CHOICE’s latest survey of 11,000 members reveals the best and the worst airlines to fly with in the wake of continuing fare wars among budget airlines. We asked members to rate how satisfied they were for their most recent domestic flight in the last 12 months. They were asked to rate the domestic airlines on:
CHOICE members have voted Virgin Blue the best domestic airline for the second year running. However, CHOICE’s latest domestic airlines satisfaction survey shows most members still choose to fly Qantas because of its frequent flyer program. Budget carrier Tiger Airways received the lowest overall satisfaction score. About 20% of members who flew Jetstar, Qantas’ budget subsidiary, nominated a good flight schedule as the main reason for choosing the carrier – but service was not among its drawcards. Members who flew with Virgin Blue chose it for its competitive airfares, best flight schedule and good standard of service.
CHOICE members also shared their experiences - good and bad - with the various domestic airlines with us. There were several complaints about the additional credit card fees - for which Qantas and Tiger Airways were each awarded a CHOICE Shonky in 2009 for their sky high surcharges - so we've included a table outlining the extra charges (except for food and entertainment onboard budget airlines) you'll have to pay for booking your tickets online or when you exceed your carry-on baggage weight.
See also the results of our 2010 international airline survey, which covers the best airlines for major international destinations, as voted by members.