Ranked: The Best Airlines In 2024, According To A New Report

22.04.2024 - 19:23 / forbes.com / Airlines

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. “It’s easy to rank airlines by cost. But we ranked the best airlines in terms of overall service quality and functional performance,” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez told me in an interview. Compare this year’s list to 2023’s list of best airlines.

To rank the airlines for 2024, WalletHub analyzed 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. For 2024, a track record of consistent performance and a commitment to passenger satisfaction propelled Alaska Airlines back to the top of the list.

Following closely behind is Alaska Airlines SkyWest Airlines, followed by Spirit Airlines in the number three spot. Coming in last on the list for the third year in a row is Southwest Airlines.

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 Air Lines and JetBlue tied as the most comfortable airlines in the WalletHub rankings. According to WalletHub, they