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Two Airlines Made the List of the 20 Most-Hated Companies in America

Emily McNutt
Emily McNutt
Contributor
Feb. 02, 2018
•
2 min read
Spirit Plane A319 Exterior 1
Two Airlines Made the List of the 20 Most-Hated Companies in America
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Of the 20 most-hated companies in America, a full 10% are airlines that tens of thousands of passengers fly every day. The distinction goes to United Airlines and Spirit Airlines, which made the list of the most-disliked companies in the country.

According to a recent report by 24/7 Wall St., the 20 most-hated companies in America range in industries from social media giants to publishers, and yes, airlines. The report looked at a range of information, from major news events to customer survey results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, employee reviews on Glassdoor and its own customer satisfaction survey.

Here's the full list, with No. 1 being the most disliked [bold added for emphasis]:

20. The Weinstein Company
19. United Airlines
18. Facebook
17. CenturyLink
16. Monsanto
15. Comcast
14. Uber
13. Sears Holdings
12. The Trump Organization
11. Wells Fargo
10. Cigna
9. Spirit Airlines
8. Vice Media
7. Sprint
6. Foxconn Technology Group
5. Electronic Arts
4. University of Phoenix
3. NFL
2. Fox Entertainment Group
1. Equifax

The report attributed United's unfavorable ranking to the Bumpgate incident in 2017. As for Spirit, which was ranked as being even more disliked, the report attributed that to its low-cost fare model, which generally makes for poor customer service.

The other member of the list in the travel / transportation industry is Uber, the ride-hailing giant. After a number of bad news stories came to light in 2017, the company's co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick stepped down, Uber has struggled to regain its image.

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Credit rating agency Equifax was the most-hated company in America — a not-unexpected consequence of the massive hack in 2017 that resulted in extremely sensitive data being compromised for 143 million Americans.

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit
    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.