These two U.S. airlines are among the world’s safest
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.
Four U.S. airlines are among the safest in the world, according to a new report.
Of the top 20 safest airlines, according to Airline Ratings, just two U.S. carriers cracked the list. Alaska Airlines came in at No. 8 while Hawaiian Airlines was No. 11. The world’s safest? According to the website, it was Australia’s Qantas.
Airline Ratings says it judges an airline’s safety from “audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, government audits, airline’s crash and serious incident record, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age.”
If you’re a Frontier or JetBlue loyalist, you’ll be pleased to know that both airlines took top spots on Airline Rating’s low-cost lists. Frontier came in at No. 3 while JetBlue was sixth. Unlike other low-cost airlines, the website said, “these airlines have all passed the stringent International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and have excellent safety records.”
The website said that in some countries, the reporting process for low-cost carriers is weak. Indeed, a New York Times report from November highlighted issues at Lion Air with reporting safety concerns.
But if you’re a nervous flyer, you should be comforted in knowing air travel is the safest it’s ever been. According to The Associated Press, plane crash deaths globally fell by more than half in 2019.
According to AP, 257 people died worldwide in eight accidents in 2019. That was down from 2018, when 534 people died in 13 fatal accidents. To put that in perspective, the fatal accident rate for large planes 2019 works out to just one fatal incident for ever 5.6 million flights, according to the To70 aviation consultancy that compiled the safety survey.
The low 2019 numbers come even despite the high death tolls from both years is attributed to two crashes involving the now-grounded Boeing 737 MAX. In March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 onboard. And just before the New Year, a jet in Kazakhstan killed 12 . That crash was blamed on pilot error and technical malfunctions. On Oct. 29, 2018, Lion Air flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea just off of the coast of Indonesia, killing all 189 onboard.
For now, the 737 MAX remains grounded with no clear timetable as to when regulators might clear it to resume flying.
Featured image courtesy of Alberto Riva/The Points Guy
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,650
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
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.