North America Airline Satisfaction Study
Study Details
Airlines who make their customer experience a priority will reap the benefits in profits and reputation. Understanding what pleases the flying public and where their priorities lie are the first steps in creating an outstanding travel experience.
The Solution
The JD Power North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM measures passenger satisfaction among business and leisure travelers of major airline carriers in North America with the entire air travel experience, from reservation to baggage retrieval, based on a recent flight experience.
The study measures performance and satisfaction by class of cabin. The report is grouped by three categories: First/Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The model measures passenger satisfaction with airline carriers based on performance in several factors: Reservation, Check-In, Boarding, Baggage, Aircraft, Flight Crew, In-Flight Services, Costs & Fees. We will continue to expand coverage of Airline Lounges, Amenities, Boarding, Baggage, Food & Beverage, In-Flight Entertainment plus connectivity. View list of profiled brands and publish dates here.
Airlines who make their customer experience a priority will reap the benefits in profits and reputation. Understanding what pleases the flying public and where their priorities lie are the first steps in creating an outstanding travel experience.
The Solution
The JD Power North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM measures passenger satisfaction among business and leisure travelers of major airline carriers in North America with the entire air travel experience, from reservation to baggage retrieval, based on a recent flight experience.
The study measures performance and satisfaction by class of cabin. The report is grouped by three categories: First/Business, Premium Economy and Economy. The model measures passenger satisfaction with airline carriers based on performance in several factors: Reservation, Check-In, Boarding, Baggage, Aircraft, Flight Crew, In-Flight Services, Costs & Fees. We will continue to expand coverage of Airline Lounges, Amenities, Boarding, Baggage, Food & Beverage, In-Flight Entertainment plus connectivity. View list of profiled brands and publish dates here.
Benefits
The Benefits
Study subscription will provide access to the tools needed to gain an in-depth understanding of your how your company is performing and to identify the areas needing improvement. JD Power’s research solutions enable airlines to target performance activities that have a direct impact on ROI.
Deliverables include:
- KPI analysis examining the actions with the greatest impact on customer satisfaction, enabling you to target and prioritize your airline’s improvement initiatives.
- Personalized competitive data set allowing you to see how your airline stacks up against competitors, the industry, and the highest performers across study factors.
- Access to online data portals for in-depth data analysis
- Executive presentation with management insights, which include customized strategic recommendations, study results, ongoing best practices, and analyses of high-performing airlines.
The Benefits
Study subscription will provide access to the tools needed to gain an in-depth understanding of your how your company is performing and to identify the areas needing improvement. JD Power’s research solutions enable airlines to target performance activities that have a direct impact on ROI.
Deliverables include:
- KPI analysis examining the actions with the greatest impact on customer satisfaction, enabling you to target and prioritize your airline’s improvement initiatives.
- Personalized competitive data set allowing you to see how your airline stacks up against competitors, the industry, and the highest performers across study factors.
- Access to online data portals for in-depth data analysis
- Executive presentation with management insights, which include customized strategic recommendations, study results, ongoing best practices, and analyses of high-performing airlines.
Experiences Explored
Customers surveyed in this analysis answer questions about key topics such as:
- Reservation
- Check-in
- Boarding
- Baggage
- Aircraft
- Flight crew
- In-flight services
- Cost and fees
Customers surveyed in this analysis answer questions about key topics such as:
- Reservation
- Check-in
- Boarding
- Baggage
- Aircraft
- Flight crew
- In-flight services
- Cost and fees
Key Dates
- 2026 Study Fielding Begins: March 2025
- 2026 First Data Publish: August 20, 2025
- 2026 Second Data Publish: November 6, 2025
- 2026 Third Data Publish: February 11, 2026
- 2026 Final Results and Press Release: May 6, 2026
(*Subject to change; updated 07/08/2025)
Press Release & Award Information
JD Power will issue a national press release that will highlight key findings and trends from the stud(ies) and includes top-to-bottom rankings of the brands in the study that meet JD Power’s predetermined research criteria. The brand(s) that ranks highest in each of the segments profiled and meets predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to leverage their award publicly through the JD Power award licensing program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite.
Brands that rank above the industry average for their segment and subscribe to the study earn the opportunity to commission a JD Power Performance Report. JD Power Performance Reports are customized, client-commissioned reports that highlight above-average performance by companies in JD Power syndicated studies. Each report is written and designed by JD Power, and features research findings and charts from the study, with a focus on sponsoring client's ranking and performance. Learn More
JD Power will issue a national press release that will highlight key findings and trends from the stud(ies) and includes top-to-bottom rankings of the brands in the study that meet JD Power’s predetermined research criteria. The brand(s) that ranks highest in each of the segments profiled and meets predetermined award criteria will have the opportunity to leverage their award publicly through the JD Power award licensing program, which requires subscribing to the study as a prerequisite.
Brands that rank above the industry average for their segment and subscribe to the study earn the opportunity to commission a JD Power Performance Report. JD Power Performance Reports are customized, client-commissioned reports that highlight above-average performance by companies in JD Power syndicated studies. Each report is written and designed by JD Power, and features research findings and charts from the study, with a focus on sponsoring client's ranking and performance. Learn More
Make decisions with confidence.
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
Brands Targeted to be Profiled
(Final profiled list will be available upon study publication)
2026 Profiled Brands by Segment
First/Business
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
Premium Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
- WestJet
Economy/Basic Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
- WestJet
2027 Profiled Brands by Segment
First/Business
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
United Airlines
Premium Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
WestJet
Economy/Basic Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
- WestJet
(Final profiled list will be available upon study publication)
2026 Profiled Brands by Segment
First/Business
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
Premium Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
- WestJet
Economy/Basic Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
- WestJet
2027 Profiled Brands by Segment
First/Business
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
United Airlines
Premium Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
WestJet
Economy/Basic Economy
- Air Canada
- Alaska Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
- WestJet
(Updated 02/26/2026)
JD Power Solutions
JD Power Passenger View
JD Power Passenger View is an innovative information solution that uses passenger smartphones to collect feedback for management decisions or service recovery. It works with an airport’s Wi-Fi system (or your in-flight Wi-Fi) to deliver short, in-the-moment surveys to travelers who log on.
Learn more
Airport Signage Special Report
Optimize passenger navigation with expert wayfinding. Navigation around the airport is perennially one of the top passenger priorities. This report is a passenger data solution that benchmarks your airport against other North American airports.
Learn more
Airport Operational Excellence
This program enables each airport, no matter where they are in their customer experience journey, to understand what the most critical priorities to address next are on the way towards higher performance and earn formal validation along the way.
Learn more
JD Power Passenger View
JD Power Passenger View is an innovative information solution that uses passenger smartphones to collect feedback for management decisions or service recovery. It works with an airport’s Wi-Fi system (or your in-flight Wi-Fi) to deliver short, in-the-moment surveys to travelers who log on.
Airport Signage Special Report
Optimize passenger navigation with expert wayfinding. Navigation around the airport is perennially one of the top passenger priorities. This report is a passenger data solution that benchmarks your airport against other North American airports.
Airport Operational Excellence
This program enables each airport, no matter where they are in their customer experience journey, to understand what the most critical priorities to address next are on the way towards higher performance and earn formal validation along the way.
