The most hated airline in America is racking up major profits
The study, which takes into account roughly a dozen parameters including in-flight experience, customer service, and on-time performance, ranks the no-frills airline dead last for a second straight year.
Spirit's last place finish happened in spite of its score having improved 15% over the previous year.
This isn't hurting the company's bottom line: Spirit reported $538.1 million in revenue - an increase of 9.1% over the same time last year, and $72.3 million in first quarter profit - beating analysts' expectations.
According to the authors of the ACSI study, customers of ultra-low-cost-carriers such as Spirit are almost exclusively leisure travelers who are in search of a good deal rather perks.
Low prices and no frills are exactly what Spirit delivers to its customers. In return for low prices, Spirit customers give up leg room, free bags, free drinks, free in flight entertainment, and wifi.
With Spirit in last place once again, JetBlue repeats as the top ranked airline in the ACSI study. The New York-based boutique airline operates on a vastly different business model that offers free TV, snacks, drinks, and extra leg room in a stylish presentation.
JetBlue reported $1.6 billion in first quarter operating income - an increase of 6.1% over the same period in 2015. The airline also reported $199 million in profits - an increase of 45.6% over last year.
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