J.D. Power released its annual North America Airline Satisfaction Study, and the results reflect happy customers. Lower fares, better on-time performance and fewer lost bags contribute to the highest overall airline customer satisfaction to date.

“It’s impossible to think about airline customer satisfaction without replaying the recent images of a passenger being dragged from a seat, but our data shows that, as a whole, the airline industry has been making marked improvements in customer satisfaction across a variety of metrics, from ticket cost to flight crew,” said Michael Taylor, travel practice lead, J.D. Power.

Scores are higher this year than one year ago, continuing a trend stretching five consecutive years. Overall satisfaction increased 30 points in 2017 to 756 on a 1,000-point scale. Both traditional and low-cast carriers show improvement, with the traditional carriers continuing to close the satisfaction gap with low-cost carriers.

The average North American airfare fell 8.5 percent in 2016, helping drive satisfaction levels in the cost and fees factor of the study. Improved on-time performance, fewer lost bags, low bump rates and high scores for flight crews contribute to the overall increase in satisfaction.

After a slight dip in 2016, passenger problems with overhead storage have become more common, with 14 percent of passengers in 2017 reporting this is an issue on their flight. Satisfaction among flyers having difficulty with overhead storage is 82 points lower than among those who do not have difficulty.

Though incidents of denial of boarding and re-booking to another flight are at a historic low, these have the greatest influences on overall satisfaction. When there are delays, such as those caused by weather or mechanical issues, satisfaction levels fall by 101 points when a traditional carrier is delayed and by 59 points when a low-cost carrier is delayed.

Alaska Airlines ranks highest among traditional carriers for the 10th consecutive year, with Delta Air Lines coming in second. Among low-cost carriers, Southwest Airlines ranks highest for the first time with a score of 807 points, performing well across the board. JetBlue Airways ranks second, improving in all categories.

Have you been satisfied overall with your flights this year? Were there any particular instances of positive or negative experiences? Email us and let us know. Please include your full name and location with your email.