Has Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) turned the phrase "You get what you pay for" on its ear? After all, that's the phrase that illustrates what lots of people take as a truism -- that cheaper isn't better. However, discount airline JetBlue earned itself some news headlines today, having landed the No. 1 slot in a study of airline quality. Now, that's got to be music to the ears of air travelers -- not to mention those watching the outlook for this stock.

Much has been made of JetBlue's attempts to make itself a cheap alternative to traditional air travel, while differentiating itself in other ways as well. It's shaken up the industry by introducing leather seats with plenty of legroom and other perks, like satellite TV with XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR) service on the way.

Although JetBlue is known for its unconventional perks, its No. 1 spot is based on the more conventional -- and arguably, more important -- needs of passengers, which were monitored in the study by the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Wichita State University. For example, JetBlue had the second-highest ratings when it came to punctuality. Anyone who hates being bumped would be interested to know that so few JetBlue passengers got that treatment, it couldn't even be included for the category. It had the fewest customer complaints next to the airline that got the No. 3 slot, Southwest (NYSE:LUV).

In addition to low-cost carriers like Southwest and AirTran (NYSE:AAI), even the traditional carriers have launched low-cost versions, such as UAL's (NYSE:UALAQ.OB) Ted and Delta's (NYSE:DAL) Song. (Of course, this data makes one wonder if quality lacking in the full-service airlines will be inherited by their cheaper offspring.)

For those of us who always fly coach, air travel may very well seem a necessary discomfort and inconvenience. Even people I know who love to travel could do without the general hassle and discomfort of just about everything having to do with airplanes, not to mention the often steep price of airfare. According to this study, traditional carriers United, American, and Delta were towards the bottom of the list of quality, at numbers 9, 11, and 12, respectively.

JetBlue may have been getting some word of mouth based on the clever ways it differentiates itself from its rivals. However, in delivering No. 1 quality, that translates into a heck of a lot of buzz as happy customers spread the word -- and the idea that this airline stock really might be on the verge of taking off.

David Gardner recommended JetBlue for subscribers to Motley Fool Stock Advisor . You can see what else David thinks has potential by signing up for six months, with a money-back guarantee.

Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned, nor does she particularly like to fly. However, she has to admit JetBlue sounds like a winning way to go.