On a recent trip, I ended up sitting on the plane for two hours before ever taking off. Somehow I found myself in a similar situation on the flight home after that plane parked at the wrong gate upon arrival. The loud child sitting behind me didn’t make things much better.
While airlines can’t regulate which seat-kicking kids are allowed on board, some are much better at averting inconveniences than others.
WalletHub’s latest annual airline rankings are based on an analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation flight data for the nine biggest national airlines as well as two regional carriers.
One of the rankings looked at airlines most likely to provide a stress-free experience based on the number of canceled flights, delays, mishandled-baggage reports and denied boardings. WalletHub excluded factors like weather and other things outside an airline’s control when divvying up points.
We excluded the regional carriers SkyWest and Envoy from our ranking, although SkyWest did take the No. 2 spot for reliability.
So which national airlines are least likely to leave you wanting to pull out your hair? Let’s take a look.
1. Delta Air Lines
Overall reliability score: 32.45 out of 50 points
Score for:
- Canceled flights: 4.82 out of 8 points
- Delays: 8.21 out of 18 points
- Mishandled baggage reports: 4.42 out of 9 points
- Denied boardings: 15 out of 15 points
Delta’s foundation as a company began in 1925 as Huff Daland Dusters, the world’s first aerial crop-dusting company. It had its first flights as Delta Air Service in 1929.
The airline’s 1940s headquarters buildings are the oldest surviving structures at the Atlanta airport and are designated as a Historic Aerospace Site.
2. JetBlue Airways
Overall reliability score: 29.56 out of 50 points
Score for:
- Canceled flights: 6.41 out of 8 points
- Delays: 2.57 out of 18 points
- Mishandled baggage reports: 6.93 out of 9 points
- Denied boardings: 13.65 out of 15 points
JetBlue was founded in 1998 with the goal of providing customers with high-quality travel at a lower cost. In 2000, its first flight left from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
On top of JetBlue’s lower costs, it also offers free Wi-Fi and complimentary snacks and beverages.
3. Southwest Airlines
Overall reliability score: 28.22 out of 50 points
Score for:
- Canceled flights: 7.24 out of 8 points
- Delays: 4.53 out of 18 points
- Mishandled baggage reports: 2.74 out of 9 points
- Denied boardings: 13.70 out of 15 points
Southwest Airlines was incorporated in 1967 and initially envisioned as a commuter air service traveling between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Its first flight took off in 1971 out of Love Field in Dallas, prompting the airline to adopt “love” as a theme for its promotions. In the 1970s, its in-flight beverages were even referred to as “love potions.”
How the other major airlines fared
Here’s how the rest of the national airlines ranked, according to WalletHub’s analysis:
- United Airlines: 27.99 (out of 50 points)
- Spirit: 27.94
- Hawaiian Airlines: 27.05
- Alaska Airlines: 22.08
- American Airlines: 15.59
- Frontier: 10.26
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