THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504250302
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Although the airline industry rebounded financially last year, the quality of service provided by America's nine major carriers declined, according to a survey released Monday.
American Airlines was the No. 1-ranked carrier in the Airline Quality Rating, an annual study by researchers at the University of Nebraska and the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University.
American displaced Southwest Airlines, which had earned the highest overall marks in 1993. Southwest fell to No. 2.
The seven other major airlines were ranked in the following order: United, Delta, USAir, Northwest, America West, TWA and Continental. A major airline, as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is one whose operating revenues reach at least $1 billion for a 12-month period.
The researchers used a variety of government data, including on-time performance, accidents, customer service, the age of each airline's fleet, lost baggage, overbookings and financial stability.
Overall, they found the quality of service diminished for the fourth year in a row.
``The traveling public demands more and airlines seemingly want to give us less,'' said Brent D. Bowen, director of the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska. by CNB