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Top 10 Airlines in the US - Overall Best Rating for 2023 by AirAdvisor

Our team of 5 people spent weeks compiling all of up-to-date data available from 2022-2023 to come up with a comprehensive AirAdvisor Airline Score, so you can see how every major airline in the US stacks up against each other.

We narrowed the results down to 9 different judging categories, including things like reliability, comfort, safety, reviews, and price.

The ranking is based on the following:

  • Reliability - 5,280,320 total flights and 479,074,813 bags, 3,017,637 of which were mishandled.
  • Comfort, Family, and Pet Travel - 13 different airline policies from 10 airlines.
  • Safety - review of 48 passenger aircraft accidents reported by IATA from 2021 to 2022.
  • Cost - analyzed billions in revenue from public financial reports.
  • Customer reputation - 893,236 total reviews (as of June 2023).
  • Airline Lounges - 51,745 reviews.
  • Professional Reviews - 17 different published rankings for 2022 and 2023.

In all, we took into account over 25 different individual components, so our data is extensive. Now, let’s take a deep dive into the best airlines in America:

Top 5 Airlines in the US

1
Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines - Number 1 Airline in the US

Delta Airlines has the capacity to carry over 200 million passengers annually, so chances are, you’ve flown with them once or twice. Named for the delta between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, Delta Airlines has been operating in the US since 1928. With all this history, it may not be all that surprising that Delta tops our list.

With the number of passengers that fly with Delta every year, it’s a good thing that it scores highest in categories like comfort and reliability - two of the most important factors in most travelers’ opinions. Overall, Delta scores 69 out of a maximum of 90 points.

7.67
2
Alaska Airlines ranks second using the AirAdvisor Airline Score

Alaska Airlines - Number 2 Airline in the US

With 68 total points, Alaska Airlines is another great choice for your next flight. Considered more of a mid-size airline compared to giants like United, American, and Delta, Alaska Airlines still jets over 40 million passengers annually to more than 100 domestic destinations as well as cities in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada.

Alaska Airlines’ strengths include high marks in both customer and professional reviews, in addition to family-friendly and pet-friendly travel.

7.56
3
Hawaiian Airlines - third-best airline in the US

Hawaiian Airlines - Number 3 Airline in the US

Earning 65 points in total, Hawaiian Airlines really holds its own when it comes to the best airlines in the US. As the Aloha state’s longest-operating and largest airline, Hawaiian flies up to 10 million passengers per year, significantly less than Delta.

What they lack in volume, Hawaiian Airlines makes up for in consistency. Their AirAdvisor Airline Score has them well above average in most categories, meaning you’re likely to get a very positive overall experience. The only category that lets them down is professional reviews, but the caveat to that is that they did score 85 on the World’s Top 100 Airlines in 2023, so it’s not all bad.

7.22
4
United Airlines is among the top US airlines

United Airlines - Number 4 Airline in the US

United Airlines earned a very respectable position on our list - number 4. They are a solid performer in most categories and score very high for professional reviews. United is also quite family and pet-friendly, which can be crucial to some travelers.

At its peak in 2019, United Airlines accommodated over 160 million passengers, making it the fourth-largest airline in the country. In all, with a score of 64 points, United is a solid choice for your next flight.

7.11
5
American Airlines’ planes at Chicago O’Hare Airport

American Airlines - Number 5 Airline in the US

When an airline is consistently the largest carrier of passengers in the US, its results can go either way. More flights and more customers mean more opportunities for slip-ups, but American Airlines remains a dependable choice despite this.

American transports between 200 and 215 million travelers annually and is another good option if you’re traveling with the family or a pet. The airline also scores high for comfort, both on the planes themselves and in their airport lounges.

6.78

Top 5 Airlines in the US

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Next 5 Best-rated USA Airlines

Since a list of the top 5 airlines in the US feels incomplete, here are the others that round out the top 10. Wonder who scored the worst…
6
JetBlue Airways

JetBlue Airways - Number 6 Airline in the US

Resting right in the middle of the list, jetBlue is still a fairly good choice for your next vacation. As you might expect, most of jetBlue’s scores are average, but one area where it stands out is comfort - where it takes the second spot after Delta. JetBlue has an overall AirAdvisor Score of 48 and is the highest-ranking budget air carrier in the US.

The airline offers over 100 destinations focused on Canada, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and domestic US cities. In 2022, jetBlue welcomed nearly 40 million passengers who certainly found the airline comfortable (it has the largest seats of any US-based carrier), and it’s great for families, but it should be noted that jetBlue is among the worst US airlines for reliability.

