Every Major North American Airline, Ranked By Reliability & Customer Satisfaction

Despite the widespread fear of flying, airplanes are the safest way to travel compared with land- and sea-based means. On top of their generally reliable construction, planes are pretty comfortable and incredibly fast way, even though they never reach their top speeds during a typical passenger flight. Planes are a convenient way to travel, whether you're flying over oceans to a tropical island or between the west and east coast of the United States.

If you're just entering your frequent flyer era or you simply want to make sure you're traveling with the best, most reliable airline available in North America, we've got you covered. We've analyzed customer reviews, airline awards, surveys by J.D. Power and AirAdvisor, and a few other dependable sources (check our full methodology at the end) for each of the 10 most-used North American airlines, and used all that info on customer satisfaction and overall reliability to compile this ranking, starting with the least satisfying airline to fly and working up to the best.

Founded in 1994 in Denver, Frontier Airlines is a go-to choice for flyers looking to save money and travel light. The company currently serves about 100 destinations, with up to 700 flights passing through airports daily. Frontier says its mission is to make each traveler's experience "easy, affordable and enjoyable," as part of its larger "Done Right" promise, but based on the data we collected, it seems budget-friendly pricing might be the only thing Frontier's doing well.

The airline doesn't offer any in-flight entertainment, including Wi-Fi, TV, and movies, and lacks complimentary snacks and beverages, no matter how long your flight is, both of which contribute to Frontier Airline's 2-star average with over 27,600 reviews on Tripadvisor. Past individual customer experiences, the airline also tends to rank low in official surveys and awards.

According to data compiled by the Official Aviation Guide (OAG), Frontier's On-Time Performance (OTP) is 70.33%, the worst of all the airlines mentioned on this list. For this unimpressive OTP percentage as well as high levels of denied boarding, AirAdvisor ranks Frontier second to last among other North American airlines. Furthermore, the airline failed to make the Skytrax World's Top 100 Airlines list in 2025, a feat achieved by most other airlines in the U.S. except for Spirit.

Originally established as the Clippert Trucking Company in Michigan in 1964, Spirit Airlines only started dabbling in air travel in 1980. Since then, it has made a name for itself as a budget-friendly airline, but the airline's perks tend to stop at affordable ticket prices.

On its website, Spirit Airlines promises to "Invest In The Guest," but in practice, customers generally have to pay extra for everything other than their seat on the plane. To be fair, the airline makes this pretty clear when checking out, and most people know that cheap airlines are only worth using if you plan to travel light and become extremely knowledgeable about all the rules and fine print.

Despite the benefit of wallet-friendly prices upfront, Spirit leaves a plethora of customers annoyed and disappointed. With over 32,200 reviews on Tripadvisor, Spirit Airlines currently has an unimpressive 2.5-star average. The airline also ranks low on AirAdvisor's list and, along with Frontier, failed to make the Skytrax World's Top 100 Airlines list in 2025.

The only statistic Spirit Airlines can truly brag about right now is its On-Time Performance (OTP), which is 78.19%, making it third best out of all 10 airlines on this list when it comes to on-time flight arrivals and departures.

American Airlines got its start in 1926 with the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, the first of many airlines that come to make up the company's modern operations. As of mid-2025, American owns just over 500 aircraft in its mainline fleet and leases more than 450 aircraft, helping it earn the accolade of second largest fleet size, behind only United Airlines. American's abundance of passenger aircraft makes it easy to find flights to and from multiple destinations, but overall, the airline has middling stats and reviews.

Nearly 83,000 customer reviews on Tripadvisor contribute to American's mediocre 3-star average rating, and AirAdvisor puts American Airlines right in the middle when ranking it against other North American Airlines. When looking at OTP data, American ranks ninth among the ten U.S. airlines on this list, with 73.33% of its flights leaving or arriving within 15 minutes of its scheduled time.

To its benefit, American Airlines will offer free Wi-Fi for most flights in 2026, but you have to be an AAdvantage member to snag this perk. It's free to join the AAdvantage program, but members earn more points when using an AAdvantage credit card or shopping via AAdvantage partners. Plus, American managed to rank 83 on the Skytrax Top 100 Airlines list in 2025, which compares all of the major airlines across the world.

Allegiant Air was founded in 1997, and to date, the airline services over 110 U.S. cities with affordable nonstop flights. As a fairly new airline, it's understandable that Allegiant Air isn't yet the most satisfying or reliable company to fly. Allegiant wants to be "more than an airline," providing bundled deals for flights, hotels, rental cars, and entertainment tickets. As it stands, it seems customers on Tripadvisor like the value Allegiant Air offers for the price, but think in-flight entertainment, food and beverage service, and comfort could use some improvement.

