As of June 2023, air traffic was almost back to pre-pandemic levels. In short, people are hitting the friendly skies hard after years plagued by shutdowns and limited route availability. But to get the best bang for your buck, you’ll want to make sure you’re picking an airline that checks off all (or most) of the boxes. While price is still one of the driving factors that impact ticket purchases, other concerns such as checked bag fees, in-flight offerings and customer service are all real issues that can influence whether you fly with one airline over another.
So, before you book that next weekend getaway, family vacation or business trip, think about what you need from an airline, and book accordingly. Are you willing to sacrifice your comfort for a flight that is guaranteed to be safe and reliable at a good cost? Or would you prefer the top of the line despite high cost and potential hidden expenses? Maybe you want to book with the airline that will take the best care of your pet or you want to just take the safest route and pick the one with the best overall rating. This list will help you make the right decision.
Here’s the current ranking of the top airlines in the U.S. based on a data review survey of on-time flights, baggage handling, service fees, in-flight service, safety and other factors conducted by Wallethub. Listed below this breakdown of the best US airlines is the best international airlines and how these US airlines compare to those across the world.
This survey reviewed the following airlines:
- Delta Air Lines
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- JetBlue
- SkyWest Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Envoy Air
- Frontier Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
Best Overall Airline: Delta Air Lines
Regardless of why you’re heading to the nearest jetway, the data has spoken. Delta Airlines is the top airline in the country for the second year in a row, according to Wallethub. How did they earn this rank? Apparently, they have the lowest rate for cancellations, delays, lost or mishandled luggage and denied boardings. Delta also tied with Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines for the Most Pet-Friendly award and also earned the Most Reliable airline for on-time departures and arrivals.
This major carrier is one of the world’s oldest airlines that’s still in operation, having been founded in 1925. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the airline operates over 5,400 flights daily, and provides routes to over 325 destinations across 52 countries in every continent except Antarctica. While Atlanta is the main hub, the carrier has hubs in eight other cities across the U.S. For the world traveler set, Delta is part of SkyTeam, an alliance that gives you access to codeshare flights and airport lounges for other major international carriers including Aeroméxico, Air France, Korean Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and KLM to name a few.
Runners Up:
- 2nd Place: Spirit Airlines
- 3rd Place: SkyWest Airlines
- 4th Place: United Airlines
- 5th Place: Alaska Airlines
Most Affordable Airline: Spirit Airlines
Unsurprisingly, Spirit Airlines nabbed the Most Affordable title for 2023. The budget carrier has made a name for itself by offering deeply discounted tickets for both long and short routes across the country. But while people often snicker about the add-on fees for printing tickets or bringing a carry-on, the airline also was runner-up for Best Overall thanks to lower baggage mishandlings and a higher safety rating, which has been steady for the past two years. The only catch with Spirit seems to be you will sacrifice comfort in turn for reliability and safety considering the airline has consistently ranked low for comfortability.
Spirit Airlines actually began as a trucking company in 1964 before entering the airline game in 1992. Today, the carrier operates flights across the U.S. as well as to the Caribbean and parts of Latin America. It’s the seventh largest passenger carrier in North America as of this year and is the largest low-cost carrier in North America. Most notably for the past few years, Spirit has avoided a takeover by JetBlue and ultimately severed a bid to merge with competitor budget airliner, Frontier Airlines — which came in second for the Most Affordable award.
Runners Up:
- 2nd Place: Frontier Airlines
- 3rd Place: SkyWest Airlines
- 4th Place: JetBlue
- 5th Place: Hawaiian Airlines
Most Comfortable Airline: JetBlue
Comfort is technically a subjective term, but JetBlue leads the pack as the most comfortable airline to fly in the U.S. How did they snag this distinction? The airline offers at least 30 inches of legroom for economy seats and has plenty of in-flight entertainment options at every seat — something the brand has been offering since its inception. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi is free on most flights as well as free food and drinks for flights longer than two hours. And that’s before you factor in the JetBlue Mint product, which is the airline’s answer to business class and features sliding door suites, full lie-flat seating and elevated dining options.
The New York City-based airliner began as a simple budget airliner in 1999, but now straddles as a median option for travelers that want to save a few coins but don’t want to feel like they’re flying Spirit or Frontier. The brand lured early adopters with premium offerings like Sirius XM and in-flight TVs for every seat. These days, the carrier operates over 1,000 flights daily and manages routes to 100 destinations across the U.S. and international locales including spots in Europe, Central America, the Caribbean and codeshares with select airlines in the Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance programs.
Runners Up:
- 2nd Place: Delta Air Lines
- 3rd Place: Alaska Airlines
- 4th Place: Southwest Airlines
- 5th Place: American Airlines
Safest Airline: Envoy Air
Envoy Air is actually a regional carrier for American Airlines (AA) and is in fact a wholly owned subsidiary of the larger national carrier. The tiny carrier earned this award thanks to having a five-year history without any fatalities and fewer than 15 passenger or staff injuries that required medical interventions. However, it’s also one of the younger entries in the Wallethub survery since Envoy Air has only officially been in operation for less than 10 years since it was established in 2014. However, before you get giddy, they landed the bottom spot for the “Most Affordable” award.
