This is the best airline in 2025, according to a new study
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The next time you fly, you may want to consider these airlines.
The company WalletHub compared the 9 largest airlines, plus two regional carriers, across several metrics. These factors included cancelation delay rates, baggage mishaps, price and in-flight comfort using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
"Airlines are nervous about the demand for domestic travel, which has been lagging," Joseph P. Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University, said in a statement. "This may result in attractive fares for passengers avoiding peak periods, such as holidays and summer, in the short term. Over the long haul, analysts fear the consequences for Spirit Airlines and other discount carriers without firm financial footing. Even so, niche carriers like Allegiant Air and Breeze Airways continue to grow rapidly."
Sprit Airline ranks highest overall
According to the findings, Spirit Airlines ranked the best airline overall with a WalletHub score of 69.12 for the first time in seven years, followed by SkyWest Airlines (68.08).
Spirit Airlines ranked as the safest, with a low number of incidents and accidents per 100,000 flight operations, with no fatalities and fewer than 15 people injured between 2019 and 2024. Spirit Airlines also has a relatively new fleet of aircrafts. The safety runner-up was Frontier Airlines.
In addition, Spirit ranked as the most affordable airline and the best for budget flyers.
Delta Air Lines ranks as most reliable
The data also found that Delta Air Lines was the most reliable, with the lowest overall rate of cancelations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings. The next most reliable company was SkyWest Airlines.
Delta Airlines Airbus A321-211 flies over traffic on southbound Interstate 5 as it approaches San Diego International Airport for a landing on a flight from Salt Lake City on February 9, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Credit: Kevin Carter/Getty Imag
In addition, three airlines tied for being most pet-friendly – SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines and Envoy Air – with no incidents.
Meanwhile, JetBlue Airways and Hawaiian Airlines led the pack in terms of being the most comfortable, with their in-flight experience offering free amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom, and complimentary snacks and beverages.
Aviation incidents continue; airline ticket prices increase
The news comes as the aviation industry has experienced a series of aviation incidents this year, ranging from ground collisions to mid-air crashes, prompting renewed discussions about air travel safety.
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Factors under scrutiny include mechanical issues, pilot qualifications, and staffing shortages in air traffic control. However, experts emphasize that despite these incidents, aviation remains one of the safest modes of transportation, with fatal accident rates significantly lower than those of road travel.
Despite this, airline ticket prices continue to increase. Prices went up by 7.9% last year, outpacing inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index.
The Source: The information for this study was provided by WalletHub, which compared the 9 largest airlines, plus two regional carries, across several metrics. These factors included cancelation delay rates, baggage mishaps, price and in-flight comfort using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This story was reported from Los Angeles.