04/06/09
Hawaiian Airlines topped an annual quality study of U.S. air carriers as the industry took some of the hassle out of flying last year and delivered its best performance in four years.The improvement came just a year after airlines earned their worst marks for passenger complaints in more than a decade.Right behind Hawaiian in the overall ratings of 17 airlines were AirTran Airways and JetBlue Airways, according to a study based on government statistics that was released Monday by private researchers. The legacy airlines - AMR Corp.'s American, Continental, Delta and UAL Corp.'s United - were clustered in the middle, while regional air carriers filled out the bottom rungs.The airline industry flew fewer people in 2008 but treated them better, arriving on time more often and losing fewer bags. Passengers also were not as apt to be bumped from flights by overbooking, which was a big problem when airlines were running at or over capacity.The downside: Less flights, higher prices - some airlines now charge extra for any luggage - and fewer frills.
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