Report: What Are The Best And Worst Airlines To Travel With?

With vacation season right around the corner, now is the time to book those flights and get ready to travel to those coveted destinations for a little rest and relation. However, getting there can be a stressful and laborious chore. Flying the friendly skies isn’t always that friendly with canceled flights, delays, and lost baggage that can send even the most patient of travelers into a tailspin. To help, WalletHub has put together a report on 2019’s Best Airlines, as well as the worst, to make traveling a little easier this summer.

For the third year in a row, Alaska Airlines takes the top spot as the best airline to travel with Delta Air Lines following right behind, Wallet Hub reported. At the bottom of the report as the worst airline to travel was Frontier Airlines, with Envoy Air, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines coming in slightly ahead.

Travelers can also look for reliability from Delta Air Lines as it is ranked as the top airline for the least number of cancelations, delays, mishandled luggage, and denied boardings, according to WalletHub. Hawaiian Airlines followed right behind as the second most reliable airline to travel with Frontier Airlines, Envoy Air, ExpressJet Airlines, respectively, at the bottom of the list, according to the report.

For many travelers, safety rating is important when choosing which airline to book a flight with. At the top of the list as the safest airline to travel is Alaska Airlines as it had the lowest number of incidents and accidents, no fatalities, and a newer fleet of aircraft, the report said. The airline also reported under 15 injuries in the last six years. The report from WalletHub also showed that Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines had the worst safety record out of the 12 airlines studied.

Those that are looking to travel with a pet may want to try ExpressJet and Envoy Air as the report from WalletHub indicated that these two airlines had no incidents involving pets. Hawaiian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines came in as the three worst airlines to travel with pets.

For those longer flights, comfort is key which is why many fliers turn to JetBlue Airways, which according to the report, leads the pack as the most comfortable airline with free amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom, and plenty of complimentary snacks and beverages. Rounding out the comfort category was Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, which all tied for second place. The airlines that ranked the worst for comfort included Frontier Airlines at the bottom of the list with Spirit Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines just ahead of it, Wallet Hub said.

Those price-conscious travelers may want to sacrifice comfort, reliability, and safety by choosing the cheapest airline to travel which is led by Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines followed by American Airlines, Envoy Air, and Delta Air Lines as most expensive flights, the study indicated.

For its report, WalletHub used 15 different metrics that included cancelation and delay rates, baggage mishaps, and in-flight comfort. The company looked at the nine largest U.S. airlines in addition to three regional carriers to come up with its results.