Which US Airline to Choose for the 2024-25 Holiday Season

Written By Joanna Teljeur

5 minutes read
Last Updated: November 21, 2024

Holiday travel is known for being a little crazy. With the unpredictable weather, high demand, and the sheer number of passengers at the airport, it doesn’t take much for delays, cancellations, and baggage woes to turn a pleasant journey into a nightmare.

So, we scoured flight data and statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, zeroing in on the number of delays, cancellations, and mishandled baggage each US carrier had for November through January from 2022 to the present. 

Finally, we analyzed the overall customer rating for each carrier based on our consolidated airline reviews. The result: Best Airlines for the 2024-2025 Holiday Season.

#10 Alaska Airlines

With an above average punctuality score over past holiday periods, Alaska Airlines still comes in at number 10. So, even though you’re likely to get to your destination when you’re supposed to, you’re more likely to have your flight canceled.

Baggage mishandling is another issue Alaska has had during the holiday season in previous years, which could be an extra headache for anyone traveling with gifts. 

Overall, Alaska Airlines has a 3.9 out of 5 stars based on 78,667 customer reviews.

#9 Frontier

While Frontier has had fewer delays and cancellations than Alaska Airlines over the holidays, they are still the 3rd least reliable airline among US carriers.

On the other hand, when it comes to baggage handling, Frontier ranks 2nd best among US airlines. Unfortunately, their customer review score is just 2.39 out of 5 based on 75,912 reviews.

#8 United

If you’re flying United over the holidays, you can generally count on arriving at your destination on-time. The carrier has the second best punctuality score based on winter travel from the last few years. So, why are they at #8? 

For the past few winter seasons, United has had more cancellations than any other US carrier, and they have had considerable issues with baggage mishandling. On the other hand, you can count on solid in-flight entertainment options and a helpful and friendly flight crew to make your journey more enjoyable.

#7 Allegiant

Coming in at the 7th position is Allegiant. Even though their on-time performance over the past few holiday seasons has been worse than any other US carrier, they make up for it by having the best score for baggage handling. Then again, as a low cost carrier, Allegiant’s baggage fees may dissuade passengers from checking luggage in the first place. 

#6 Hawaiian Airlines

For the November to January travel period from the past couple of years, Hawaiian Airlines has proven to be only slightly better than Allegiant for punctuality. In 2021, the carrier had ranked #1 among US airlines for on-time performance for the 18th year in a row, but by 2023, their punctuality started to slip. 

Their cancellation rate is relatively low as well. In fact, Hawaiian is the 3rd best for cancellations over the holiday season compared to other US airlines. And when it comes to baggage handling, Hawaiian has secured a 4 out of 5-star rating based on 21,706 reviews. 

#5 Spirit Airlines

Based on 163,537 customer reviews, Spirit only has a customer rating of 2.62 out of 5, but if you fly with this budget airline over the holidays, you’re most likely going to get to your gathering on time. Spirit Airlines’ cancellation rate has also been lower than most of the other US airlines for holiday travel. So, if you can overlook the lack of in-flight entertainment and inflexible ticket cancellation policies, your journey should be both affordable and generally worry-free.

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#4 Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines lands at #4, largely because they have nearly a 5-star rating based on 230,387 passenger reviews. As the highest rated US airline in the group, Southwest has an above average on-time performance score, but their cancellation rate is on the high side. In fact they have had more cancellations over the holidays than most other US airlines, probably because of the mass cancellations they had during Christmas 2022. 

#3 American

American Airlines has had the fewest cancellations during the 2022 and 2023 holiday seasons, and they rank 3rd best for on-time performance. The downside is that they are also the worst of the group when it comes to lost, damaged, and delayed baggage. So, if you fly with American in the coming months, you might want to avoid checking luggage. And, if you’re bringing gifts, consider shipping them to your destination ahead of time.

#2 JetBlue

JetBlue is the second best airline for holiday travel thanks to their near 5-star rating based on 128,761 passenger reviews. And despite having leadership changes and some financial challenges earlier this year, the airline has still managed to maintain decent on-time performance. Plus, with their excellent customer-centric service and in-flight amenities, you can pretty much count on getting to your holiday gathering without feeling frazzled, while saving a little money at the same time. 

#1 Delta Airlines

Not surprisingly, Delta comes in at #1 airline for holiday travel. Not only does the carrier have the best on-time performance score for winter travel in 2022 and 2023, they’ve also been among the most punctual airlines in the world. 

In October 2024, 90.53% of Delta’s flights arrived on time according to Cirium. Not only that, but they also have the second best cancellation rate based on their performance from the last to holiday seasons. 

Finally, 265,119 passenger reviews rank Delta with a 4.06 out of 5-star rating with high marks given to in-flight entertainment, cleanliness, and easy check-in and boarding. 

Delta’s one weakness is their baggage mishandling rate, which hasn’t been very good for past holiday season travel. Just avoid checking luggage, and you’ll most likely have a pleasant and easy trip this holiday season. 

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