AIRLINES

Survey Finds Business Fliers Like Northwest, Alaska Air: Frequent business travelers gave high marks to Northwest Airlines for flights of more than 1,000 miles and Alaska Airlines for shorter trips, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. American and United Airlines received below-average marks for both short and long domestic flights on such criteria as quality of food, baggage procedures and seating, the report said. While Northwest ranked first for long flights, the airline was barely ahead of the next highest competitors, Delta and Continental airlines, the survey found. For short trips, however, Alaska Airlines was a standout, scoring well above the other two airlines that exceeded the industry average, Southwest and Delta.