With summer travel season about to start, the airline you choose can make a difference in whether you enjoy the flight. Consumer Reports' survey of 23-thousand subscribers found lots of problems.
Mark Kotkin of Consumer Reports says "Plenty of people complained about cramped seats. There were also a lot of complaints about inflight service and late flights."
US Airways was among the worst, earning just 62 out of 100 points on the satisfaction scale.
But the survey showed some airlines, especially smaller ones, rated as much as 25 points higher. One of the best was JetBlue, despite problems earlier this year.
"There were some problems with JetBlue this winter, with people stranded on the runway. But in our survey, JetBlue did very, very well," says Kotkin.
It got high marks for easy check-in and then once you're onboard, for service and seating comfort. JetBlue brags it has a lot of leg room and survey respondents were happy with what they got. And JetBlue's prices are often lower than the competition.
Midwest, another small airline, also earned a high satisfaction rating, although it doesn't necessarily have the lowest fares. It stands out particularly for seating comfort and cabin service. Another plus? Flight attendants actually bake chocolate chip cookies in flight, so passengers get fresh-baked snacks while they're in the air.
