When you’re looking for flights, you’re probably most loyal to the airline that you have status with or that has a hub in your city—most often, they’re one and the same. Or, you’re looking for the best flight deals, which should be a little bit easier to come by this spring as flight costs are down 7% year-over-year. But safety, comfort and other factors are also top of mind when it comes to booking flights, and a new study from WalletHub, a personal finance company, took those considerations and other metrics into consideration to determine the best U.S. airlines of 2024.
Alaska Airlines is the top U.S. airline, according to the report, which used 13 metrics to evaluate the nine largest carriers in the country, plus a regional carrier.
This year’s list is a shakeup from the previous two years, as Alaska has dethroned Delta as the top airline. Delta was WalletHub’s top airline in 2022 and 2023. But Alaska has been previously ranked as the best airline, taking the top spot on WalletHub’s list from 2017 to 2019 and again in 2021.
For its new ranking, WalletHub examined data from 2023. In January 2024, a door plug blew out mid-flight on a Boeing 737 Max, forcing Alaska Airlines to ground a flight. While no one was seriously physically injured, the incident did prompt serious safety concerns over Boeing’s manufacturing processes and the schedule of airlines safety checks.
Boeing paid Alaska Airlines $160 million, the airline announced this month, to compensate for revenue lost from the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration also launched an investigation into Boeing’s safety practices.
Last week, a software issue prompted the FAA to issue a ground stop on Alaska Airlines flights, though that issue has been resolved.
MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR
A budget carrier, Spirit Airlines, cracked the top 3 and was also named the safest airline. Meanwhile, Delta led in categories like reliability and comfort.
How Was The Best U.S. Airline Determined?
For its rankings, WalletHub considered factors like reliability, comfort, affordability, and safety. That’s to say the analysts considered which airlines had the lowest rates of delays and cancellations, which airlines offer the most leg room and in-flight perks like free wifi, the price of flights, and safety incidents per 100,000 flights.
The analysts used data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. When it comes to things like flight cancellations and delays, the team collected information about each airline, but then tossed out any disruptions that were caused by weather, security, or National Aviation System-related cancellations as they’re not specific to any one carrier.
Categories were also weighted differently, with baggage and departures accounting for 50 points, safety counting for 35 points, and in-flight comfort counting for 15 points. Within each category, points were assigned — i.e. in the comfort category, leg room got a max score of 2 points.
Ahead, we dive into the ratings from WalletHub, which includes best overall, most comfortable, safest, and the most budget-friendly.
What Are The Best Airlines In The U.S.?
Here are the top airlines, according to the study findings from WalletHub:
No. 1: Alaska Airlines
No. 2: SkyWest Airlines
No. 3: Spirit Airlines
No. 4: Delta Airlines
No. 5: United Airlines
No. 6: JetBlue Airways
No. 7: Hawaiian Airlines
No. 8: American Airlines
No. 9: Frontier Airlines
No. 10: Southwest Airlines
What Are The Most Reliable Airlines In The U.S.?
WalletHub analysts say Delta had the lowest rates of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage, and denied boardings, which earned the airline the top rank in this category.
No. 1: Delta Airlines
No. 2: SkyWest Airlines
No. 3: Alaska Airlines
No. 4: United Airlines
No. 5: Southwest Airlines
No. 6: Spirit Airlines
No. 7: JetBlue Airways
No. 8: Hawaiian Airlines
No. 9: American Airlines
No. 10: Frontier Airlines
What Are The Safest Airlines In The U.S.?
Spirit Airlines is the safest airline, according to WalletHub, because it had a low number of incidents per 100,000 flight operations, no fatalities, and fewer than 15 people injured in the last five years. The airline's relatively new fleet of aircrafts also helped boost its score.
No. 1: Spirit Airlines
No. 2: Alaska Airlines
No. 3: Frontier Airlines
No. 4: SkyWest Airlines
No. 5: American Airlines
No. 6: Delta Airlines
No. 7: JetBlue Airways
No. 8: Hawaiian Airlines
No. 9: United Airlines
No. 10: Southwest Airlines
What Are The Most Affordable Airlines In The U.S.?
For this ranking, WalletHub analysts looked at the passenger revenue per available seat mile. On the low end, Spirit’s was 5.23 cents per mile and on the high end, American Airlines’ rate was 16.15 cents per mile.
No. 1: Spirit Airlines
No. 2: Frontier Airlines
No. 3: SkyWest Airlines
No. 4: Alaska Airlines
No. 5: JetBlue Airways
No. 6: Hawaiian Airlines
No. 7: Southwest Airlines
No. 8: United Airlines
No. 9: Delta Airlines
No. 10: American Airlines
What Are The Most Comfortable Airlines In The U.S.?
WalletHub considered things like in-flight entertainment options, snacks and drink availability, leg room for the comfort category.
No. 1 (Tie): Delta Airlines
No. 1 (Tie): JetBlue Airways
No. 2 (Tie): Alaska Airlines
No. 2 (Tie): American Airlines
No. 2 (Tie): Southwest Airlines
No. 3: United Airlines
No. 4: Hawaiian Airlines
No. 5: Spirit Airlines
No. 6: Frontier Airlines
Note: SkyWest, a regional carrier, wasn’t included because it serves other major airlines, which dictates what in-flight services and amenities are provided.
