According to a recent survey by JD Power, Air Canada trails behind most other major North American airlines in terms of customer satisfaction, with airfares being a significant point of dissatisfaction.
In the survey conducted by consumer analytics firm J.D. Power, Canada’s largest airline ranked last in both business class and premium economy categories. The top-performing airline in North America for both categories was Dela Airlines.
In economy class, Air Canada ranked ninth out of 11 peers, narrowly surpassing budget carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
Meanwhile, WestJet fared slightly better, securing fifth place out of seven in premium economy and seventh out of 11 in economy.
Michael Taylor, head of J.D. Power’s travel division, noted that passengers were particularly dissatisfied with the value for the price paid when flying with Air Canada. This sentiment is based on six factors rated by passengers, including digital tools, airline staff, and onboard experience.
“Passengers essentially felt they weren’t getting enough value for the cost of their tickets,” Taylor explained.
Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines received the highest scores in the survey, which Taylor attributed to their investment in staff training and recruitment.
Customers are dissatisfied with Air Canada for various reasons, as indicated by surveys and feedback. One major concern is the perceived lack of value for the price paid. Many passengers feel that the cost of airfares with Air Canada does not correspond to the quality of service received.
Additionally, issues related to customer experience, such as interactions with airline staff, onboard amenities, and digital tools, have contributed to dissatisfaction.
“Flying at six months pregnant and trying to select seating next to my husband without paying an additional $200 is impossible. And on my recent flight (which was delayed 3.5 hours…), the attendant watched me struggle to get my bag into the overhead locker to the point that another passenger helped me…it was quite obvious I was pregnant. Hopeless all round. We will start looking to fly with other airlines as they’ve had enough chances,” recently wrote an Air Canada customer on TrustPilot.
Compared to other airlines, Air Canada’s performance in these areas may fall short of customer expectations, leading to lower levels of satisfaction among passengers.