After several years of rough air during the global pandemic, it’s smooth sailing again for the airline industry. So what are the best airlines to fly?
The personal-finance website WalletHub has just announced its annual list of the best U.S. airlines. In addition to comparing the nine largest national airlines in the United States and two regional carriers, WalletHub also revealed the most reliable airline, the most comfortable airline, the most affordable airline, the best airline for pets and the safest airline.
WalletHub came up with the list by collecting and analyzing flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and using a strategic methodology that compared 14 key metrics ranging from cancellation and delay rates to baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort. The analysis also considered costs in relation to in-flight amenities.
“WalletHub’s analysis is a comprehensive one, based on a methodology and metrics selected by our analysts along with academic experts. Our goal was to go beyond price comparison tools and identify the best airlines in terms of overall service quality and functional performance,” says Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez. “While price is of course essential, finding the most affordable airline is extremely easy. WalletHub’s report goes a step further and examines other aspects of flying that sometimes go overlooked, to help consumers make more informed decisions.”
Delta Air Lines topped Wallethub’s list for the second year in a row. “Some of the main factors that contributed to Delta being the winner include the lack of denied boardings in the past year, the lack of animal-related incidents, and the fact that it has no fatal injuries in aviation accidents,” says Gonzalez. “The availability of legroom, entertainment options, and complimentary refreshments added to the airline topping the list.”
Coming in second on the list: Spirit Airlines, which was a surprise, according to Gonzalez. “Although it’s the most affordable, we weren’t expecting Spirit Airlines to do so well,” she says. “However, the small number of mishandled baggage reports and high safety ranking were the key factors that contributed to the airline being second best overall.”
Coming in last on the list for the second year in a row was Southwest Airlines, which had a headline-making holiday meltdown that contributed to the poor results. “Southwest had the second largest share of canceled flights,” says Gonzalez. “It also ranked low in terms of safety since it registered at least one fatal injury in aviation accidents over the past five years, and more than 50 injuries sustained by passengers and/or aircraft personnel that required medical care over the same time period.”
Alaska Airlines, which won the WalletHub list for several years (including 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2017), dipped to number five in the latest list. “This year, Alaska had the largest share of canceled flights and the second most mishandled baggage reports, which are two reasons why it ranked so low,” says Gonzalez.