U.S. Airline Performance Slides; Virgin America Stays on Top
By Mae Marie, Close-up Media Staff Writer
Overall U.S. airline performance slipped in 2014, according to the 25th annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR) released Monday.
In fact, the AQR noted that as an industry, performance in 2014 was worse than the previous four years. The AQR score for 2014 was a return to levels seen in 2009.
The AQR is a joint research project at Wichita State University (Wichita, Kan.) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Ariz., campus.
On the upside: Virgin America continues to turn in noteworthy performances, claiming the top spot for the third consecutive year.
In addition to Virgin America, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines showed improvement in AQR scores in 2014
Overall, the airline industry collectively declined in the AQR's four core elements of the study: on-time performance, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled baggage and customer complaints.
Co-researchers Dr. Dean Headley and Dr. Brent Bowen agree that the weaker overall performance shows that the recent round of mergers means airlines still have work to do to compete for customer loyalty.
Dr. Headley is the associate professor of marketing at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University. Dr. Bowen is the dean of College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Ariz., campus.
The 2014 numerical ranking of the nation's leading 12 airlines, according to the AQR, with 2013 ranking in parentheses:
1. Virgin America (1)
2. Hawaiian (3)
3. Delta (4)
4. JetBlue (2)
5. Alaska (5)
6. Southwest (8) (includes AirTran)
7. American (9) (includes USAirways)
8. Frontier (11)
9. United (12)
10. SkyWest (14)
11. ExpressJet (13)
12. Envoy/ American Eagle (15)
Individual airline results include:
On-time performance - Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance (91.9 percent) for 2014, and Envoy/American Eagle had the worst (68.8 percent).
Denied boardings - Virgin America and Hawaiian are the industry leaders in avoiding denied boarding incidents with a rate of 0.09 and 0.12 per 10,000 passengers, respectively. ExpressJet and SkyWest had the highest involuntary denied boarding rate at 2.71 per 10,000 passengers for both airlines.
Baggage handling - Virgin America had the best baggage handling rate (0.95 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers) and Envoy/American Eagle had the worst baggage handling rate (9.02 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers).
Consumer complaints - Alaska had the lowest consumer complaint rate (0.42 per 100,000 passengers). Frontier had the highest consumer complaint rate (3.91 per 100,000 passengers).
Electronic version of the full report, with details on each airline:
airlinequalityrating.com
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
TOP STORIES
TOP STORIES
THE DAILY VIEW
-
Alexandra Scarborough
Gilt and Sarah Jessica Parker Unveil SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal Collection for SpringSarah Jessica Parker, in partnership with Gilt, kicked off the exclusive launch of SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal, Gilt’s first foray into bridal ready-to-wear that would have Carrie Bradshaw swooning.
The collection includes dresses, skirts, bodysuits and other pieces, ranging in price from $295 to $2,395 and from sizes 0 to 14.
"Collaborating with Gilt on my first bridal ready-to-wear collection was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," said Sarah Jessica Parker. "The team there is brilliant and allowed me to be imaginative and take risks as I was designing for the non-traditional bride. It has been quite fun to play around with colors, fabrics and details to create unique pieces for all kinds of brides." The collection, comprised of ten styles, is inspired by Parker's vision of a modern, non-traditional bride, and is designed to dress a woman for a variety of wedding milestone moments; from her bridal shower through her wedding reception. Styles offered are a unique mix of classic dresses and gowns, modern bodysuits, full skirts, and a jumpsuit. The color palette includes traditional bridal white, sleek black, plus pops of blush, poppy, light gray and blue.
Designed in collaboration with Gilt, the collection was produced in New York City utilizing fabrics like cashmere and stretch crepe sourced from Spain, Italy and France.
The pieces all feature carefully curated details like elegant bows, sophisticated cutouts, feathers, intricate embroidery and beautiful hand-stitched beading.
The actress and style icon is no stranger to chic bridal wear. Carrie Badshaw, famously played by Parker, took part in an elaborate bridal photo shoot in Sex and the City: The Movie. The shoot featured gowns from designers like Christian Lacroix and Lanvin. Parker famously wore a black wedding gown for her own wedding to Matthew Broderick in 1997.
"Not only is Sarah Jessica Parker's style known around the world, her point of view is one-of-a-kind," says Tom Ott, Chief Merchant of Gilt. "Sarah Jessica brings her impeccable taste and fashion sensibility to life in this collection. We think our customers will be delighted with the offering which is stylish and well-priced in the bridal category."
As part of the bridal launch, Gilt will also offer 15 exclusive styles from the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker footwear line, each of which are complementary to the bridal collection.
To correspond with the bridal collection launch, Gilt City will present offers from some of Sarah Jessica Parker's favorite places in New York City.
The offers were each chosen as a way to help brides plan for and celebrate the big day with highlights including, Leather Spa, Lars Nord Studio Tailoring, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, among others.
More Information:
http://www.Gilt.com/SJP -
Alexandra Scarborough
Tea Forté Introduces ‘Matcha’ CollectionConvenience meets tradition in Tea Forté’s new Ceremonial Matcha Bowl Set and the Matcha Single Steeps.
The company said its spring harvested, shade grown, stone ground, organic matcha tea is best served in a centuries-old Japanese tea ceremony called chanoyu: a preparation technique known for its centering meditative qualities.
"The launch of Tea Forté's Matcha collection represents our continued commitment to wellness and cultivating all the potential mental and physical health benefits of tea," says Tea Forté CEO Michael Gebrael. "In addition to our high quality Pure Matcha, we've also blended four distinct flavored Matcha varieties. Prepackaged in pouches measured out for a single serving, our Single Steeps Matcha is ideal for the office, travel, or to keep with you for a boost anytime."
Tea Forté noted its handcrafted ceremonial tea bowl, handmade bamboo whisk and measuring ladle “encourages serene enjoyment of our premium Kosher, gluten-free and vegan matcha blends.” These include: Pure Matcha, Chocolate Matcha, Coconut Matcha, Ginger Matcha, and Chai Matcha.
According to a release, in addition to its distinctive taste, matcha is prized for its health benefits. Steeped green tea contains only the antioxidants that can be extracted in water, while with matcha, the whole leaf is consumed.
Available now in select stores and online at teaforte.com.
QUICK 5
Expedia.com has released a year-end look at U.S. traveler behavior and trends for 2017, analyzing data to identify the most in-demand destinations, hotels, activities and more.
Among other insights, the roundup revealed:
- Labor Day was the busiest weekend for car rental
- Disney Theme Parks topped the list of things to do
- The average hotel stay was two nights
- Top destinations based on 2017 air travel included major global cities like New York, London and Bangkok
- Popular tourist destinations included Orlando, Cancun and Las Vegas