Before you book your next flight, take note of the airlines that have been rated the best and the worst in the United States.
2022 was a challenging year for airlines and passengers alike. Now that the dust has settled and the new year is in full swing, the Wall Street Journal has released its rankings of the best and worst airlines in the United States. Before you book your next flight, you’ll definitely want to check out this list.
How Were the Airlines Ranked?
Throughout 2022, airlines were faced with terrible weather, massive crowds of travelers, overscheduling and staffing shortages. Despite these setbacks, some airlines were able to deliver better service than others.
The Wall Street Journal used a number of different criteria to determine how nine different U.S. airlines stack up against one another. Their overall rank was calculated based on the percentage of on-time arrivals, canceled flights, extreme delays, delays on the tarmac that exceed two hours, the amount of mishandled baggage, involuntary bumping and the number of customer complaints.
The ranking results may surprise you—for instance, budget airlines often placed higher than you’d expect, while airlines with more bells and whistles took lower spots on the list. Airlines known for their customer service still fell short of delivering world-class experiences in 2022, leaving many travelers disappointed. Keeping all of the turbulence of 2022 in mind, a number of these airlines have lots of opportunities to improve in order to become one of the best airlines in 2023.
What Is the Best Airline in the United States?
The Wall Street Journal ranked Delta Airlines as its best airline in the United States for 2022. Delta has been number one on the list for five out of the last six years, which is an impressive run considering the Wall Street Journal has been releasing the list for 15 consecutive years. Delta came in first place in three of the above seven categories, which though impressive, is two less than 2021.
What Is the Worst Airline in the United States?
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In a turn of events that may be shocking to many loyal travelers, the Wall Street Journal ranked JetBlue Airways as the worst airline in the United States for 2022. JetBlue performed poorly compared to the rest of the airlines on the list, placing low in just about every category except the number of bumped passengers. Even though JetBlue boasts the best amenities of all of the U.S.-based airlines, passengers experienced the highest number of significant delays, including a number of tarmac delays that exceeded two hours.
The Full Rankings of Best and Worst Airlines
Here are the Wall Street Journal‘s full rankings of the Best and Worst Airlines of 2022, in order of ranking:
- Delta Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- American Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
2022 was a tough year for every airline, so here’s to hoping that they all can make improvements and have a better 2023. Before you book your next flight, consider this list and also take a moment to learn about all of the things you should know before you fly that airlines don’t want to tell you.
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FAQs
The Wall Street Journal published its annual list of the best and worst US carriers. Delta Air Lines took the crown for 2023 in its third consecutive win, followed by Alaska Airlines. JetBlue Airways came in dead last, faltering in metrics like on-time performance and extreme delays.
Which is the best airline in the US? ›
What Are The Best Airlines In The U.S.?
- Alaska Airlines. No.
- SkyWest Airlines. No.
- Spirit Airlines. No.
- Delta Airlines. MORE FOR YOU. ...
- United Airlines. No.
- JetBlue Airways. No.
- Hawaiian Airlines. No.
- American Airlines. No.
While the competition was close between the two top airlines, Thomas said Air New Zealand edged out Qantas thanks to the Australian carrier's fleet age. When it comes to airlines in the United States, only Alaska Airlines made the top 10, coming in at No. 10.
What's the worst airline right now? ›
Once again, JetBlue Airways finds itself in last place. It's the third year in a row that the Wall Street Journal ranked it the worst airline in the United States. JetBlue placed lowest in four categories: on-time arrivals, tarmac delays, canceled flights and delays longer than 45 minutes.
Is Delta or United better? ›
Overall, Delta is consistently rated the more reliable airline. And when it comes to first-class flying, Delta's amenities possess a posh factor that United doesn't quite match, though it comes close. However, in many ways, the choice is a toss-up.
Is Southwest or Delta better? ›
When it comes to the number of routes and destinations served, Delta wins hands down. Not only does Delta serve more cities and more countries on its flights, but its membership in the SkyTeam alliance and other airline partnerships offer connectivity well beyond what Southwest offers.
What is the #1 airline? ›
Global Airline Ranking
| Airline | Customer Opinion |
|---|
| 1. | Qatar Airways | 8.8 |
| 2. | Eurowings | 7.5 |
| 3. | LOT Polish Airlines | 8.1 |
| 4. | Etihad Airways | 8.7 |
6 more rowsHawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian has been flying planes since 1929 and never once had a fatal accident, making it, if our stats stand up, the longest functioning carrier to have never lost a passenger. It may have suffered two bankruptcies (1993 and 2003) but it has not compromised on safety.
Is Delta or United safer? ›
AirlineRatings.com has published its annual list of the world's safest airlines for 2024. Air New Zealand took back its crown as the world's safest carrier, beating out Qantas. United Airlines and American Airlines made the list, but Delta Air Lines didn't.
What is the cheapest safest airline? ›
The 20 Safest Low-Cost Airlines For 2024
- Jetstar.
- easyJet.
- Ryanair.
- Wizz.
- Norwegian.
- Frontier.
- Vueling.
- Vietjet.
Delta Air Lines had an 80.8% on-time percentage. Alaska slipped in at 79.9% for second place. The worst performers were Frontier Airlines, with just 62.1% of flights arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, and JetBlue Airlines, with a 65.4% on-time percentage.
What airline has the worst reviews? ›
Southwest is the worst airline in the US, according to a new study losing out to the likes of Skywest, Frontier and Spirit.
What is the top worst airline? ›
JetBlue was the lowest-ranked airline for 2023, coming in last place in every single category—cancellations, on-time arrivals and delays (both over 45 minutes and on the tarmac). Only about 66 percent of JetBlue flights arrived on time last year.
What are the worst airlines to fly in the US? ›
JetBlue was the lowest-ranked airline for 2023, coming in last place in every single category—cancellations, on-time arrivals and delays (both over 45 minutes and on the tarmac). Only about 66 percent of JetBlue flights arrived on time last year.
What are the top 3 largest airlines in the US? ›
Scheduled passenger-kilometers flown (millions)
| Rank | Airline Group | Country |
|---|
| 1 | American Airlines Group | United States |
| 2 | United Airlines Holdings | United States |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines Group | United States |
| 4 | Air France–KLM | France/ Netherlands |
8 more rowsThere's no clear-cut answer as to which airline is worse: Spirit or Frontier. These two ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCC) have their advantages and disadvantages. Both Spirit and Frontier offer low-cost flights, but when it comes to customer service, amenities, and baggage fees, they're both pretty subpar.
Is Delta a good airline to fly? ›
Reliability. One area that Delta particularly excels at is its on-time performance. According to OAG, a travel data provider, Delta ranks second on the North American regional list for flight punctuality. Delta outranks third place Alaska and falls just below first place Hawaiian.
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