What are the best airlines to fly? As the world emerges from the turbulence of the global pandemic, the airline industry is navigating a new landscape marked by shifting consumer expectations, evolving safety protocols and fluctuating economic conditions. Against this backdrop, travelers are weighing factors beyond mere ticket prices as they choose the best airlines to ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
The personal-finance website WalletHub has just announced its annual ranking of the best airlines. The study evaluates the nine largest national airlines in the United States and one regional carrier across a range of criteria, including reliability, safety, comfort and overall service quality, providing travelers with valuable insights to inform their decision-making process.
According to WalletHub, airline ticket prices had dropped significantly in 2023, but are back on the rise. However, costs are only part of the story. “WalletHub’s airline report is unique because it evaluates airlines beyond just ticket prices,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe told me in an interview. “While many reports prioritize affordability, WalletHub takes into account a wider range of factors that are important to travelers, such as comfort, safety, and overall service quality.” Compare this year’s list to 2023’s list of best airlines.
To rank the airlines for 2024, WalletHub analyzed 2023 flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and using a strategic methodology that compared key metrics, including cancellation, delays, baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort.
This year’s report unveils Alaska Airlines as the best airline in the U.S., earning the highest WalletHub score and beating out Delta Air Lines, which ranked first in 2023 and 2022. Alaska Airlines has ranked at the top of the list in a number of past WalletHub rankings, including 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2017. A track record of consistent performance and a commitment to passenger satisfaction propelled Alaska Airlines back to the top of the list.
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“Alaska Airlines has regained the top position owing to its consistent and remarkable performance across multiple metrics,” says Happe. “The airline has exceeded expectations in in-flight comfort and cost, providing passengers with amenities such as ample legroom, a range of entertainment options and complimentary refreshments. Moreover, it has demonstrated robust safety measures, ranking first in safety-related categories, such as the number of injuries in aviation incidents and accidents. The airline’s balanced performance across various aspects of air travel has contributed to its return to the top position.”
Worth noting is that the flight data that WalletHub used to determine the rankings was from 2023 and did not account for some issues that Alaska Airlines has faced in 2024, including a January incident—where a door plug blew out mid-flight on a Boeing 737 Max plane—and a recent grounding, due to a tech issue with the airline’s system for calculating weight. “Such incidents could impact the airline’s rankings in 2025, particularly in categories pertaining to safety and reliability,” says Happe.
Following closely behind is Alaska Airlines SkyWest Airlines, followed by Spirit Airlines in the number three spot. “It’s quite surprising to see Spirit Airlines ranking so high on the list,” says Happe. “This is notable because Spirit is usually associated with budget travel and may not be considered as competing in terms of overall service quality. However, it seems that Spirit has made significant progress in areas beyond affordability, such as safety. This is evident by the airline being ranked as the safest airline, which is increasingly valued by travelers.”
Coming in last on the list for the third year in a row is Southwest Airlines. “Although the airline shows satisfactory performance in baggage and departure metrics such as cancelled flights and delays, it falls short in terms of mishandled baggage reports and denied boardings,” says Happe. “When considering in-flight comfort and cost, the airline ranks low in price affordability, which is a crucial factor for many travelers. Furthermore, Southwest’s safety scores are notably low compared to its competitors. Overall, it appears that Southwest needs to address its mishandled baggage and denied boarding issues, as well as work on improving its safety measures and price competitiveness, in order to improve its ranking.”
In addition to ranking the best airlines, WalletHub also reveals the most reliable airline, the most comfortable airline, the most affordable airline and the safest airline.
In terms of dependability, Delta Air Lines emerges as the most reliable airline for the second year in a row, due to the lowest rates of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings. At the opposite end is Frontier, which is named the least reliable airline for the second year in a row, due to high levels of denied boardings and delayed flights. “Delta Airlines is widely regarded as the most dependable option when it comes to air travel. This is primarily because of their exceptional track record in minimizing cancellations, delays, denied boardings, and mishandled luggage,” says Happe. “However, Frontier Airlines falls short in most reliability metrics, although it does surpass Delta by securing the second overall rank for mishandled baggage.”
Delta Air Lines and JetBlue tied as the most comfortable airlines in the WalletHub rankings. According to WalletHub, they excelled by offering free amenities. The least comfortable airline? Frontier. “Delta Airlines and JetBlue Airways provide a comfortable flight experience with amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom and complimentary snacks and beverages,” says Happe. “Frontier Airlines, on the other hand, does not offer the same level of comfort during the flight, as they lack many of the complimentary benefits provided by their competitors.
When it comes to safety, Spirit Airlines takes the win as the safest airline, boasting a commendable safety record including no fatalities and fewer than 15 injuries between 2018 and 2023. Alaska Airlines earns the runner-up position in terms of safety, highlighting its commitment to passenger well-being. Spirit Airlines has been recognized as the safest airline due to its superior performance in various safety metrics, including incident and accident rates,” says Happe. “On the other hand, Alaska Airlines, despite its good overall performance, has a lower ranking in safety metrics when compared to Spirit Airlines. Since 2018, Alaska Airlines has had a higher rate of incidents and accidents per total number of flights.”
The most affordable airline in 2024 is Spirit Airlines. At the opposite end of the list is American Airlines, which is named the most expensive airline. “Spirit Airlines is the most affordable airline, offering budget-friendly options” says Happe. “Conversely, American Airlines lags behind its competitors in affordability based on our study.”
Read on for the overall list of the best airlines in America, as well as the other key findings.
Overall Rankings: The Best Airlines in the U.S.
- Alaska Airlines
- SkyWest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
The Most Reliable Airlines in the U.S.
- Delta Air Lines
- SkyWest Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- United Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- American Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
The Most Comfortable Airlines in the U.S.
*Note that SkyWest is not represented in this list because it is a regional carrier and serves other major airlines, which may dictate what amenities are provided.
- Delta Air Lines (tie)
- JetBlue Airways (tie)
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
The Safest Airlines in the U.S.
- Spirit Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- SkyWest Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- United Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
The Most Affordable Airlines in the U.S.
- Spirit Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- SkyWest Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- American Airlines
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