The Points Guy released its Best Airlines 2024 report
The world is flying again, reports Bloomberg, as memories of Covid summers are receding for airlines—10.5 million flights are due to take off between July and September and the International Air Transport Association is expecting record passenger numbers, as well as record highs for total airline revenues in 2024.
The biggest growth will be in international travel, which is expected to surge by almost 10% in 2024 compared to 2019, pre-pandemic, figures, but the recovery to the airline industry has been led by short-haul flights. So, it seems timely that just as we all head off on our summers, The Points Guy has released its report on the top ten U.S. airlines for 2024.
For the sixth year in a row, Delta Air Lines has come in first. The top four U.S. airlines—Delta, Alaska, United and American—were close in ranking across many categories, but it was Delta that came top in the category for timeliness, ultimately placing it in first place. Delta performed worse, though, in the affordability category.
“Delta once again topped the Best Airlines report, proving that consistency is key for travelers as they take to the skies in record numbers,” said Brian Kelly, Founder of The Points Guy. “We understand that a traveler’s airline choice is a personal decision based on how they like to fly. That’s why we created this resource to help readers understand where different airlines excel and fall short, so they can make informed decisions.”
Spirit and Frontier Airlines came bottom in the top ten because they performed worse than the others across timeliness, cancellations, customer satisfaction, and fees for bags and ticket changes.
The Best U.S. Airlines For Frequent Flyers And Snacks
There were no major upsets from the same report conducted in 2023—no airlines fell or rose much. U.S. airlines were judged on the basis of the reliability, experience, cost, reach, and loyalty offerings from the moment a customer starts booking a ticket to the point where they receive their baggage after they land, plus looking at what they can earn and redeem for future journeys with the airline. Data is taken from the U.S. Department of Transport on factors such as timeliness (data on delayed flights), cancellations, mishandled baggage and involuntary denied boardings (known as involuntary bumps).
United Airlines came out top for how it rewards its frequent flyers, because it has the largest number of redemption and earning partners and up to four choices of consumer credit cards.
To some passengers, though, it isn't just whether you arrive on time or the rewards that are important, some people prefer to travel based on the experience inside the lounges, how they treat families, and the width of a seat. In this 'travel experience' category, Alaska took the top spot, followed by Delta and American.
It might also be the cost and reach of an airline that plays an impact and here, Southwest came out top, for the fact that while it may not travel to as many domestic cities as the other carriers above them in the list, it has a sizeable route map (compared to others lower on the list) and it doesn't charge any fees to change or cancel tickets.
Here are the top ten U.S. airlines, as rated by The Points Guy for 2024.
Ranked: The Points Guy's Best U.S. Airlines For 2024
- Delta Air Lines
- Alaska Airlines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- JetBlue
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Allegiant Air
- Spirit Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
