By Lebawit Lily Girma
From Bloomberg News
American travelers have had more than their fair share of ongoing pain points with U.S. airlines this past year, from soaring airfares and missing luggage to staff shortages and flight cancellation chaos. Now, new data confirm there is increased overall consumer disappointment with American carriers compared with a year earlier, save for those in the very front of the plane.
On a 1,000-point scale, passengers rated their satisfaction at 791 points — a C+, in letter grades — according to the 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released on Wednesday, from consumer research firm J.D. Power. The number reflects an overall decline of seven points since 2022, making it the second consecutive year that sentiment toward US airlines has soured. The exception: first- and business-class passengers, who say they feel service has improved in the last 12 months….