Airline traveler satisfaction declines

Air travelers are increasingly less satisfied with the baggage claim process, J.D. Power & Associates (JDPA) reported last month, pointing to the anti-liquid regulations that have plagued all of us over the past year. Although the survey also asked travelers for feedback about airport acessibility, food quality, and retail services, baggage claim was a sore spot, the research firm explained. This is is especially true at large airports. “Travelers have become more likely to check their bags as they face greater restrictions on what they can bring on board, and that has created an added burden on the baggage claim process,” said JDPA’s Jim Gaz. “Baggage claim has the greatest impact on overall satisfaction, along with airport accessibility.”

The study also found that wait times are a key determinant of airport customer satisfaction. In particular, satisfaction with security check and baggage claim are strongly impacted by timeliness, with passengers tolerating wait times up to seventeen minutes before satisfaction drops to below-average levels. In addition, for every five minutes of wait time in a security screening line, JDPA found that satisfaction drops by an average of twenty-one index points. For baggage claim, the decrease is approximately twelve index points after every five-minute interval.