Frequent Flyers rate Southwest Airlines #1

Southwest Airlines ranked best and Tempe-based US Airways last for making seats available to frequent flyers, according to a study by IdeaWorks Co.

IdeaWorks examined 22 airlines websites worldwide to see if customers cashing in frequent flyer or other reward programs were able to gets seat on various flights. The study entailed more than 6,100 bookings requests made during February and March.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. ranked best with 99.3 percent of its flights open to frequent flyer users. US Airways Group Inc. was last at 10.7 percent.

SWA and US Air are the dominant carriers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and compete in markets such as Las Vegas, Southern California and Washington D.C./Baltimore.

Delta Air Lines was next to last with 12.9 percent of its flights checked out by IdeaWorks being available. IdeaWorks is a Wisconson-based consulting and customer service research firm.

Read more: Southwest No. 1, US Air last in frequent flyer study

(Phoenix Business Journal)