5.33
7
Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines - Number 6 Airline in the US (it’s a tie!)

Tied with jetBlue with a total score of 48, Southwest Airlines is technically classed as a budget carrier, so it’s not all that shocking that the low-cost US airlines are appearing more as we get down the list. The takeaway with Southwest is that it does very well in the customer reputation category, and if we were only looking at that, it would be in the top 3.

With Southwest, you get more perks than you might otherwise receive from a typical low-cost airline. This includes things like in-flight entertainment, free refreshments, and complimentary checked bags, much to the delight of the over 150 million people who fly with them annually.

5.33
8
Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines - Number 8 Airline in the US

One of the best things we can say about Spirit Airlines is that it’s not technically the worst in the country. Its low AirAdvisor Airline Score of 37 doesn’t necessarily deter the nearly 40 million people who fly Spirit annually. But, they do have something to say about it, and Spirit Airlines’ customer reputation score is 9th, slightly worse than its overall position.

4.11
9
Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air - Number 9 Airline in the US

Routinely flying around 15 million annual passengers, Allegiant Air takes our number 9 spot, earning a total score of 36 out of 90. The positives with Allegiant are its low price point on fares and a fairly good customer reputation score. But according to our research, that’s about it.

4.00
10
Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines - Worst Overall Airline in the US

Someone has to be the worst, right? That “honor” goes to no-frills carrier Frontier Airlines. Unsurprisingly many of the airlines’ scores are ultra-low. The one area Frontier can be proud of is that it offers the cheapest fares. That’s definitely something important for anyone with a modest travel budget (more on this later).

3.22

Next 5 Best-rated USA Airlines

Since a list of the top 5 airlines in the US feels incomplete, here are the others that round out the top 10. Wonder who scored the worst…

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Best Airlines for Overseas Travel from the US

While all of the airlines we reviewed offer domestic flights, not all fly overseas, even if they do offer limited international flights.

Of the airlines that fly overseas, Delta, United, and American are the best. They have high scores for comfort, which we all know is super important when you’re spending more than 5 hours cooped up on a plane.

When you travel with either Delta, United, or American, you can expect more comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and complimentary refreshments. Additionally, these are the top 3 overseas airlines for reliability, which is essential as these international flights often involve connections.

Most Reliable US Airline with the Lowest Disruption Rate

When we thought about the overall reliability of an airline, we didn’t only want to look at delayed and canceled flights. Although those are important components for this category, we also wanted to review the occurrences of denied boarding and mishandled luggage - two things that will severely impact your trip. That’s how we came up with our disruption rate score.

As our top overall airline, Delta scores highest for reliability when we look at all the factors together. Hawaiian Airlines takes the second spot overall, but what stands out is that Allegiant Air actually does better than Hawaiian and Delta for the sub-category of mishandled baggage or denied boarding. Hawaiian and Delta score higher overall because they also offer fairly reliable flights, whereas Allegiant really doesn’t. In fact, they’re the least reliable in the US for delayed, canceled, and diverted flights.

Reliability is important, but even the highest-ranking carriers still have delays sometimes. Keep in mind that when you experience a delay of 3 hours or more, they may be entitled to claim flight delay compensation.

Airlines with the lowest instances of mishandled luggage.

Most Comfortable Airline for the Best In-flight Experience

No one likes to be stuck on a plane for any amount of time, and unless you’re flying premium or first-class, it’s usually a means to an end. But if you want to maximize your comfort in the skies, Delta Airlines is your best option.

If in-flight experience ranks high on your list, Delta Airlines offers Wi-Fi, comfort items like pillows and blankets, free snacks and drinks, and the all-important entertainment system.

Honorable mention in this category has to go to jetBlue due to the fact that they have the largest overall seats of any US airline. The only reason they don’t score as well as Delta is because you have to pay if you want any comfort items.

Safest Airlines in America

Before we get too far into this category, we want to stress that every US airline on our list is safe. We looked at whether or not there were any incidents in 2022, and while there were some, none resulted in any fatalities.

Our research identified 3 incidents of note in 2022 that all involved a tail strike. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, a tail strike is when the plane’s tail makes contact with the runway during takeoff or landing. This happens more often during landing.

