Southwest Airlines Tops National Rankings
Southwest Airlines has been named the best airline in the U.S., surpassing Delta Air Lines for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to a recent survey.
The Wall Street Journal’s 18th Annual Airline Scorecard placed Southwest at the top due to its low customer complaint rate, minimal tarmac delays, and impressive on-time arrival statistics.
Allegiant Air, a budget airline, secured the second spot overall, benefiting from the lowest cancellation rate among major airlines.
Furthermore, Allegiant excelled in baggage handling, reporting the fewest incidents of lost luggage and a low rate of passengers inadvertently leaving the aircraft.
However, Allegiant’s on-time performance wasn’t as strong, which hindered its chance at the top ranking. The airline attributed its delays to a strategy that involves holding flights rather than canceling them, aiming to keep passengers from being stranded.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that Allegiant has maintained the lowest mishandled baggage rate and fewest accidental departures, according to the magazine.
Delta Air Lines, which held the number one position last year, slipped to third place this time. The airline faced significant challenges in July 2024 due to a widespread software outage affecting Microsoft Windows worldwide, which led to numerous flight cancellations.
This incident didn’t impact last year’s rankings as the Journal’s 2024 scorecard only included data up until May. But the increase in customer complaints is evident in the 2025 results.
Delta’s CEO noted that the software issue resulted in a $500 million loss for the airline. Delta expressed ambitions to regain its top position next year, stating that its employees are dedicated to continuous improvement.
Alaska Airlines performed well overall, finishing fourth despite its ongoing integration with Hawaiian Airlines. While it had commendable metrics in punctuality and managing delays, it fell short in baggage handling and customer complaints, keeping it from the top three.
Spirit Airlines came in fifth, demonstrating the most significant improvement among major carriers, although it continues to face financial challenges.
The ultra-low-cost carrier managed to reduce cancellations and enhance on-time performance, moving up in the rankings. Still, ongoing complaints and operational issues kept it from breaking into the highest tier.
United Airlines ranked sixth, with commendable on-time performance and cancellation rates, but struggled with baggage handling, which dragged down its overall position.
JetBlue Airways holds the seventh place as it continues its efforts to regain profitability after a rough patch.
On the lower end of the spectrum, American Airlines tied with Frontier Airlines for last place, suffering from the highest cancellation rate among major U.S. airlines. The airline struggled across multiple metrics due to weather conditions, staffing issues, and network complexities, which adversely affected its reliability throughout the year.
Both American Airlines and Frontier found themselves near the bottom in performance across several categories. The newspaper reached out to the airlines for comments regarding their rankings.
