the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Newark NJ, with airline ticket prices having gone up 25% last year, outpacing inflation, WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Airlines, as well as expert commentary. WalletHub’s study focuses not just on price but also many other aspects of the air travel experience, such as safety, delays, baggage issues, animal incidents and more.
You can find a handful of highlights below:
- Best Overall – Delta Air Lines earned the highest overall WalletHub Score (66.79) for the second year in a row, followed by Spirit Airlines (66.57).
- Most Reliable – Delta Air Lines has the lowest overall rate of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings. The next most reliable company is United Airlines.
- Safety – Envoy Air is the safest, with a low number of incidents and accidents per 100,000 flight operations, no fatalities and fewer than 15 people injured between 2017 and 2022. Envoy Air also has a relatively new fleet of aircrafts. The safety runner-up is Spirit Airlines.
- Most Pet-Friendly – Three airlines tied for being most pet-friendly – Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines and Alaska Airlines – with no incidents.
- Most Comfortable – JetBlue Airways leads the pack in terms of in-flight experience, offering free amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom, and complimentary snacks and beverages. Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines & American Airlines are tied for the second position for this category.
What measures can airlines undertake in order to diminish their pilot shortage?
“One of the many barriers to entry into a professional pilot career is the cost of training. If airlines would help sponsor students through scholarships, work programs, or loan programs that would help attract students that would be ineligible to start training otherwise. One of the other ways airlines can help attract new pilots is to work with their pilot members through unions like ALPA to increase the quality of life for the pilots. Trying to recruit new pilots to be away from home for longer periods does not appeal to the current generation in training now. While pilot compensation is increasing, the overall quality of life of an airline pilot is not.”
Cody Christensen, E.D., ATP – Associate Professor, South Dakota State University
“In the short run, one effective way to reduce the impact of pilot shortage is increasing pilot salaries…Higher salaries can make the profession more attractive and incentivize pilots to stay with a particular airline. Airlines can also offer signing bonuses to attract new pilots as an incentive to join their company. This can help to attract pilots who may be considering other job offers. Airlines can improve benefits packages for pilots, such as health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks. Airlines can create schedules that allow pilots to have a better work-life balance. This can include flexible scheduling, shorter trips, and more time off. In the long run, airlines can develop training programs to help individuals become pilots. This can include scholarships, apprenticeships, and other training opportunities. Airlines can partner with flight schools to provide a steady stream of pilots. This can include financial assistance, internships, and other benefits. Airlines can invest in new technology to help reduce the workload for pilots. This can include new autopilot systems, better navigation systems, and other tools that can make flying safer and easier.”
Ahmed Abdelghany, Ph.D. – Associate Dean for Research, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Which do you believe will be the main trend for the medium term in the airline industry?
“Will we see consolidation or the rise of regional players? The industry is in a constant state of change. The economic environment will dictate if there will be new players or consolidation to meet the demands of travel. I believe fuel costs will be a driving factor in the medium term. Electric aircraft is still in its infancy and will not play a role in the near or medium term.”
Jorge Guerra, Ed.D. – Director, Aviation Strategic Partnerships & Experiential Learning, Florida Memorial University
“As the number of pilots willing to work for the pay and the regional airline schedule decreases, we will see a decrease in the number of flights to small and medium-sized communities. The aircraft will continue to get bigger, which in turn will decrease the number of flights into and out of spoke communities. Consumers need to be ready for increased ticket prices and less availability in the coming years. Many military pilots and pilots trained by collegiate aviation are bypassing the regional airlines and instead moving on to National airlines such as Frontier, Sun Country, and Allegiant Air. If they are hired by regional airlines, their tenure before moving on to a major airline such as Delta, United, or UPS is much less.”
Cody Christensen, E.D., ATP – Associate Professor, South Dakota State University
Is inflation affecting the airline industry?
“Inflation can affect the airline industry in several ways. The most important is the increased operating costs. When inflation occurs, the cost of goods and services increases, including the cost of fuel, aircraft maintenance, and labor. As a result, airlines may have to pay more to keep their planes flying, which can increase their operating costs. As a consequence of increasing costs, in order to cover their increased operating costs, airlines may be forced to raise ticket prices. This can make air travel more expensive for consumers, which can also lead to reduced demand for air travel. Consequently, higher ticket prices can reduce demand. In addition, inflation can lead to a decrease in consumers’ purchasing power, making it more expensive for them to travel. This can result in reduced demand for air travel, which can negatively impact airlines’ revenues. Finally, increased costs and reduced revenues will have a negative impact on profitability. The only exception is that the travel demand remains strong regardless of inflation and in this case, some airlines might be still able to remain profitable.”
Ahmed Abdelghany, Ph.D. – Associate Dean for Research, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
“As inflation increases so does pilot training, aircraft acquisition, and capital improvement projects. Sustained inflation will lead to a slowdown in the aviation sector.”
Cody Christensen, E.D., ATP – Associate Professor, South Dakota State University
For the full list of 2023’s Best & Worst Airlines, please visit:
https://www.wallethub.com/edu/