WalletHub has published its 2017 Best and Worst Airlines report to help travelers plan and save time during the busy summer travel season. Rather than focusing solely on fares, the analysis emphasizes measurable aspects of the flying experience such as delays, cancellations, mishandled baggage, animal incidents and passenger complaints.
The study evaluated the 10 largest U.S. carriers plus two regional airlines across 13 metrics, including cancelation and delay rates, mishandled-luggage frequency, denied boardings and in-flight comfort. While the report largely excludes ticket price as a ranking factor, it does weigh costs in relation to onboard amenities and overall value.
Alaska Airlines earned the top overall score with 81.02 points, followed by Delta Air Lines with 73.08. Alaska also ranked as the most reliable carrier, posting the lowest combined rates of cancelations, delays, mishandled luggage and involuntary denied boardings among the carriers analyzed.
For travelers seeking a more comfortable cabin experience, JetBlue topped the in-flight comfort category. JetBlue’s offering of complimentary amenities—such as WiFi, extra legroom and snacks and beverages—helped distinguish it from many competitors.
On the low-cost end, Spirit and Frontier battled closely for the title of best budget carriers, with Spirit edging out Frontier by a small margin based on lower fares. However, travelers should weigh savings against service metrics such as reliability and complaint rates when choosing ultra-low-cost options.
Alaska Airlines also led in pet travel safety among the carriers studied. The report noted that in 2016 there were 1.3 animal deaths, injuries or losses for every 10,000 animals transported by major U.S. airlines, indicating that no airline was completely free of incidents; nonetheless, Alaska’s performance stood out as comparatively better.
Southwest Airlines earned the industry’s lowest consumer-complaint rate in 2016, making it the most satisfactory airline for customer service among those measured. By contrast, Frontier and Spirit registered the highest complaint rates, reflecting more frequent customer dissatisfaction.
Overall, the WalletHub report aims to give consumers a clearer picture of airlines beyond ticket price—highlighting reliability, comfort, safety and customer satisfaction so travelers can make more informed decisions when booking flights this summer.