55 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

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¹IATA March Passenger Volume, https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-04-30-01/ 

²The Conference Board U.S. Consumer Confidence, https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence