STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If you’re among the hundreds of millions of Americans expected to travel this summer, selecting the right airline could go a long way toward improving your experience.
Picking the right airline can be challenging with so many factors to take into effect, from ticket prices to delayed flights, baggage policies, in-flight entertainment and more.
With that in mind, a new study by WalletHub, an online financial advisory site, analyzed 2022 flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine the best airlines in terms of performance, comfort and safety.
The study analyzed 14 key indicators of a positive flight across nine major airlines and two regional airlines to develop a comprehensive ranking of flight conditions for U.S. travelers.
The key indicators were grouped into four categories: baggage and departures; in-flight comfort; safety; animal-related incidents.
Indicators in the baggage and departures category included: canceled flights; delays; mishandled baggage reports; denied boardings.
Indicators in the in-flight comfort category included: leg room; entertainment options; Wi-Fi availability; complimentary refreshments; price.
Indicators in the safety category included: average fleet age; number of aviation incidents; number of aviation injuries; number of aviation fatalities.
For the animal-related incidents category, researchers divided the number of animals that died, were injured or got lost by the total number of animals transported in order to adjust for volume. Airlines that do not transport pets were not graded or penalized for this category.
Each metric was graded on a weighted scale then used to develop a ranking within each category and an overall score for each airline.
Delta Air Lines ranked first overall, with a score of 66.79, slightly above second-place finisher Spirit Airlines, which boasted a score of 66.57.
Southwest Airlines ranked dead-last, with a score of 23.39, by far the lowest score of any airline, with the next-closest competitor, Frontier Airlines, accumulating a score of 45.13.
Here’s a look at how the 11 airlines stacked up in overall score.
- Delta Air Lines - 66.79
- Spirit Airlines - 66.57
- SkyWest Airlines - 63.71
- United Airlines - 62.83
- Alaska Airlines - 59.03
- Hawaiian Airlines - 57.14
- JetBlue Airlines - 55.46
- Envoy Air - 52.24
- American Airlines - 47.06
- Frontier Airlines - 45.13
- Southwest Airlines - 23.39
In addition to the overall rankings, the study identified the top-performing airlines in the following categories:
- Most Affordable Airline: Spirit Airlines
- Most Reliable Airline: Delta Air Lines
- Most Comfortable Airline: JetBlue Airways
- Best Airlines for Pets: Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines and Alaska Airlines
- Safest Airline: Envoy Air
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