This must be the week to pile it on the airline industry. Many readers of this blog are convinced that during the upcoming holiday season, the airlines will hold more of their customers captive, mistreat them and torture them than a Guantanamo interrogator with a mean streak.
And the numbers suggest they’re probably right.
Earlier this week I blogged about a survey that named the seven worst U.S. airlines. Today, GetHuman released grades for the call-center operations of many American companies, and the airlines didn’t do very well at all.
Here’s the breakdown:
Alaska Airlines: F
AirTran: F
American Airlines: F
JetBlue Airways: B
Continental Airlines: F
Delta Air Lines: F
Midwest Airlines: F
Northwest Airlines: F
Southwest Airlines: B
Spirit Airways: C
United: F
US Airways: F
If you discount the discount airlines (Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran) and the smaller carriers, the airline industry gets a big, fat F.
In other words, if you want customer service, don’t call an airline.
Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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