As issues continue to plague the aviation industry, choosing a domestic airline is becoming more of a challenge than ever.
And WalletHub’s recent ranking of the top U.S. Airlines for 2024 reflects these struggles. The outlet ranked the nine major U.S. airlines and regional carrier Skywest Airlines, with only one coming out on top.
“Airline ticket prices had a pretty significant drop last year, but have started to rise again this year. Cost isn’t all that matters when picking what company to fly with, though,” the report said. “Comfort and safety also matter, especially with recent incidents in the news about plane malfunctions. Finding the most affordable airfare is now quite easy for anyone with an internet connection, so this report examines other, overlooked aspects of air travel to help consumers make more-informed decisions.”
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Coming in at No. 1 was Alaska Airlines with a score of 68.07 out of 100, taking the crown from Delta Airlines, which won the title in both 2022 and 2023.
Delta did however tie with JetBlue Airlines as the most comfortable airline, thanks to stellar in-flight amenities like free Wi-Fi and extra legroom.
The outlet looked at 13 different qualifying factors in three major categories to make its report — baggage and departures, in-flight comfort and cost, and safety. Airlines were graded on a scale of 100 and received a certain number of points based on the category being measured, such as canceled flights, mishandled baggage reports, legroom, Wi-Fi availability, and more.
Related: Southwest Ranked Worst Ranked Airline of 2023: Report
Regional carrier Skywest Airlines came in at No. 2 overall with a score of 65.96 out of 100 followed by Spirit Airlines in third place with a score of 65.69 out of 100.
Here are how the nine major U.S. airlines and one regional carrier were ranked, according to WalletHub.
10. Southwest Airlines (36.03 out of 100)
9. Frontier Airlines (43.57 out of 100)
8. American Airlines (46.52 out of 100)
(Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
7. Hawaiian Airlines (48.30 out of 100)
6. Jetblue Airlines (51.60 out of 100)
5. United Airlines (51.96 out of 100)
(Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
4. Delta Airlines (61.56 out of 100)
3. Spirit Airlines (65.69 out of 100)
2. Skywest Airlines (65.96 out of 100)
1. Alaska Airlines (68.07 out of 100)
You can view the full report here.