The 7 airlines that had zero safety incidents during the time period we reviewed can all be considered the safest airlines in the US. These are (in alphabetical order):

  • Alaska Airlines
  • Allegiant Air
  • American Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Spirit Airlines
  • United Airlines

In the interest of being thorough, that leaves us with Frontier, jetBlue, and Delta Airlines. Since they all experienced a very similar tail strike event that was non-fatal and resulted in substantial damage, according to IATA, these 3 airlines have the worst safety record in 2022.

Top 5 Airlines by Customer Reputation Score

One of the best indicators of the experience you’re going to have with an airline is peer reviews. The only thing to note here is that generally speaking, more customers write reviews to criticize than to praise, so even the top scores aren’t that high. In this category, we see a few new top performers.

Based on non-professional reviews from 9 different sources, Alaska Airlines takes the top prize. While it may not seem like much, their overall average of 3.04 out of 5 is the highest, followed closely by Hawaiian Airlines at 3.03.

To complete the top 5 airlines in the US for customer reputation, Southwest Airlines makes a notable appearance in the third spot, scoring 2.97. Delta Airlines lost its top position and instead scored an average of 2.69 to earn the fourth spot. Lastly, jetBlue is still reviewed relatively well with a score of 2.64, not far behind our overall winner, Delta.

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Cheapest Airlines in the US - Best Budget Carriers

Many factors go into determining the best budget carriers in the US, but based solely on price per available seat, the cheapest US airline is Frontier. Spirit and Allegiant also offer good deals on flights and are number 2 and 3, respectively.

A better indicator of the best budget airlines in America is their overall position on our list. Of the low-cost carriers we looked at, jetBlue appears in the highest position and, therefore, represents the best value due to its combination of the other factors and price.

Most Expensive Airline in the US

Although it is actually categorized as a budget airline, according to our data on the revenue per seat in 2022, Southwest is the most expensive US airline.

As we mentioned previously, Southwest is kind of an anomaly in the budget-friendly flight game because they have non-standard perks like free baggage, entertainment, and refreshments. It turns out you’re paying more for these luxuries than you might realize.

In reality, you’d expect the most expensive airline to score higher overall - not seventh!

Southwest is the most expensive airline in the USA

Worst Airlines in America

It’s probably not a coincidence that the worst airlines in America are all discount airlines offering no-frills, budget-friendly flights. As a result, it’s hard for them to score high on elements like comfort and customer reviews, but in general, you can’t beat their prices.

When we look at all the criteria, Frontier Airlines (unfortunately) stands out as the worst. This is for a few reasons:

  • They had a safety incident in 2022.
  • They scored the lowest overall in reliability, comfort, and customer reputation.
  • Even the professionals don’t rate them highly - they have the second-worst professional review score.

With the lowest scores in all these categories, it’s impossible to make up the difference, even if you’re the cheapest airline. It’s good to know what to expect when it comes to the worst US airline, but it’s also useful to be aware of the worst airports, so check out our post on the Worst 6 Airports in the U.S. Based on Chronically Delayed Flights.

Best Airlines for Family Travel

According to the US Family Travel Summary done in 2022, up to 85% of parents are planning to travel with their kids during the next year. While not all of these parents will be taking flights, many of them will, even domestically. So, let’s have a look at the top airlines in the US for family travel.

Using factors like whether or not the airline has a family seating policy or free seat selection for children under 13, in-flight entertainment, and free stroller check-in, we found that the best family-friendly US airline is Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, who both received top marks in every single category.

If you’re planning a family vacation anytime soon, you can’t really go wrong with these two winners.

Best airlines in the US for family travel

Best 5 Airlines for Lounge Reviews

Another important component for travelers, especially ones who often take to the skies, is the availability and quality of an airline lounge. This is another category where budget airlines don’t really stand a chance since they don’t normally offer a perk like branded lounges. That said, here’s how the top 5 airlines in the US stack up when it comes to airport lounges:

Airline

Lounge Name

Average Score (out of 5)

Number of Reviews

Delta Airlines

Delta Sky Club

4.47

19,845

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Lounge

4

5,480

American Airlines

Admirals Club

3.89

11,019

United Airlines

United Club

3.84

13,670

Hawaiian Airlines

Premier Club

3.35

1,731

As you can see, Delta is on top of this one as well, with a very positive review score based on nearly 20,000 customer reviews. If lounges are important to you, once again, Delta is a great choice.

