Airline quality ratings are important to event planners because the high cost of airline travel accounts for a sizable portion of the total cost to produce incentive and other destination events. Unfortunately, the airline industry satisfaction rates continue to decline.

Air Tran, Jet Blue and Southwest ranked as the top 3 in the satisfaction report, while popular business airline carriers United Airlines and American Airlines continued to rank in the bottom half. And American’s regional carrier American Eagle ranked #15 out 16.

And American’s recent unfavorable prominence in the news probably won’t help the airline’s rating next year. But it’s important for meeting and event planners to note that only 68.7% of flights arrived on time, and mishandled baggage increased to 7.25 per 1,000 passengers. American Eagle’s performance for on-time arrivals in 2006 dropped to 69.1% and mishandled baggage was 13.55 per 1,000 passengers in 2007.

Learn more about how your preferred airlines ranked in 2007.