Currently, the airline has a middle-of-the-road average of just 3 stars on Tripadvisor, with about 12,100 customer reviews contributing to the score. In AirAdvisor's latest ranking, Allegiant Air ranks slightly worse, coming in at seventh out of 10 total North American airlines. Similarly, it comes in sixth compared to the U.S. airlines on this list when it comes to OTP, with 76.07% of flights arriving and departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

While the company clearly has quite a bit of room to improve, it did at least manage to land a spot on the Skytrax World's Top 100 Airlines list in 2025. Allegiant Air snagged 90th place, which may not sound very impressive, but when you consider the Skytrax list looks at the world's top airlines, not just those in the U.S., it's a more substantial achievement.

United Airlines first began in 1929 under a slightly different name, founded by William Boeing and associates. With over 1,000 planes in its fleet today, United should be a shoo-in for a top spot in our ranking, but alas, being the "largest airline in the world" doesn't translate to the best airline in the world. With budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit, customers know they're sacrificing amenities for a cheap ticket. However, United charges more than cheaper airlines, but doesn't offer enough value in return.

About 57,000 reviews on Tripadvisor contribute to United's 3-star overall average, and multiple in-flight features also scored a mediocre 3 stars, including legroom, seat comfort, onboard experience, food and beverage, and in-flight entertainment. Granted, United does offer some of the best in-flight entertainment compared to many other airlines, as most planes feature seatback screens and some have Bluetooth. However, decent in-flight entertainment can only do so much, and with middling reviews and the famous three-song "United Breaks Guitars" series by musician Dave Carroll, United can't seem to break free of middle ground just yet.

Compared to the other U.S. airlines, United ranks seventh lowest at the time of writing based on its OTP score of 76.02%. This ranking and United's Tripadvisor score are unimpressive, but AirAdvisor places United as the fourth most reliable airline and Skytrax ranks United 51st out of 100 when comparing the World's Top 100 Airlines in 2025, two accolades that signal the airline isn't doing everything wrong.

Incorporated in Delaware in 1998, JetBlue Airways is a relatively new airline that has already reached impressive heights. According to J.D. Power's North American Airline Satisfaction Study, JetBlue ranks number one in the first/business class segment and number two in both the premium economy segment and the economy/basic economy segment. The survey looks at brand loyalty, airline staff service, ease of travel, on-board experience, and value for the price paid, among a few other criteria, and only three airlines are awarded a spot in each ticket class.

Interestingly, JetBlue ranks last in AirAdvisor's Reliability list, largely based on the airline's track record with delayed flights, cancelled flights, and overall On-Time Performance. This is on par with the OTP data provided by OAG, which places JetBlue eighth among the other U.S. airlines on this list, with a score of 75.88%. It isn't all bad press from AirAdvisor, though. The article notes JetBlue scores decently when it comes to baggage handling and denied boarding.

Customer reviews on Tripadvisor align more closely with J.D. Power's assessment than AirAdvisor's, with a 3.5-star overall average from about 21,650 reviews and a 4-star average for many of Tripadvisor's ranking categories, including legroom, seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cleanliness, and value for the price. Plus, the airline ranks 52nd on the Skytrax World's Top 100 Airlines in 2025, which pits all airlines across the world against one another.

Founded in 1932 as McGee Airways and Star Air Service, Alaska Airlines is a force within the industry. The airline services 37 states, despite its name, and has 392 aircraft under its belt, so it's not necessarily the largest airline in the U.S. right now, but it is a favorite among travellers. With nearly 18,000 reviews on Tripadvisor, Alaska Airlines holds a 4-star average and four Travelers' Choice wins for 2017 through 2020. Customers highly rate the airline's check-in and boarding experience, seat comfort and legroom, and overall cleanliness.

For both first/business class and premium economy class, J.D. Power named Alaska Airlines the third most satisfying airline to fly. Similarly, AirAdvisor dubbed Alaska the third most reliable airline, thanks to an impressive OTP percentage for 2024. Looking at the most recent OTP data through OAG for August 2025, Alaska ranks fifth among the airlines on this list, with a score of 76.94%. Then, in the World's Top 100 Airlines ranking by Skytrax for 2025, Alaska placed 69th, which isn't as high as some North American airlines ranked, but it's an impressive feat to make the list nonetheless.