The Most Pet-Friendly Airlines

Anyone who has ever flown with a pet knows how challenging it can be. So, if you’re planning on traveling with your furry friend, the good news is that every one of the top 10 airlines in the US that we reviewed permits pets as carry-on. There are size and other requirements, but if you’re traveling with a cat or small dog, they can fly with you and not in the cargo hold.

This is another category where many airlines top the list. In fact, we have a 5-way tie. So, when it comes to booking a flight for you and your pet, the best airlines are (in alphabetical order):

  • Alaska Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • United Airlines

These rank highest because they allow pets as carry-on, also allow them in the cargo hold, and you can even take your pet with you into their lounges. With these airlines, it might almost be fun to travel with your pet. Almost.

If you want more information on the best pet-friendly airlines in the US, we have an in-depth post on that.

If you’ve traveled with your pet in the last 6 years and had your flight unexpectedly canceled, you may be able to claim compensation from the airline. Check our compensation calculator now!


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AirAdvisor Airline Rating: Carriers Ranked


Final RankingAirlineConsolidated scoreMost ReliableMost ComfortableSafest AirlineCheapest AirlineCustomer reputation scoreAir Lounges reviewsProfessional reviewsFamilyPets
1Delta Airline7.6710102271010810
2Alaska Airlines7.56547510981010
3Hawaiian Airlines7.229577964810
4United Airlines7.118774479810
5American Airlines6.7878733851010
6JetBlue Airways5.33292665783
7Southwest Airlines5.33667182.5683
8Spirit Airlines4.11337922.5343
9Allegiant Air4.00417852.5143
10Frontier Airlines3.221121012.5263

Criteria and Methodology

As we mentioned at the start, we looked at 9 different categories to come up with our overall score. Are you curious about how we did it? Here’s a summary of each component and the factors we reviewed to get the most accurate and up-to-date result possible:


Using published data from the US Department of Transportation, we reviewed stats from all of 2022 and up to the start of June 2023. For each airline, we calculated the on-time, delayed, canceled, and diverted flight percentages. We also looked at the percentages of mishandled bags and passengers who were denied boarding to truly get the full reliability picture.

For the airlines’ comfort score, the data was binary, as in the airline either offered the service or they didn’t. The factors that went into the overall comfort score were seat comfort, Wi-Fi availability, access to comfort items, in-flight entertainment systems, and complimentary snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic).

This is another category that was pretty cut and dry. The airline either had a safety incident in 2022, according to IATA, or it didn’t.

Using information from the airlines’ public data, we calculated the passenger revenue per available seat miles in 2022. This is simply each airline’s reported passenger revenue divided by their available seat miles for the year.

Nine was our magic number, and we looked at 9 different review sites for the airlines. These included TripAdvisor, Kayak, Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Trust Pilot, Airlinequality.com, and Influenster.com. We also consolidated all the Google reviews available. In all, we looked at 893,236 reviews to get the overall score.

This is another straightforward one. We looked at whether or not the airline had a branded lounge and then the average customer review score for that same airport lounge.

The professional reviews component was calculated based on various published top lists for the airline industry. We looked at everything from the Best Airlines in North America in 2023 to the Best Airline Staff in 2023, and in the end, we focused our ranking on where the airlines landed on the World's Top 100 Airlines in 2022 list and then the Best Low-Cost Airlines in North America 2022 rating. Because we have to give the budget airlines a fighting chance, right?

Like the comfort category, family travel is based on binary responses. It was either a yes or no as to whether the airline offers a family seating policy, free stroller check-in, a kids' meal (on request), an entertainment system, and free seat selection for children under 13.

The factors we looked at here are whether you can take your pet into the cabin and airport lounge with you and whether the airline permits pets in the cargo hold.

Using published data from the US Department of Transportation, we reviewed stats from all of 2022 and up to the start of June 2023. For each airline, we calculated the on-time, delayed, canceled, and diverted flight percentages. We also looked at the percentages of mishandled bags and passengers who were denied boarding to truly get the full reliability picture.

For the airlines’ comfort score, the data was binary, as in the airline either offered the service or they didn’t. The factors that went into the overall comfort score were seat comfort, Wi-Fi availability, access to comfort items, in-flight entertainment systems, and complimentary snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic).

This is another category that was pretty cut and dry. The airline either had a safety incident in 2022, according to IATA, or it didn’t.

Using information from the airlines’ public data, we calculated the passenger revenue per available seat miles in 2022. This is simply each airline’s reported passenger revenue divided by their available seat miles for the year.

