Passenger satisfaction is soaring — for now.

Air travel hasn’t been easy as of late, with all kinds of hassles such as TSA troubles , long lines , flight delays and cancellations , and rising ticket prices and baggage fees due to rising jet fuel costs .

Even with all the trouble, overall satisfaction with airlines in North America was up this year, according to the JD Power 2026 North America Airline Satisfaction Study .

Overall passenger satisfaction has increased eight points compared to 2025. Markus Mainka – stock.adobe.com

In total, overall passenger satisfaction rose eight points compared to 2025 on a 1,000-point scale. The study measured satisfaction based on airline staff, digital tools, ease of travel, level of trust, on-board experience, pre/post-flight experience and value for the price paid.

Improvement was shown across all segments, but the rise was mostly driven by a 17-point increase in satisfaction among first and business class cabins.…