Southwest Airlines leads in economy satisfaction and low flight cancellations

Passengers in the United States have a variety of airlines to choose from, each offering different levels of service and pricing. Southwest Airlines stands out as a major player with a 17.3% domestic market share between November 2023 and October 2024, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). This positions Southwest ahead of United Airlines and just behind Delta Air Lines and American Airlines.

Despite criticisms such as outdated IT infrastructure, Southwest maintains its appeal among economy class passengers. J.D. Power's survey found that Southwest led in customer satisfaction for the economy/basic economy segment for three consecutive years. Bob Jordan, President and CEO of Southwest Airlines, stated, "Our Customer-friendly and industry-leading policies allow our People to deliver the Legendary Customer Service and warm Hospitality they're famous for."

Southwest also excelled in flight completion rates last year. Cirium reported that Southwest had a 99.38% completion factor, meaning it canceled fewer flights compared to competitors like Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Mike Malik from Cirium commented on this achievement: “Generally, a cancellation rate around 1% is considered strong, reflecting good operational reliability.”