These are the top airlines in the U.S., according to The Points Guy

Best U.S. airlines of 2025 revealed

The Points Guy reveals apical U.S. airlines of 2025 08:48

Looking to question this summertime but not definite which hose to alert for the champion experience? The Points Guy (TPG), an online tract dedicated to improving consumers' question experiences portion helping them prevention money, has revealed its annual ranking of the champion airlines successful the U.S. 

Founder and CEO Brian Kelly said the tract ranks airlines based connected 4 criteria: a carrier's reliability and performance; rider experience; its outgo and reach; and the prime of its loyalty oregon rewards program. Recent bearer meltdowns person travelers reasoning much cautiously astir which hose — and done which airports — they privation to fly.

"This is not conscionable my idiosyncratic decision," Kelly told CBS Mornings. He besides explained however the institution weighs each metric. "We person a formula. We usage tons of data. This isn't america conscionable sticking our digit up successful the aerial and benignant of playing favorites. We look astatine reliability, archetypal and foremost."

"When you bargain airfare, you request to get to wherever you're going, truthful we springiness a immense magnitude — 30% — to reliability," Kelly explained. 

Some airlines are going the other mile to marque flying much enjoyable for customers, from the infinitesimal they measurement ft successful an airdrome done touchdown. For that reason, TPG assigned a 25% value to an hose passenger's acquisition people to find its wide ranking. 

An airline's outgo and scope — including however expansive its web of destinations is — was assigned a 20% weight. And one-quarter of an airline's people was determined by the prime of its loyalty of rewards program. 

How the airlines stack up

Delta Air Lines topped the database for the seventh twelvemonth successful a row, with its comparative spot crossed each categories earning it the highest ranking, according to TPG. It is the astir reliable on-time hose successful America. It besides provides passengers with escaped wi-fi, a wide enactment of inflight amusement options and meals from Shake Shack.

United came successful 2nd place, rising from 3rd spot past year, aided by an improved onboard experience. It could proceed to ascent the rankings adjacent twelvemonth aft announcing a concern with JetBlue that volition grow the airline's scope and amended perks for its loyalty members, TPG said.

Weighing connected the airline, though, is United's outsized beingness astatine Newark Airport, which is suffering from persistent instrumentality and staffing issues. 

Southwest Airlines moved up 2 spots to gain the No. 3 position. Working successful the airline's favour is its debased formation cancellation rate, which is the champion of immoderate of its competitors. While it scored points successful the outgo and scope category, caller changes successful interest structures could extremity its reign. It precocious ended its fashionable "bags alert free" argumentation and offers a new, basal system fare. 

Here are the afloat rankings, according to TPG: 

1. Delta Air Lines
2. United Airlines
3. Southwest Airlines
4. Alaska Airlines
5. Hawaiian Airlines
6. JetBlue
7. American Airlines
8. Allegiant Air
9. Spirit Airlines
10. Frontier Airlines

• Airlines