04/06/09
One thing the recession has accomplished for Americans: It's taken some of the hassle out of flying.Overall, the airline industry had its best performance in 2008 in four years, private researchers say in their annual study of airline quality, based on government statistics.After its worst year for customer complaints in more than a decade in 2007, the airline industry last year flew fewer people 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: fewer flights, higher prices - some airlines now charge extra for any luggage - and fewer frills.Consumer complaints for the 17 airlines included in the study dipped from 1.42 per 100,000 passengers in 2007 to 1.15 in 2008. Southwest Airlines had the best rate, only 0.25 complaints per 100,000 passengers; US Airways had the worst rate, 2.25.
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