We’ve all found ourselves at one point or another scouring the internet for the best deals.
Sometimes you may find a better price with an airline that you’re iffy on taking, while other fares may come at a higher price point with an airline viewed as more reliable.
Decisions, decisions…
The Points Guy is here to help with their latest insightful study issued this week.
Taking a deep dive for travelers, the popular travel source revealed the most reliable and affordable U.S. airlines for 2024.
The Points Guy scored each airline on a system of 1 – 100.
Mixing key factors from the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and overall customer experience, travelers can feel confident booking their next trip.
Don’t Stress! These Are The Most Reliable U.S. Airlines To Book
It’s hard to pick the right airline, but reaching your destination in a timely and safe manner is obviously the most important thing.
Budget airlines definitely have their drawbacks, but some are making vast improvements and will surprise you.
The 3 most reliable airlines are:
- Allegiant
- Delta
- Alaska
Surprised at any of these?
Travelers may put Allegiant in the category of “Is that my only option?!”, but all their flights are nonstop making them a very reliable source to get you where you need to go. Though, to be fair, their route network is smaller than major carriers.
Delta, on the other hand, has long been a favorite carrier with cushy amenities and outstanding service.
Spoiler alert – Delta has been named the top airline 6 years running now, scoring an impressive 65.74 on the Points Guy scale, even as Allegiant takes the cake in terms of reliability.
Alaska has been a West Coast favorite, especially with their unique flight subscription. More importantly, they’re efficient and have kept fliers happy enough to branch out with new destinations such as Ixtapa, Guatemala City, among others.
Cha-Ching! These Are The Most Affordable U.S. Airlines
If there is one thing that holds people back, it’s the oftentimes wrong perception that traveling has to be expensive.
The Points Guy brings up a valid point in their research. Ultra-low-cost carriers often provide the cheapest airfare, living up to their name. However, these budget airlines don’t get you very far.
On the rare occasion they do, you may have some wonky layovers that make the trip a living nightmare and leave you questioning why you chose this airline just to save a few bucks.
While airlines such as Spirit and Frontier have stayed in business simply by offering super low airfare, like the $19 flight I just booked.
The 3 most affordable airlines are:
- Southwest
- United
- American
It’s important to note Spirit and Frontier recently overhauled their former stingy business model and are now a lot more traveler-friendly with the exciting news of no change or cancellation fees, which may bruise Southwest’s ego at the very least given their famous Bags Fly Free slogan.
Sit Back And Relax: These Are The Airlines For Best Travel Experiences
Those who seek out the best flight experiences oftentimes don’t give budget airlines a fighting chance and with good reason.
Who wants to be crammed in like a pack of sardines for a few hours? It’s not the most ideal situation, right?
Factoring in lounges, cabin features, family treatment, and customer satisfaction according to DOT records, these are the 3 best airlines for flight experiences:
- Alaska
- Delta
- American
Now that Alaska flies to more and more destinations, travelers can treat themselves to the airlines’ plush lounges, the key factor in why Alaska came out on top in this category, along with customer satisfaction.
The big surprise here is JetBlue coming in fifth with such remarkable cabin features and free wifi on all flights.
But Delta and American ultimately finished ahead as there are simply way more flight options and cushy lounges.
The Top 10 Airlines Overall For 2024
These are the top 10 airlines ranked by the Points Guy based on total scores.
- 10) Frontier – 22.35
- 9) Spirit – 34.55
- 8) Allegiant – 43.36
- 7) Hawaiian – 48.91
- 6) JetBlue – 49.38
- 5) Southwest – 58.54
- 4) American – 60.84
- 3) United – 60.90
- 2) Alaska – 64.38
- 1) Delta – 65.74
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