In a crisis-riddled summer of travel that rivals none, I'm not sure if flying on any airline in the near future is going to be chaos-free. Between the massive delays, cancelled flights, soaring prices, and lost baggage, it's been nothing short of a free-flying shit show. But maybe some airlines are less broken than others — at least that's what The Points Guy tells us in their most recent annual list of "the best U.S. airlines of 2022" (which, mind you, was created before the "summer of travel hell" began).
And topping their chart — for the fourth time in a row — is Delta, followed by Southwest, United, and then American. Surprisingly, Spirit was also included — not surprisingly, Spirit sat rock bottom of the list. (See all 10 airline picks ranked below.)
From The Points Guy:
There are a lot of ways to measure an airline's success. On-time performance, reliable scheduling, the affordability of airfares, excellent elite perks and the scope of a frequent flyer program are all metrics you might take into account.
But what does it mean to truly be the "best" U.S. airline?
Well, every year here at The Points Guy, we take a look at all of these factors (among others) to compare the major airlines. The goal is simple: Use objective data to identify just how well airlines are serving customers. And today, we're out with our annual special report based on each airline's performance over the previous year.
And from CBS News:
The Points Guy's report uses data from four broad sections. Reliability, accounting for 30% of the score, is based on timeliness, cancellations, baggage handling and other factors. Experience, making up 25% of the score, includes data from customer complaints to the U.S. Department of Transportation as well as information on lounges, cabin features and other amenities.
The "costs and reach" category accounts for 20% of the score and covers airlines' route networks and affordability. Loyalty, making up the remaining 25%, is based on frequent flyer programs and award availability.
The Points Guys' top ten best airlines:
- Delta Air Lines.
- Southwest Airlines.
- United Airlines.
- American Airlines.
- Alaska Airlines.
- Hawaiian Airlines.
- JetBlue Airways.
- Frontier Airlines.
- Allegiant Air.
- Spirit Airlines.
