New airline satisfaction data from Roy Morgan shows Qantas is the winner of both the Domestic Airline and Domestic Business Airline of the Month Award for August 2019, with a customer satisfaction rating of 86% across both categories.
Based on feedback from over 50,000 Australians, as of August 2019 in the Domestic Airline category, Qantas’s customer satisfaction rating of 86% was followed by QantasLink (84%), Virgin Australia (80%), Jetstar (58%), REX (56%) and Tigerair (42%).
In the Domestic Business Airline category, Qantas again led with a rating of 86%, followed by Virgin Australia (79%) and Jetstar (56%).
Both Qantas and QantasLink were the only two airlines to have increased their domestic airline satisfaction ratings from twelve months ago. Compared with August 2018, Qantas increased its rating by 3% and QantasLink by an impressive 12%. The other airlines all declined in satisfaction ratings.
According to Roy Morgan, Qantas has long been the leading domestic business airline in Australia, winning an astonishing 41 straight monthly satisfaction awards. A key to Qantas’ long-term success has been its ability to maintain consistently high satisfaction ratings. Over the past 18 months, Qantas’s lowest rating was still a very commendable 81%.
Roy Morgan’s Qantas Customer Profile
The research company identifies the ‘typical’ Qantas domestic customer would likely be a woman aged between 50-64 years old, who lives in New South Wales or Victoria. She would be more likely than the average Australian to have a diploma or a degree, with an average income of $67,610.
Qantas customers also have particular attitudes towards shopping and retail. Over 70% have ‘preferred brands’ for things they buy, most of them believe that the quality of a product is more important than price, and nearly three quarters try to buy Australian-made products as often as possible.
Qantas customers are more likely than average Australians to be vegetarians, to prefer eating healthy snacks, to try to buy organic food wherever possible, and to try new types of food.
“Qantas continues to assert itself as the leading airline both for personal and business travel within Australia. Its customer satisfaction rating of 86% across both categories has secured it the Roy Morgan Domestic Airline and Domestic Business Airline Awards for August 2019,” said Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan.
“Qantas’s winning streak in the Domestic Business Airline category is remarkable, having been in the number one position for around three-and-a-half years. The last airline to topple Qantas for the top spot was Virgin Australia, way back in March 2016.
“It is interesting to point out that since around mid-2016, which was when Qantas began to consolidate its lead in customer satisfaction, its share price has more than doubled. Not only is Qantas receiving strong customer feedback, but the share market is also rewarding its efforts in the broader airline industry.
“There will be a close eye on Virgin Australia over the following twelve months off the back of recent financial loss announcements, and the subsequent shedding of hundreds of jobs. We will see throughout the remainder of 2019 whether Virgin Australia’s response to these events is reflected in its customer satisfaction ratings.”
Source: Roy Morgan
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