Airline Service Poll Gets Mixed Results

Airline customers are mad as hell, and they’re just not taking it anymore--or are they?

Only 417 travelers--about enough to fill a jumbo jet--responded last month to an online survey titled the “Air Traveler’s Bill of Rights,” launched with fanfare by the American Society of Travel Agents. That wasn’t enough to get airline-by-airline ratings, and ASTA conceded it was disappointed.

Still, a solid 66.7% of the respondents faulted airlines for failing to give them “timely, complete and truthful information” about flight delays and cancellations, and most saw problems in either seat comfort, carry-on space, food or cleanliness. On the other hand, the airlines got good marks for truth in advertised prices and schedules.

The airlines’ Air Transport Assn. called the survey unscientific.