Despite Airlines' Recent PR Nightmare, Air Travelers Say They're Happier Flying

From a public relations standpoint, the past month has been a disaster for U.S. airlines. But Americans are happier with the industry than they've been in years -- at least according to a survey taken before video of a bloodied passenger being hauled off a United Express flight went viral.J.D. Power's North America Airline Satisfaction Study found the overall ranking by fliers rose for a fifth consecutive year, jumping 30 points to 756 on a 1,000-point scale. That was thanks to lower fares, better on-time performance, fewer lost bags and the slimmest denied-boarding rate -- being bumped, in layman's terms -- in the survey's 13-year history.  Continue reading...