Nine was our magic number, and we looked at 9 different review sites for the airlines. These included TripAdvisor, Kayak, Consumer Affairs, Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Trust Pilot, Airlinequality.com, and Influenster.com. We also consolidated all the Google reviews available. In all, we looked at 893,236 reviews to get the overall score.

This is another straightforward one. We looked at whether or not the airline had a branded lounge and then the average customer review score for that same airport lounge.

The professional reviews component was calculated based on various published top lists for the airline industry. We looked at everything from the Best Airlines in North America in 2023 to the Best Airline Staff in 2023, and in the end, we focused our ranking on where the airlines landed on the World's Top 100 Airlines in 2022 list and then the Best Low-Cost Airlines in North America 2022 rating. Because we have to give the budget airlines a fighting chance, right?

Like the comfort category, family travel is based on binary responses. It was either a yes or no as to whether the airline offers a family seating policy, free stroller check-in, a kids' meal (on request), an entertainment system, and free seat selection for children under 13.

The factors we looked at here are whether you can take your pet into the cabin and airport lounge with you and whether the airline permits pets in the cargo hold.

Conclusion

It’s a good thing that after all our hard work crunching numbers, reviews, and features, we came up with this comprehensive list of the top 10 airlines in the US that passengers can now use to guide their flight purchase decisions.

Only you know what’s important to you in air travel, so while Delta is the outright leader, if you value things like price, family travel, or customer reputation, there may be better options available. And don’t forget that honorable mention goes to budget carrier jetBlue for its high comfort scores and that Alaska Airlines is ranked highest in customer reviews. Happy booking!

 

FAQs

Delta Airlines tops the AirAdvisor Airline Score list and is the answer to the question of which airline was named the best for 2022 and 2023 (so far). Generally, when you fly with Delta, you can expect a high level of service, a comfortable journey, and on-time arrivals. Plus, this popular airline is ideal if you’re traveling as a family or with pets.
For domestic or international flights, you can’t go wrong with American Airlines aboard one of their A321 planes. The Flagship First Class Section offers lie-flat seats in a one-seat-per-row on each side of the aisle configuration, as well as chef-curated in-flight refreshments. As for which airline has the best business class in the US, that honor goes to jetBlue’s Mint category for its roomy seats, privacy screens, multiple plug sockets, and tapas-style dining.
Absolutely. We did all the heavy lifting using multiple trusted sources to amalgamate data that’s free of bias and comprehensive. These sources include EUROCONTROL, Google Maps and Reviews, Rome2Rio, and Skytrax.
Yes. According to our extensive research across 9 different categories, Delta emerges as the best US airline. And why is Delta the best airline? It excels at things like reliability, comfort, and both customer and professional reviews.
Of the airlines in the US with this feature, Delta ranks highest for premium economy, according to Skytrax. In fact, Delta is number 5 in the world in this category. This is in line with AirAdvisor’s Airline Score as well, where Delta ranks highest in the US for comfort. As for which airline has the best economy seats, jetBlue is the winner with the most passenger room.
When flying overseas, passengers want as much space as possible, on-time arrivals, and something to do while on board. According to our extensive research, in terms of what is the best international airline, we found that Delta, American, and United are the leading carriers. They all offer complimentary refreshments, in-flight entertainment, good reliability, and a more comfortable experience overall.
Using the comprehensive AirAdvisor Airline Score, the top 3 airlines in the US are Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines, (in that order). They all have top-notch reliability and in-flight comfort, are family and pet-friendly, and are generally well-reviewed by professionals and customers.
Yes. Looking at available IATA data from 2021 and 2022, Southwest did not have any safety incidents of note. Also, according to Airlineratings.com, Southwest has a 7 out of 7 safety score currently, and it doesn’t get any better than that.
Although not overall winners based on our AirAdvisor Airline Score, some good airlines to travel on include jetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest, and American Airlines. They are all solidly in the middle of the pack and represent a decent choice for your next flight.
About AirAdvisor

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Why should airlines deny compensation to passengers for flight disruptions, when the average pay of an airline’s CEO is almost EUR 2.8 million? We work to defend your rights as an airline passenger because travel should be comfortable, and everyone should be treated fairly.

That’s why we simplified the process of getting flight compensation from airlines for those who lack the time, energy, or resources to do so themselves. With legal partners in countries around the world, we enforce our clients’ flight claims in courts and advocate for their passenger rights before civil aviation authorities. To further our vision, our team of experts lobbies for improved airline regulations that will protect air passengers worldwide.

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