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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 14, 1993                   TAG: 9304140100
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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AIRLINES' QUALITY DROPS IN RATINGS

Flying on major airlines became more difficult last year, say researchers at two American universities.

The third annual Airline Quality Rating, out this week, had similar results to the last two: American Airlines was best, Trans World Airlines was worst and USAir was exactly in the middle.

The distinction, the researchers said, was that most major carriers performed worse last year.

The rating, assembled by professors at Wichita State University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, is a composite, weight-averaged score based on 19 criteria, ranging from baggage handling to financial stability. All data are from public records.

Dean Headley, a Wichita State marketing professor, said the decline in overall scores shows that consumers feel the industry's turmoil. "We are losing hubs. Airlines are canceling flights. . . . The system is restricting, and in the process you get people who might not be served well," he said.

USAir performed well in the first two months of 1992 but regressed in March and never recovered, according to the study.

USAir's performance was consistently worse in 1992 than 1991.

One area in which USAir showed up substantially weaker than its rivals was its frequent-flier program, Headley said. Strength of programs was judged on "how much trouble" it is to garner a free domestic round-trip ticket, he said. American was "abo

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