These are the 10 best — and worst — US airlines of 2024, according to WalletHub (2024)

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the flight cancellation rates for American and Southwest airlines.

Choosing flights can be a challenge, especially when balancing affordable fares with the need for in-flight comfort, safety and peace of mind.

Personal finance company WalletHub recently issued a ranking that can serve as a guide for consumers. Its 2024 list of the best U.S. airlines compares nine large airlines and one regional carrier across 13 factors affecting affordability, reliability, comfort and safety.

Four airlines earned a score of 60 or higher: Alaska Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Alaska was named the best overall airline, as well as the second safest.

Here are highlights of WalletHub's best airlines of 2024 ranking.

Alaska Airlines is WalletHub's top airline of 2024

WalletHub awarded the highest overall score to Alaska Airlines, which earned a score of 68.07 out of a possible 100.

Its data showed Alaska had the second-best safety score, third-best comfort and reliability, and fourth-best affordability.

WalletHub's data predated the Jan. 5, 2024, incident where a door plug blew out on one of Alaska's Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets. Alaska's position at the top of the list despite that mishap speaks to Alaska's resilience and high quality, WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said.

"Even though incidents like the door plug blowout can raise concerns, Alaska Airlines has demonstrated resilience and continues to prioritize safety and quality service, reinforcing its reputation as a top-performing carrier," Happe said.

Spirit is the most affordable airline; Delta, JetBlue are most comfortable

Spirit earned the best marks for affordability and safety.

Delta and JetBlue Airways were considered the best for comfort, with Delta also leading for reliability because of its low rates of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings.

American and Southwest rank low on WalletHub's best airlines list

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which collectively operate about 70% of the flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, were among the airlines with the lowest scores in WalletHub's analysis.

American ranked No. 8 with a score of 46.52. Southwest was last on the list, No. 10 with a score of 36.03, one spot below ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines.

Reliability issues such as canceled and delayed flights, mishandled baggage and denied boardings explain their low ranks, Happe said.

American, Southwest had the lowest percentage of canceled flights

WalletHub found American and Southwest had the lowest percentage of canceled flights relative to the number of regularly scheduled flights, citing 2023 flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. American's cancellation rate was 0.11%, while Southwest followed with 0.23%.

"Overall, both airlines performed well in minimizing flight cancellations, but ranked relatively lower in other categories leading to its overall ranking," WalletHub spokeswoman Diana Polk said.

During this period, Southwest suffered widespread disruptions during the 2022 Christmas and New Year's holidays, when glitches with its crew scheduling software combined with winter storms affecting their Chicago and Denver hubs resulted in 16,700 flight cancellations.

Southwest and other airlines have since improved their infrastructure and how they respond to weather disruptions to reduce delays and cancellations. Their work bore positive results, as there were no major issues during Thanksgiving and Christmas 2023.

WalletHub's best airlines of 2024

1. Alaska Airlines (68.07 out of 100)
2. SkyWest Airlines (65.96)
3. Spirit Airlines (65.69)
4. Delta Air Lines (61.56)
5. United Airlines (51.96)
6. JetBlue Airways (51.6)
7. Hawaiian Airlines (48.3)
8. American Airlines (46.52)
9. Frontier Airlines (43.57)
10. Southwest Airlines (36.03)

New flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for 2024

Also of interest if you're planning to fly from Phoenix this year, airlines continue to add new routes, like Frontier Airlines' new cheap flights to Missoula, Montana, and Los Cabos, Mexico, and Breeze Airways' seasonal flights to Norfolk, Virginia.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at[email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@salerno_phx.

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