(ACSI: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Passenger satisfaction increased 2.9 percent for airlines, historically one of the lowest-scoring tracked categories, in the recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Report 2015. Airlines reach an ACSI benchmark of 71 on a scale of 0 to 100 for 2015—approaching the category’s peak score of 72 in 1994. Nevertheless, airlines remain among ACSI’s bottom four categories, ahead of only Internet service providers, subscription television services, and health insurance providers.

Although airfares have yet to mirror falling oil prices, travelers give the airline industry higher marks compared with a year ago across many key aspects of the booking and flight experience.

“Airlines are doing a better job of getting travelers to their destinations on time, with less frustration over baggage,” says ACSI director David VanAmburg. “ACSI findings show that timeliness and baggage handling have improved, which is in line with Department of Transportation data on reductions in both flight delays and baggage mishandling over the past year.”

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