It’s Your Turn to Share Your Own Best US Airlines in 2018
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Last week we released our annual rankings of the best and worst US airlines for 2018. As with all of our TPG reports, we based our criteria and results entirely on objective data, using numbers gleamed from sources ranging from the Department of Transportation to financial reports to airline websites. Here’s what our own results looked like for 2018:
For the second year in a row, Alaska Airlines took the top spot — and for the second year in a row, no one really complained. However, unlike last year when United came in at #2, this year Southwest and Delta jumped ahead to snag the second and third spots respectively, a result that generated a great deal less controversy than United did coming in second in our last study.
If there was any portion of the list that readers took issue with, it was the airlines down toward the bottom, as JetBlue at #9 and Hawaiian at #9 rubbed some people the wrong way. Both airlines were hampered by the smaller size of their respective route networks, but also suffered by scoring low in additional criteria as well — Hawaiian in airfare, JetBlue in on-time arrivals, as well as other areas.
As always, readers who don’t like the weightings of our criteria can adjust the numbers to their own liking using the interactive tool in our story. So if cost doesn’t matter as much to you, you could reduce that from the default of 25% of the score to 15% and see which airlines take top honors in that scenario.
But perhaps you’re not interested in the hard numbers and just have a favorite airline of your own. If that’s the case, we’d like to hear which one it is. Visit our Facebook page (or use the embedded poll below) to choose what you personally think is the best US airline.
You only get one vote, so choose wisely, and we’ll publish the full results in a forthcoming post.
Featured photo by Chris Sattlberger/Getty Images
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
- Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at US restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
- Accelerate your path to Medallion Status, with Status Boost®. Plus, in 2021 you can earn even more bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) to help you reach Medallion Status.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.