Major Airlines In The United States, Ranked By How Much They Go The Extra Mile
Vote up the most appealing US airlines that actually sound like they're worth climbing aboard.
No airline is perfect, but travel in the United States seems to be especially problematic and unpleasant these days. The Golden Age of air travel is long dead and now climbing aboard a plane is all about efficiency and the best bottom-line.
Delays, crowds, shrinking seats, and fees for pretty much everything are deterrents as much as anything else. Airlines can even make news for even more unimaginable happenings - from messes in seats to irate passengers causing a complete diversion.
But there are some good things about major airlines in the US. Well, at least not-so-bad things about them - it just depends on which carrier you fly, when you do it, and how savvy you are about identifying their individual perks and quirks.
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Hawaiian Airlines
Major Hub: Honolulu, HI
Flights: 260 flights daily
Perks: Agreements with partner airlines, in-flight entertainment and meals and snacks (many of which highlight Hawaiian food and culture), and rewards programs are all features of flying Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian also has connections to local businesses and organizations through donation and volunteering programs.
Quirks: In 2023, an internet outage prompted Hawaiian Airlines to delay dozens of flights added to the already challenging airport repairs in Honolulu. Hawaiian was also the airline with the most flight cancellations (by percent) in December 2023.
A proposed merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines was halted by the US Department of Justice in March 2024 due to antitrust compliance concerns.
Ready to fly? Major Hubs: Oakland, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AR; Denver, CO; Houston, TX (Hobby); Dallas, TX (Love); Baltimore, MD; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL (Midway); Orlando, FL
Flights: More than 4,000 flights daily
Perks: Southwest offers free checked bags, no change or cancellation fees (in some instances,) and does not limit the time during which flight credits can be used.
In 2023, Southwest was recognized for its customer service, loyalty card perks, and efforts at sustainability.
Quirks: Southwest Airlines doesn't fly to as many locations as many of its counterparts, has airline partners, and maintains an open seating policy.
As another airline with numerous Boeing airplanes in its fleet, Southwest has experienced issues with flight safety. In April 2024, an engine cover fell off a Southwest flight, prompting the flight crew to “declare an emergency” and return to its departing airport in Denver.
Ready to fly?- 3
Alaska Airlines
Major Hubs: Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA
Flights: 1,300 flights daily
Perks: In addition to its miles program and large space of entertainment options, Alaska Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance. The airline received recognition for stellar customer service in 2023 from Newsweek.
The on-time completion percentage for Alaska Airlines flights in 2023 was almost 80%. Alaska Airlines improved its mishandled bags percentage between 2022 and 2023 as well.
Quirks: While Alaska Airlines isn't the only domestic carrier with Boeing planes, it did make headlines due to the door panel flying off a plane mid-flight in January 2024. It later came to light that the aircraft in question was scheduled for safety checks at the time of the incident.
Outside of the Boeing woes, Alaska Airlines doesn't have screens available to passengers in their seats.
Ready to fly? Major Hubs: Boston, MA; New York, NY (LaGuardia); Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Salt Lake City, UT
Flights: Over 4,000 flights daily
Perks: Like other domestic airlines, Delta has numerous rewards programs and opportunities for passengers to pay for additional services. Regional partnerships, its commitment to sustainability, and programs for businesses large and small are also available.
Delta boasted an 82.6% on-time performance in 2023 and had the lowest percentage of mishandled bags in December 2023.
Quirks: With generally high ratings across the board, Delta has upset passengers at times. After purchasing a first-class seat in January 2024, Mike Brennan was disappointed with what he got for his flight:
[The] tray table was inaccessible… It was kind of uncomfortable eating breakfast at such a weird angle since I had to make use of what was left of the seating area.
Ready to fly?Major Hubs: Las Vegas, NV; Orlando, FL; Tampa, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Phoneix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Bellingham, WA
Flights: Allegiant Air does not fly everyday, an intentional choice to keep costs low.
Perks: With “cheap flights,” Allegiant Air offers tickets at a low price with no seat selection and a paucity of legroom. Assigned seats and legroom are available for purchase and all flights allow passengers to cancel or change plans without additional fees.
Inc. magazine declared that Allegiant Air was doing “no-frills flying right” in February 2024 based on customer scorecards from 2022 and flight-tracking data from 2023.
Quirks: All of Allegiant Air's flights are non-stop and the airline only flies domestically. There are no entertainment services on Allegiant flights, but snacks and drinks are available for purchase.
Ready to fly?Major Hubs: Boston, MA; Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY (JFK); San Francisco, CA
Flights: 1,000 flights daily
Perks: With its focus on “bringing humanity back to air travel,” JetBlue prides itself on allowing customers to buy tickets based on individual preferences. JetBlue features planes with more legroom than most other domestic carriers as well as in-seat screens for all passengers. Snacks, Wi-Fi, and thousands of entertainment options are also among JetBlue's perks.
Quirks: JetBlue's on-time completion rate for flights in 2023 was just over 67%, and its expansive legroom may not be worth it due to what passengers describe as “uncomfortable."
Depending on which type of fare selected, passengers aboard JetBlue flights may not have the option to travel with anything more than a personal item in the cabin. This means checking a bag may be required.
With a less-than-uplifting projection for the year, JetBlue cut back on flight offerings for early 2024.
Ready to fly?
