http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2006/06/jetblue_contine.html

JetBlue, Continental top customer satisfaction survey

At the J. D. Power and Associates awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. yesterday (Thursday, June 29), JetBlue and Continental Airlines emerged as the big winners.

Low-cost carrier JetBlue scooped the award for the highest ranked low-cost airline in the customer satisfaction study, while Continental was named the best network airline in the same index.

The survey was conducted by polling more than 9,000 passengers, who were asked to rate their recent travel experiences over several categories. This year's award marked the sixth such announcement since the J. D. Power and Associates survey began in 1996.

JetBlue prides itself on offering "full-frills service at a no-frills price", including movies, DirecTV live broadcasts, and in-flight snacks and beverages.

Traditional network carriers were ranked separately from low-cost airlines, as the services offered are typically more comprehensive with a different customer focus.

In emerging as the top performing airline in this class, Continental displayed an award-winning balance across all categories, which included reservations and check-in service, flight crew, in-flight services, and cost.

"This award validates the effort we have been making to give our customers a better trip on our airline," said Continental Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner.

"We have focused a lot on keeping passenger amenities intact while offering clean, safe and reliable travel," he continued. "On top of that, my co-workers deserve tremendous credit for continuing to deliver the highest level of customer service."

JetBlue CEO David Neeleman was equally pleased to accept his airline's award: "JetBlue's 10,500 crewmembers continue to fulfill our mission of bringing humanity back to air travel, one flight at a time, and I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the JetBlue team.

"I would also like to thank our customers for giving us a try when we were the new kid in town and for coming back to JetBlue time and time again."