For the first time in 18 years, Delta Air Lines has reclaimed the top position in the Airline Quality Rating report.
The 29th annual assessment, produced by Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, evaluates nine major U.S. carriers using measures of operational performance and customer service. The report considers metrics such as baggage handling, customer complaints, denied boarding incidents and on‑time arrivals.
The nine carriers in this year’s ranking, listed from highest to lowest, are: Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Airlines (which previously held the top spot in 2018), Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit, American Airlines and Frontier.
Delta last topped the Airline Quality Rating in 2000 and then spent nearly two decades outside the lead. In the latest report, Delta posted the lowest number of involuntary denied boardings and the second-highest rate of on‑time arrivals, factors that helped it return to first place.
Across the industry, U.S. airlines demonstrated improvement in three of the four measured categories: baggage handling, denied boarding and the volume of complaints. The only category that worsened was on‑time performance, which declined overall compared with the previous year.
The report offers a concise snapshot of how major carriers are performing on key customer-service and operational indicators, highlighting areas of progress and those that require attention as airlines continue to recover and adapt following recent challenges.