JetBlue, Continental soar in Zagat airline survey

Video: JetBlue rated top airline by Zagat

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   >> a survey.

   >>> we are back at 8:35. this morning on "today's" travel, rating the airlines , which carriers rate the best when it comes to service and value. the g tim of the gap surveys is here to reveal the ruts of the survey. this was an online survey. over 8,000 respondents.

   >> these are people who fly 17.4 flights a year on average. that makes them frequent flyers.

   >> you find that the number of frequent flyers went up but there's still some problems. one person said the only thing missing is a blindfold and a cigarette. and another said my bags get better service but they pay extra. another wrote, who made them mad at their customers. what is the biggest complaint that you're seeing out there?

   >> people are really upset with the entire airline industry , pretty much top to bottom. that's why it's hard to come on and say who's doing a good job. we have been serving airlines since 1990 and the overall performance of particularly the largest domestic airlines has been declining consistently during that time of year. but it's not as high as it was prerecession. and that wasn't a reflection of how happy people are, it's just a necessity that people fly.

   >> they've got to fly to get from point a to point b. large domestic airlines for economy class , jetblue got the top spot, why?

   >> jetblue does that practically every year, they get it because they're a nicer airline with a younger crew and younger basically newer airplanes, so they're much more efficient than the older airlines that have real expense issueissues.

   >> and continental is top in premium class?

   >> it's one of the only major airlines to do reasonably well during this ten-year period.

   >> when it comes to saving money, a lot of people use the frequent flier miles but it's hard to know when you can actually use them, there are blackout dates for redeeming them. you say virgin airlines actually has the best program.

   >> and their clubs are the thing that people say they like, they're treated very well and they get rewards for flying.

   >> next category, best value for the ticket, top billing goes to southwest airlines . what are they doing that the other airlines are not doing?

   >> southwest has been doing better than almost any other airline for as long as i can remember, we have been surveying virtually every year. they just do a less expensive and yet pleasant flight with good luggage handling, good just about anything you can think of, they do well. they're not fancy, but they're not expensive and they are generally extremely well liked and they have been one of few airlines that's been profitable as a result.

   >> i often hear people say it's fun to fly that airline.

   >> they have stolen i think it was united's line, it's fun to flay, it's pleasant, exciting, flying the skies of united.

   >> people like to be entertained, that's inflight entertainment . and that goes to jetblue .

   >> jetblue and virgin america , they're providing seat back tv, radio, movies, they just do a better job and given the fact that most people are not too happy before they get on the plane between the delays and the tsa et cetera , it's relaxing to have your own control of entertainment.

   >> i'm surprised actually that other airlines haven't picked that up yet. because they have been doing that for years.

   >> and it's certainly been popular with their customers so we wonder why other people -- i think the other airlines seem to be having so many cost issues that they don't have the resources to keep on doing as many good things for the customer.

   >> and finally when it comes to the best u.s. airport, it's portland international. why is that.

   >> i think it's because they're smaller and almost all of the top rated airports are in the smaller communities and almost all of the low rated airports are in large communities like our own.

   >> yeah, i know, new york, both laguardia jfk have not done well in the survey.

   >> they have not done well for a few years and the port authority ought to ask why that is.

   >> i just left laguardia over the weekend and they did an excellent job.

   >> traffic was light this weekend.

   >> whatever. i thought they did good.

   >> i like the airports, i have to fly all the time and i go through them of course.

   >> so you better be nice.

   >> you don't want to get in trouble.

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