Frequent fliers give low marks to U.S. airlines

The annual survey of frequent fliers by Seatguru.com, the popular online guide to airline seating, doesn’t have a lot of highlights for U.S.-based airlines.

U.S. carriers serve the worst food -- if they serve food at all, that is -- and have the least comfortable seats, the survey of 1,600 fliers found.

Meals on American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways were considered the worst of the bunch.

The best? Singapore Airlines, followed by British Airways, Houston-based Continental Airlines and Air France. Many U.S. carriers have eliminated meal service on domestic flights.

One domestic carrier, JetBlue Airways, did come out on top for the most comfortable economy-class seats, according to the survey, while Singapore Airlines led the field for business class. The least comfortable: American, United and US Airways.

The survey also asked which airline had the rudest flight attendants, and again United, American and US Airways topped the list. Singapore and Southwest airlines were voted as having the most polite attendants.

“Domestic airlines have been making strides in recent years to better compete with international airlines, but it is clear that they still have a ways to go in the eyes of fliers,” said Matthew Daimler, founder of Seatguru.com.

Most of the people surveyed flew at least eight times last year.

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A timely upside to the downturn

Travel experts insist that there has never been a better time to fly, and they may well be right. The latest air travel data show that the recession-induced travel slump is not only lowering fares but also causing fewer flight delays.

With fewer planes in the air and even fewer passengers flying, U.S. carriers are posting some of the best on-time performance numbers in 15 years. The industry’s performance for the first three months of 2009 was the third-best since the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics began keeping track.

Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance, with 91% of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of schedule. Comair, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, had the worst at 68%.

Among the nation’s largest carriers, Southwest Airlines was on time most often, and Continental Airlines had one of the worst records.

Among major airports, Los Angeles International jumped from 11th to fourth in the nation, with 86% of the flights taking off within 15 minutes of scheduled departure, while Newark, N.J., fell to last place. Salt Lake City again topped the list.

Northwest Airlines Flight 803 from Atlanta to Honolulu was the most frequently delayed, being late a whopping 96% of the time.

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Love is in the air in New Zealand

Air New Zealand is launching what it says is the world’s first matchmaking flight.

It will fly American singles from Los Angeles to Auckland on Oct. 13 to find a partner there. Included in the flight package, which starts at $795 for a round trip, is a preflight gate party at LAX and then themed food, drink and entertainment during the flight.

Waiting at Auckland will be a singles-only party at a convention center, along with accommodations at the Skycity Grand Hotel.

To increase chances of a match, ticket holders can upload an online dating profile and start connecting before the flight.

“Air New Zealand is always looking for fun ways to improve our customers’ experience,” said Roger Poulton, Air New Zealand’s vice president for the Americas. “And let’s not forget our charming Kiwi accents. What more could an American want?”

More than a quarter of the New Zealand adult population is unmarried, according to the airline.

The quirky airline is known for some unusual marketing campaigns, including an all-gay “Pink Flight” last year in which flight attendants dressed up as drag queens accompanied passengers from San Francisco to Australia for Sydney’s annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

It recently began a television ad campaign featuring employees, including its chief executive, wearing only body paint to make the point that the airline has no hidden fees in its fares.

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Carry-ons

United Airlines is moving up the start of its nonstop flights between LAX and Pittsburgh to Aug. 18, the same day that US Airways drops its service. . . . Russian carrier S7, formerly Sibir Airlines, joins American Airlines and British Airways in the Oneworld alliance, making it easier for U.S. travelers to fly to Eastern European countries such as Armenia, Kazakhstan and Moldova. . . . Bucking industry trends, Korean Air is spending $200 million to upgrade business-class cabins with larger video monitors and roomier seats that can fold out to become fully flat beds.

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peter.pae@latimes.com