Southwest has established a fantastic reputation for maintaining relatively affordable prices and simultaneously delivering excellent customer service and complimentary in-flight food and beverages on all flights over 250 miles. The airline first hit the skies in 1971 and has been the only U.S. airline with open seating, a refreshing departure from assigned seating. Unfortunately, this unique feature will be disappearing starting January 27, 2026 when the airline switches to assigned seating.

The decision to switch to assigned seating may end up hurting Southwest Airlines' 4-star overall average on Tripadvisor. Currently, there are about 46,600 reviews on the platform, and a few categories related to the company's open seating policy have a 4.5-star average, including the check-in and boarding experience and value for the price paid. It's possible Southwest's customer reviews could start aligning with AirAdvisor's ranking of fifth most reliable airline and Skytrax's ranking of 76th on the World's Top 100 Airlines list for 2025.

Alternatively, the other positive aspects of flying Southwest could outweigh the switch from open to assigned seating and help it maintain impressive ratings, like first place for overall customer satisfaction in economy/basic economy class by J.D. Power. Southwest will likely still prioritize customer service, though there may be more complaints to contend with, and historically, the airline has a great OTP score. In August 2025, the airline's OTP was 77.26%, or the fourth highest compared to the other airlines listed here.

Though Hawaiian Airlines is a specialty airline, solely dedicated to flying people to and from Hawaii, it still deserves a spot on this list because it excels in multiple categories and represents what many other North American airlines should strive to be. Hawaiian Airlines was incorporated in 1929, originally as Inter-Island Airways, and acquired by Alaska Airlines in late 2024, but its service and reputation remain largely the same post-acquisition.

The airline's best feature is hands-down its On-Time Performance, which measures how frequently planes take off within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure or arrival time. With an OTP score of 85.77%, Hawaiian snagged first place compared to all the other North American airlines listed here. This positive score contributed to Hawaiian earning the second spot on AirAdvisor's list of the most reliable airlines.

At the time of writing, Hawaiian Airlines has a 3.5-star average on Tripadvisor, though the airline only has around 8,600 reviews, which is significantly less than most other U.S. airlines. Reviews praise Hawaiian Airlines' cleanliness, check-in and boarding process, and customer service with a 4-star average, but other aspects bring the overall average down, like lackluster in-flight entertainment options. The areas customers note Hawaiian Airlines could improve on Tripadvisor may align with Skytrax's decision to rank the airline 100th on its World's Top 100 Airlines list for 2025. Though the company did come in dead last on this list, it still managed to place, unlike Spirit and Frontier.

If you want the best quality for your dollar, Delta Air Lines is the way to go. The airline was founded in 1925 as Huff Daland Dusters, and officially switched its name to Delta in 1928. Delta's fleet consists of over 900 aircraft, and the company flew over 200 million customers in 2024. Especially in recent years, Delta has collected multiple accolades and is well-liked by critics and consumers alike.

In the latest surveys, Delta is deemed the most reliable airline by AirAdvisor and the most satisfying airline to fly in the premium economy segment by J.D. Power. Furthermore, J.D. Power named Delta the second most satisfying airline to fly in first/business class and the third most satisfying for economy/basic economy class, making Delta the only airline to rank in all three flight classes.

Delta delivers impressively on OTP, with a score of 83.18% making it the second most on-time North American airline in August 2025. Thanks to free Wi-Fi on most Delta flights, a pleasant onboard experience, and an easy check-in and boarding process, about 64,000 customers awarded Delta an impressive 4-star average on Tripadvisor. These positive features, along with Delta's overall reliability, likely helped the airline earn 22nd on the Skytrax World's Top 100 Airlines list for 2025.

If any airline were to be the first to add these high-tech features we want to see on commercial flights, it'd probably be Delta.

Multiple factors went into compiling this ranking. We started by looking at ratings based on surveys and awards by reputable sources. This includes the North American Airline Satisfaction Study by J.D. Power, which praises the top three airlines in each cabin class, AirAdvisor's Reliability Score for its top 10 airlines, and the World Airline Awards by Skytrax for 2025, which lists the top 100 airlines across the world. Each of these sources looks at some combination of on-flight time percentage, ease of travel, value, on-board experience, denied boarding, and baggage handling to make final decisions.

From there, we examined On-Time Performance (OTP) scores by themselves via OAG's database. OTP scores reflect the frequency with which each airline's planes arrive and depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled time, represented by a percentage. We also wanted to include customer reviews as a factor in our ranking as well, so we headed to Tripadvisor and made note of each airline's average rating out of 5 stars and how many reviews each had, at the time of writing.

We assigned each airline a score between one and five for each of the sources above, and then averaged those scores to put together the final ranking.