Study says airline mergers hurt customer satisfaction scores

1/6

Rating: 78 out of 100.
Southwest Airlines ranked second in the 2014 index with 78, down from 81 in 2013. (Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press)

2/6

Rating: 71 out of 100.
Delta Air Lines came in third and was up from 2013, when it scored 68. (Michael Penn / Associated Press)

3/6

Rating: 70 out of 100.
In the American Customer Satisfaction Index, passengers gave all the airlines not specifically named in this gallery, such as Virgin America and Alaska Airlines, a combined rating of 70. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

4/6

Rating: 66 out of 100.
American Airlines was fifth in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index with a score of 66, up from 65 last year. (Bill Montgomery / Associated Press)

5/6

Rating: 66 out of 100.
US Airways ranked second-to-last among the nation’s largest airlines, receiving a 66, up from 64 in 2013. (Keith Srakocic / Associated Press)

6/6

Rating: 60 out of 100.
United received the lowest rating among the largest airlines. The carrier’s score was down from 62 in 2013. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

By Hugo Martin

April 22, 2014 11:05 AM PT

A national study on customer satisfaction suggests that passenger satisfaction ratings slump after airlines undergo a merger with another carrier.

The nation’s top airlines received a combined score of 69 on a 1-to-100 scale, below the average scores for banks, insurance companies, gas stations, hotels and the U.S. Postal Service, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, an annual study released Tuesday.

The airlines’ score remained the same from last year’s customer satisfaction score. New York-based JetBlue was the highest-ranked airline, with a score of 79, according to the index.

The report also looked at airline satisfaction scores over the last 17 years and concluded that passenger scores often slump in the year or two after airlines undergo a merger with another carrier.

“We’ve seen time and time again the impact mergers have on customer satisfaction,” said Claes Fornell, founder of the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

The slump may be the result of glitches when airlines try to combine reservation systems or loyalty reward programs, said David VanAmburg, managing director of the satisfaction index.

Best airlines, worst airlines: JetBlue tops survey as scores slide

According to the index, the customer satisfaction scores for Delta Air Lines dipped from 64 in 2009 to 56 in 2011, after its merger with Northwest Airlines.

In the year after Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran Airways, its satisfaction score dropped from 81 in 2011 to 77 the following year, according to ACSI.

As American Airlines prepares to merge with US Airways to create the world’s largest carrier, Fornell predicts American “may also see a slump in satisfaction.”

American Airlines officials say they are working hard to ensure it doesn’t happen.

“Customer service is going to be the hallmark of the new American,” said American Airlines spokesman Casey Norton. “That starts now. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re making sure customers will see the benefits of the merger as soon as possible.”

ALSO:Spirit Airlines: nation’s highest complaint rate and highest profit margin

US Airways sends out tweet with graphic porn image, is really sorry

Ten things to know about your lost baggage