Airline Lobby Chief Says Up To 99% Of Flyers Are Happy—His Own Survey Disagrees

The head of the U.S. airline lobby says 98% to 99% of passengers are “very happy.” His own organization’s survey says 72% are satisfied (28% aren’t!) and just 31% are very satisfied. It’s good to know that most people are satisfied with flying, although the sameness of business models especially in the domestic market and variable wait times at airports, long walks through terminals, and air traffic control delays are frustrating and we’re making relatively little progress. Air travel is largely safe and affordable. Chris Sununu, the former New Hampshire governor who now leads Airlines for America, made the 99% claim on this week’s Airlines Confidential podcast. He was arguing against a return to economic regulation and saying the industry needs to do a better job telling its success story. With Democrats retaking Congress, airline re-regulatoin becomes a target for Senators like Elizabeth Warren. Here’s What The Airline Lobby’s Research Found Airlines for America commissioned Ipsos to conduct its latest annual air-traveler survey. Overall in 2025: 31% were very satisfied. 41% were somewhat satisfied. 16% were neutral. 9% were somewhat dissatisfied. 3% were very dissatisfied. That’s 72% satisfied, up from 69% in the prior year (which is flat). 28% aren’t at least somewhat satisfied. Getting Someone There Isn’t The Same As Making Them Happy A passenger can reach their destination and still have spent hours dealing with flight changes, seat assignments, or cancellations and waiting in line to check bags. People are more happy when flights operate on-time. They’re happier when the middle seat next to them is empty. They’re happy when the employees they interact with seem not to hate their jobs. Airlines are now trying to get passengers to spend more for their product, move their loyalty and put the airline’s credit card at the top of their wallet. Delivering on-time transportation is baseline – necessary, but not sufficient. The Industry Has A Better Argument Available Sununu is right to reject a return to government deciding which airlines can fly which routes and what they can charge. Customer complaints aren’t a reason to restore that system. We need competition, fewer barriers to entry into the industry for new carriers and more innovative business models and aircraft. The airline industry has been subsidized, and it’s largely sclerotic. More regulation would make that worse – but simply denying that air travel could be better – that ‘99%’ of consumers are happy – isn’t the right case to be making. Topics on this page