THE POINTS GUY RELEASES ITS TENTH ANNUAL BEST AIRLINES REPORT RANKING AMERICA'S TOP AIRLINES

Delta Retains the Top Spot for the Eighth Consecutive Year as United Closes the Gap in One of the Tightest Races Yet

NEW YORK, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Points Guy (TPG), the trusted media platform helping travelers make the most of every dollar while maximizing their travel experiences, released its tenth annual Best Airlines Report. For the eighth consecutive year, Delta Air Lines earned the top spot. However, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines delivered one of the closest races in the report's history, finishing second and third, respectively. The rankings are based on a weighted analysis of objective data from the previous year, evaluating every stage of the travel experience from on-time performance and baggage handling to affordability, airplane features, and loyalty.

Delta has now topped TPG's airline rankings for the better part of the decade, underscoring the carrier's sustained commitment to delivering a best-in-class travel experience. The airline's continued success reflects the strength and consistency of its operations, from its industry-leading reliability to its elevated onboard amenities.

United held onto the No. 2 spot and might have overtaken Delta for the top ranking had it not struggled with a higher rate of mishandled baggage compared to its competitors. Southwest and Alaska (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines) rounded out the top four, with Southwest earning top honors in the "Cost and Reach" category. American finished fifth overall while leading the "Loyalty" category, and JetBlue placed sixth.

Rounding out the rankings, ultra-low-cost carriers Allegiant and Frontier landed near the bottom. While Allegiant ranked first in the "Reliability" category for its low cancellation rates, both airlines were weighed down by extensive ancillary fees, less competitive loyalty programs, and fewer onboard amenities than their larger rivals. Spirit was initially included in this year's analysis before its liquidation in May; had it remained in operation, TPG's analysis found it would have ranked just ahead of Frontier. The data also showed Spirit was the second most affordable airline in America, highlighting the significant gap its collapse leaves for budget-conscious travelers.

"The aviation industry has gone through one of the most challenging years on record," said Brian Kelly, Founder of The Points Guy. "From operational challenges to evolving traveler expectations, airlines have had to adapt quickly. Our Best Airlines Report cuts through the noise to provide travelers with a data-driven look at which carriers are delivering the best overall experience, helping consumers book with confidence and choose the airline that best fits their needs."

Best Airlines Report for 2026 rankings are highlighted below:

1. Delta Air Lines
2. United Airlines
3. Southwest Airlines
4. Alaska Air Group (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines)
5. American Airlines
6. JetBlue
7. Allegiant Air
8. Frontier Airlines

Standout takeaways include:

• Delta extends its dominance once again: Delta once again topped TPG's rankings, continuing a nearly decade-long run fueled by reliable operations, premium cabin offerings, expansive lounge network, and strong customer experience.
• A tight race near the top: United, Southwest, and Alaska were all strong contenders for the next three spots. TPG's analysis found United likely would have claimed the top spot if not for weak baggage handling performance.
• Allegiant stands out for reliability: As travelers remain increasingly wary of disruptions — with industrywide flight cancellations rising roughly 15% year-over-year in 2025, according to Department of Transportation data — Allegiant earned the title of most reliable airline based on operational performance metrics.
• Southwest maintains its edge on value and reach: Southwest continued to lead the category measuring affordability and network strength, thanks to its extensive domestic route network. Despite higher checked bag fees, travelers continue to view the airline as a strong value option.
• American earns top loyalty honors:  Despite posting the industry's highest cancellation rate in 2026, American led TPG's loyalty rankings, driven by the continued value of its AAdvantage miles relative to other carriers. The airline took the loyalty crown from United after previously earning top honors in The Points Guy's 2026 award for overall loyalty program.
• Least likely to lose your bag?: Allegiant and JetBlue led the industry in baggage handling performance, making them the most reliable carriers for checked bags in 2025.
• Involuntary bumps: Over the past year, Department of Transportation data shows American and Frontier combined involuntarily bumped more than 22,000 passengers while Delta and Allegiant reported zero denied boardings during that time period.
• Spirit's dissolution widens the price gap: Our analysis showed Frontier was the most affordable carrier last year, with Spirit ranking close behind before shutting down operations leaving a noticeable gap in the market. Meanwhile Delta and United ranked among the least affordable airlines in 2025 as both airlines have increasingly leaned into premium offerings in recent years.

Report methodology:

To compile these rankings, TPG does a deep analysis across the reliability, experience, loyalty programs, and cost & reach for each airline. TPG examines 2025 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation (D.O.T.), including passenger complaints filed with the D.O.T., as well as lost luggage reports for each airline and operational data. TPG also sourced international route networks via aviation analytics firm Cirium, and reach rankings were weighted 80% domestic, 20% international. Additionally, in examining the airlines' financials and combing through publicly available fleet data, the experts at TPG were able to factor all those elements — and more — into the rankings for 2026's best airlines report.

For all criteria, the raw scores from the data were converted into a scaled score from 0 to 10 and then weighted using the following percentages to arrive at the final score.

The full list of factors and weighting was as follows:

Reliability (30%)

• Timeliness (using data on delayed flights from the D.O.T.).
• Cancellations (using data on canceled flights from the D.O.T.).
• Involuntary bumps (using data on involuntary denied boardings from the D.O.T.).
• Baggage (using data on mishandled baggage from the D.O.T.).
• Wheelchairs/scooters (using data on mishandled baggage from the D.O.T.).

Experience (20%)

• Cabin features (using publicly available information on carriers' fleet details and amenity offerings).
• Lounges (using a new formula in 2026 that accounts for lounge footprint, access and guest policies, and membership costs — including via a travel credit card).
• Family (using a 0-to-5 score based on boarding and seating policies, along with family-oriented loyalty perks, food, entertainment available to customers).
• Customer satisfaction (using data on customer complaints from the DOT).

Loyalty (25%)

• Frequent flier (using data from TPG's monthly valuations, elite status reports and each carrier's website).
• Award availability (using real-time award inventory for popular domestic routes across three distinct time periods).

Costs and reach (25%)

• Route network (using the monthly average of cities served by each airline via aviation analytics firm Cirium, along with an analysis of each carrier's Available Seat Miles, or ASMs; ranking was weighted 80% domestic, 20% international).
• Affordability (using financial data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics).
• Bag/change fees (using financial data from the BTS).

For a year-over-year comparison, TPG's 2025 Best Airlines Report can be viewed here.

About The Points Guy
The Points Guy (TPG) is a trusted travel media platform that focuses on maximizing travel experiences while minimizing spending. Through an informative, clever point of view, TPG has become the leading online site for all things points, miles and resourceful travel experiences. The site's editorial content and newsletter consists of firsthand flight, hotel and airplane reviews, curated travel guides and immersive video components, as well as global event activations. Since its launch in 2010, founder Brian Kelly has expanded the team to include a distinguished editorial staff and extensive network of freelancers around the globe. Today, TPG reaches 11 million unique monthly visitors and more than 5 million followers across social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok).

Press Contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE The Points Guy