American, US Airways Coach Fliers Fare Worst in Hassle Rankings

Coach passengers on AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and US Airways Group Inc. jets have the greatest risk of hassles such as late or canceled flights, packed planes and higher fees. Those two carriers and United Airlines, a predecessor of United Continental Holdings Inc., fared the worst in a Bloomberg Rankings analysis of operating performance and service charges. Southwest Airlines Co., which doesn't have fees to check bags, and Frontier Airlines posted the highest scores. The analysis covered expenses such as luggage charges and rebooking fees as well as operating data like scrubbed flights and the percentage of filled seats. Cancellations are up in 2011 after East Coast storms and a new U.S. rule to end long tarmac waiting times, and a cut in flights means fewer empty seats. Read More