Why US airlines have such bad reps

Sad/stressed/sick woman at the airport holding smart phone

The US has long copped some flak for having crappy airports and sub-par airlines, but a new slab of research has delved into why this reputation actually exists.

A recently released winter/spring 2017 ranking from AirHelp, a website aimed at helping people get compensation from delayed or cancelled flights, showed a lot of areas American air travel can step things up.

According to the AirHelp Score, passengers are held up by over-amibitious flight schedules, struggle to find seats and power outlets at airports, and don’t have a great deal of fun in the air either.

So AirHelp looked into where in particular US airlines fall short.

In the AirHelp Score list, where the top three airlines were Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, the US airlines didn’t even break into the top 10, and that’s mainly due to poor on-time performance ratings.

US airlines such as United, Delta and American are struggling to keep pace with the quality and service available on the leading global airlines, according to AirHelp.

And when United Airlines was lambasted for dragging a passenger off an overbooked flight, even more reasons why people weren’t too fond of the airline started popping up online.

Another major issue is the lack of protection passengers have when things go wrong.

Unlike in Europe, where the European Commission Regulation EC261 entitles travellers to be paid up to €600 in compensation for flight delays of more than three hours, the US regulations don’t get involved in flight delays or passenger rights.

That means when bad weather hits – like it has for United in windy cities like Chicago and Denver, or Delta when it had major power outages at its Atlanta Hub, there’s not much anyone can do and it just means passengers lose time and money.

Check out the fun little infographic here to see the way USA compares to the world’s best airlines:

ahs-us-blogpost-infographic

 

Latest News

  • Destinations
  • News

APT Launches 2025 Asia Adventures

APT has launched its Asia Adventures for 2025, including new luxury holidays in India, Sri Lanka and Japan. Five new tours lead guests to the highlights of India, including a seven-night cruise along the rarely travelled Lower Ganges aboard the Ganges Voyager. Further south, Sri Lanka’s greatest destinations are revealed on a new 15-day Land […]

  • Cruise
  • Luxury
  • News

Seabourn announces Western Kimberley Traditional Owners as Godparents of Seabourn Pursuit

Seabourn has named Western Kimberley Traditional Owners, the Wunambal Gaambera, as Godparents of the ultra-luxury purpose-built Seabourn Pursuit. It is the first cruise line to appoint Traditional Owners as godparents of a ship. Seabourn Pursuit embarks on its inaugural season in the Kimberley region this June. The naming ceremony will take place on Seabourn Pursuit’s […]

  • Luxury

Malolo Island Resort opens brand new Spa

Fiji’s Malolo Island has added another string to its bow – opening its $1.3 million day spa on Thursday, 18th April 2024. (Lead Image: matriarch Rosie Whitton with spa staff) Located at the edge of the resort’s luscious patch of tropical rainforest, the new “Leilani’s Spa” adds another level of elevated experiences to Malolo’s already […]