Crowds have returned to airports, middle seats are filled again, and airlines across North America are raising fares to offset higher fuel costs and meet strong leisure travel demand. Those fare increases, while putting pressure on passenger satisfaction, have not yet deterred travelers: load factors continue to climb as people prioritize getting away from home, according to the J.D. Power 2022 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.
“Now, with passenger traffic surging, and few pandemic-era constraints still in place, passenger satisfaction is in decline, but that’s not really bad news,” said Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. “If airlines can find ways to manage these growing volumes while making some small adjustments to help passengers feel more valued, they should be able to manage this return to ‘normal.’”
© J.D. Power
Overall satisfaction scores have fallen across nearly every measure. The study’s combined score for all three segments — first/business, premium economy and economy/basic economy — stands at 798 on a 1,000-point scale, more than 20 points lower than a year earlier. Satisfaction dropped notably for cost, flight crews and aircraft-related factors.
Premium-class passengers in particular reported weaker satisfaction with food and beverage service. Pandemic-era changes—such as the temporary suspension of onboard alcohol service—contributed to sharp declines in ratings. Food and beverage satisfaction fell 38 points in premium economy and 12 points in first/business, while economy/basic economy saw a 7-point increase in this area.
© J.D. Power
Cost remains a major influence on satisfaction as average ticket prices climbed roughly 20 percent through March 2022. Rising fuel prices and strong demand drove that increase, and passengers responded with lower satisfaction scores for cost and fees across all segments: premium economy dropped 66 points, economy/basic economy fell 33 points, and first/business decreased 21 points.
© J.D. Power
The J.D. Power North America Airline Satisfaction Study evaluates passenger perceptions of major North American carriers across eight areas: aircraft, baggage, boarding, check-in, cost and fees, flight crew, in-flight services and reservation. The analysis covers three travel segments — first/business, premium economy and economy/basic economy — and is based on responses from 7,004 passengers who flew on a major North American airline within the month prior to completing the survey. The fieldwork for this edition ran from March 2021 through March 2022.
As travel demand continues to rebound, the study suggests airlines that address key pain points—especially around cost transparency and in-flight service consistency—can improve satisfaction even as passenger volumes return to pre-pandemic levels.