by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 6:00 AM ET, Wed May 7, 2025
While economic uncertainty and airline mechanical issues are gaining nationwide attention and consumer confidence is plummeting to the lowest point since the pandemic, overall airline passenger satisfaction is up this year, according to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.
The study, which analyzed responses from over 10,000 air travelers who had flown at least one major North American airline within a month of completing the survey, found that overall passenger satisfaction was up 6 points on a 1,000-point scale from last year.
“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.
“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.”
The Most Satisfied Cabin Category
The cabin category seeing the highest year-to-year gain is the economy/basic economy class, which rose 8 percent from 2024. Passenger satisfaction actually declined 7 percent in premium economy and 1 point in business and first class.
A major factor supporting a growth in overall airline satisfaction is airline staff: positive interactions added a 9 percent increase in customer satisfaction for economy passengers.
Airline Satisfaction Linked to Smooth Travels
The survey found that most North American air travelers didn’t experience problems while traveling by air: only 10 percent noted problems, with the highest being delays. Those who didn’t have any issues traveling by plane were 125 points more satisfied than those who did experience issues, signaling that better experiences increase consumer trust.
In fact, 81 percent of travelers who reported their experience was perfect say they’ll “definitely fly” the same airline again. By comparison, just 4 percent of those who described their air travel experience as “poor” wanted to fly the same airline again.
The Best North American Airlines, Ranked by Satisfaction
So which airline saw the most customer satisfaction?
The J.D. Power analysis measures satisfaction based on seven factors on a 6-point sliding scale: airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, level of trust, onboard experience, pre/post-flight experience and the value for price paid. These factors are analyzed across the three main cabin categories.
Among first class and business class travelers, JetBlue scored the highest points, at 738. Delta Air Lines followed second, with 724 points, while Alaska Airlines ranked third with 709.
Premium economy travelers trust Delta Air Lines above other airlines, with 717 points. It’s the third year in a row that Delta takes the top spot for its premium segment. JetBlue Airways ranked second with 699 points, with Alaska Airlines making it into third with 691.
For economy/basic economy travelers, Southwest remained the most satisfying experience for the fourth year in a row, with a score of 694. JetBlue Airways ranked second with 663 points, with Delta Air Lines coming in just behind with 662 points.
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