Airline passengers finding satisfaction, Liz Crenshaw reports that fliers are happier with the service. And if you're looking for a car deal, Liz also reports that this may be a good time to consider a Chrysler.
We'll start at the airport tonight. A new study says airlines are doing a better job at taking care of passengers.
This is the first time in 6 years that passenger satisfaction has risen. It went up 3.2 percent. The increase comes as the number of passengers drops, and some experts suspect fewer passengers may mean happier passengers.
As it has for 16 years, Southwest topped the list with an 81 rating on a 100-point scale. Continental scored a 68. Delta scored 64. American, US Airways, Northwest and United followed the top three.
However, airlines still rate lower than hotels and restaurants on the satisfaction survey.
A battle Hybrid is shaping up between Toyota and Honda.
Toyota is replacing this Prius with a newer model that's cheaper, more powerful and gets better gas mileage. In fact the new Prius is 30% more powerful, 7% more fuel efficient, and carries a $22,000 price tag. The new Prius will be doing battle with the Honda Insight which sells for about $19-thousand, 900-dollars.
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Toyota hopes to sell 1-million Priuses a year worldwide by the early 2010s. And if you're looking for a good car deal... consider a Chrysler vehicle.
The 789 Chrysler dealers losing their franchises across the country have 44-thousand cars and trucks they need to sell within the next few weeks. If those cars aren't sold to consumers, they'll end up being sold to remaining Chrysler dealers at a lower price. Experts say incentives on some Chrysler vehicles can run 6-thousand dollars or more...which means some consumers can walk in with a lowball offer and walk away with a new car.
And here's another deal to consider summer travel. The Wall Street Journal reports if you have the dough...summer is the time to go. The weaker economy has led to price cuts on hotels, airline tickets, resort prices and cruises.
Consumers can score savings by using frequent-flier miles, asking for freebies and add-ons, askng for upgrades at hotels and even buying business-class seats which have dropped in price.
And be sure to call a hotel directly and ask for a "special" rate. Room reservations are way down, and many hotels will do what it takes to get your business.
