Satisfaction across lodging, airlines, car rentals and online travel agencies climbs again, returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study 2023-2024. The airline industry stands out, hitting an all-time customer satisfaction high of 77 percent after a second straight 1 percent year-over year improvement.
After suffering a 15-year ACSI low in 2022, guest satisfaction with lodging bounces back for a second straight year, surging 3 percent to a score of 77. Hilton (up 3 percent) also shows two years of solid gains, moving into first place at 81. Despite slipping 1 percent, Marriott sits in second with an ACSI score of 79.
Airbnb debuts with an above-average ACSI score of 78, proving that its customer experience can compete with major hotel chains that offer a range of business and upscale options such as IHG (up 3 percent to 78) and Hyatt (down 3 percent to 78). Meanwhile, Wyndham falls 3 percent year over year to finish alone in last place at 70.
Among lodging brands, Hilton reigns, with Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts all at 82. On the flip side, Marriott’s Aloft Hotels and Wyndham’s Baymont and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts are at the bottom with ACSI scores of 74.
Gains across the lodging customer experience reflect a return to normal operations and improved staffing levels, as well as the adoption of technology advancements like contactless check-ins introduced during the pandemic.
OTAs
Online travel agencies inch up 1 percent to an ACSI score of 77.
Booking.com, the most visited travel and tourism website worldwide, assumed the lead after a 3 percent increase to an ACSI score of 80, remaining well ahead of other Booking Holdings brands — Priceline (up 4 percent to 76) and Kayak (unchanged at 73).
Expedia came in second place with a score of 79, followed by the smaller online travel agencies (down 1 percent) and Travelocity (up 4 percent) at 78 apiece.
Despite improving 3 percent, Orbitz, like Kayak, is last with an ACSI score of 73.
The ACSI Travel Study 2023-2024 is based on interviews with 16,352 customers, chosen at random and contacted via email between April 2023 and March 2024.