The petite airline carrier is headquartered in Irving, Texas — which is unsurprising given that AA is also headquartered in Texas. The airline only operates Embraer jets, making over 1,000 flights a day to over 150 destinations across North America, the Caribbean and South America. While Envoy is a technically newer airline, the concept of an AA subsidiary is by no means new since earlier iterations were known as American Eagle. To this day, you probably aren’t familiar with Envoy Air since their livery carries the American Eagle brand.
Runners Up:
- 2nd Place: Spirit Airlines
- 3rd Place: Frontier Airlines
- 4th Place: JetBlue
- 5th Place: Alaska Airlines
Most Pet-Friendly Airline: Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines (tied)
Yes, the award for the Most Pet-Friendly airline is a three-way split between Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines and SkyWest Airlines. Between the winners, both Delta and SkyWest had no animal-related incidents in 2022. However, full disclosure that of the 11 U.S. carriers reviewed for this survey, six don’t transport animals as cargo so they weren’t included in this category: Envoy, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United and Spirit. So, only five domestic airlines were reviewed for this award. Understand that some of the airlines that don’t transport cargo animals do still support pet travel as long as they can fit in a TSA-approved pet carrier under the seat in the cabin. For example, United Airlines does allow pets in the cabin but caps the total number of crated pets that can be brought onboard per flight.
Runners Up:
- 4th Place: American Airlines
- 5th Place: Hawaiian Airlines
Beyond the Best Airlines in the US – Best International Airlines
The best airlines in the US rank differently when compared to other airlines across the world. Here are some of the top rated airlines according to The Skytrax World Airline Awards. The awards are described as “the Oscars of the aviation industry” and considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in the airline industry.
Skytrax World Airline Awards are based on the largest passenger satisfaction survey in the world, conducted online, covering more than 350 airlines worldwide. Passengers are invited to rate airlines based on their experiences across several categories, including cabin comfort, onboard services, food, inflight entertainment, and customer service. The survey also takes into account factors such as seat comfort, cleanliness and value for money. Any airline can be nominated no matter its size or location around the world. See how the best airlines in the US compare to the best airlines in the world.
Us Airlines vs International Airlines
The best rated airline in the US, Delta Air Lines ranked at number 20 for the best airline in 2023 according to Skytrax. This is up from number 24 from the previous year. The fourth best airline in the US, United Airlines ranked at number 49, which is up from number 60 the previous year. Fifth best US airline, Alaska Airlines placed at number 52 and up from number 59 in 2022.
Other airlines included in Wallethub’s ranking that placed in the top 100 of the Skytrax awards include American Airlines at number 82 (down from number 68), JetBlue at number 55 (down from number 41), Hawaiian Airlines at number 85 (down from number 65) and Southwest Airlines at number 60 (down from number 35). The rest of the US airlines assessed by Wallethub did not rank amongst Skytrax’s top 100 airlines.
Best Airline in the World: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (SIA) won best airline in the world for the fifth consecutive year in 2023. This airline stands apart from others for its emphasis on customer service and satisfaction. SIA operates over 180 aircraft fleets that travel to over 110 destinations around the world.
Skytrax wrote, “in-flight menus in all classes of service offer gourmet meals created by a panel of internationally renowned chefs, and all customers can enjoy the carrier’s state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system, which offers a wide choice of movies, music and games.
With rankings this consistently high, SIA is the airline to try out for top of the line service.
Second Best Airline in the World: Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, consistently placing in the top three, is considered the second best airline in the world according to Skytrax’s awards. The airline is headquartered in Doha, Qatar and it flies to destinations spanning every continent (except Antarctica) and throughout the Middle East. Its over 200 aircraft fleets are praised for their modernity with most of their aircraft averaging only five years old. These young planes are perfect for traveling to QA’s 150+ global destinations. The airline is also praised for its high-class service, as well as its entertainment, cuisine options and comfortability.
Third Best Airline in the World: ANA All Nippon Airways
ANA All Nippon Airways is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato City, Japan. The airline is praised for its operations across its 82 international routes but it really shines with its over 118 domestic routes. Those visiting different parts of Japan or Japanese native flyers have a convenient and easy way to travel between destinations with ANA.
Skytrax wrote, “ANA offers a unique dual hub model which enables passengers to travel to Tokyo and connect through the two airports in the metropolitan Tokyo, Narita and Haneda, to various destinations throughout Japan, and also offers same day connections between various North American, Asian and Chinese cities.”
The Skytrax World Airline Awards Runners-up
- 4th Place: Emirates
- 5th Place: Japan Airlines
- 6th Place: Turkish Airlines
- 7th Place: Air France
- 8th Place: Cathay Pacific Airways
- 9th Place: EVA Air
- 10th Place: Korean Air
