In the United States, the best airlines for families traveling together are JetBlue and Southwest. That’s according to a ranking by travel-industry blog the Points Guy, which weighed 11 individual factors of flying with family, from entertainment and food to seat size and complimentary seat selection, to create composite scores.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the winners are low-cost lines that feature good service, reasonable fares, and ample frequent flyer opportunities on limited networks (similar to the Big Three U.S. airlines, but smaller). It’s worth noting that while the findings rank a top ten, only the top five should really be considered winners. Here are the best airlines for families flying domestically (or close) in the United States.
Related:8 Tips for Securing Airline Family Seating without Paying Extra Best Airlines for Families JetBlue Southwest Hawaiian Alaska Delta United American Frontier Spirit Allegiant The Winners
JetBlue excels in several important factors, including seat size, seat comfort, built-in free entertainment, unlimited free snack basket, free Wi-Fi, and an easy-to-use frequent-flyer program that allows families to pool miles together at no charge. Although not emphasized in the report, those factors also make JetBlue arguably the best U.S. airline for anybody. The big drawback is limited geography: JetBlue offers only limited service—chiefly flights to the East Coast—in the western two thirds of the country. But if JetBlue flies where you want to go, it’s a top family choice.
Southwest pretty much blankets the country these days, including Hawaii and some nearby Latin American areas, and it’s a solid number two behind JetBlue that can fly you to lots more places. Southwest’s strengths are free checked bags, a set family boarding time after Group A for those with kids 6 and under, an extensive route network, its companion pass program, and no blackout dates on frequent flyer trips. The Points Guy downgraded Southwest because it does not allow booking frequent flyer seats more than six months in advance—a failing that I consider pretty trivial, given the line’s other strengths.
Hawaiian and Alaska are essentially tied for third and fourth. Both are limited-geography lines that outdo their giant competitors in several factors important for families:
Hawaiian offers above-average seat size, likelihood you can sit with your family without paying extra, and family-friendly early boarding. Alaska offers complimentary available seat assignments; it also has above-average seat sizes, family-friendly early boarding and kid-friendly snacks. It loses a few points because it doesn’t offer complimentary inflight audio/visual entertainment.
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