What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list
What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Preparing for summer air travel? Here's what we know now
Summer travel is always busy, but there are tips on how to avoid unnecessary flight issues. Here's what we know now.
Delta Air Lines successfully defended its title as the highest-ranked airline in The Points Guy's Best Airlines Report.
The carrier topped the 2025 list – which ranks airlines based on reliability, loyalty programs, cost and reach, and other factors – for the seventh year in a row. The airline fell short in some categories, ranking behind others in affordable pricing and the reward power of its SkyMiles, but still boasted a winning combination overall.
'What put Delta over the top in 2025 was its strength across all the categories we analyzed, from the consistently strong, on-time airline operation it runs to the experience customers have at the airport and in their seats,' the company said in the report released Thursday, June 19.
Here's how other carriers fared.
United makes gains while American drops
United Airlines rose from third place in 2024 to second place behind Delta. TPG credited the change in part to improvements in its reliability and passenger experience. Southwest Airlines came in third, up from fifth place last year, and Hawaiian Airlines jumped two spots from seventh place to fifth.
American Airlines, meanwhile, saw the largest decline on the list as compared with last year, dropping from fourth place to seventh.
'That fall came as the airline has trailed top competitors Delta and United in profitability of late and seemingly been in catch-up mode to those carriers regarding high-end offerings like business-class seats, cabin features and lounges,' the report said.
Alaska Airlines also fell from second to fourth place.
What are the best airlines in the US?
These are the top airlines in the country, according to TPG's report:
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
Travelers can find the full report here.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Think Delta Air Lines Is Expensive? This Chart Might Change Your Mind.
Delta Air Lines consistently adds value for its shareholders. The current trading environment heavily favors network airlines over low-cost carriers. Loyalty programs and co-brand credit cards are diversifying Delta's revenue streams. 10 stocks we like better than Delta Air Lines › Investors might not consider Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) stock expensive due to its low price-to-earnings ratio of just over 8 times earnings. Still, some of them do stress over Delta's adjusted net debt of $16.9 billion and the traditional cyclicality of its revenue and earnings. That said, I think the risk is a lot less than in previous years. Here's why. One of the longstanding, and justified, criticisms of the airline industry is that it hasn't generated a return on invested capital (ROIC) sufficient to cover its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). While airlines will all have different WACCs, a rough estimate interpolated from International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures suggests it averages around 8% or 9%. The following chart illustrates a clear bifurcation in the industry over recent years, with Delta and United Airlines' return on invested capital (ROIC) exceeding 8%, significantly ahead of American Airlines and the budget carriers. Moreover, note that the ROIC of Delta, United, and American Airlines is similar both before and after the pandemic lockdown period, while the ROIC of budget airlines has declined. There are many reasons for this bifurcation: Rising labor, airport, and supply chain costs disproportionately hit budget airlines' low-cost and low-margin business models. It's easier for premium airlines to adjust and offer economy seats than it is for budget airlines to "go premium." Delta and other network airlines have substantial loyalty programs and also generate revenue through co-brand credit cards. It all comes together to create an environment where Delta and United are likely to be more resilient in a downturn, particularly against budget airlines, as demonstrated by their ROIC. As such, a lower risk should result in a more favorable risk-reward calculation for Delta, meaning it's not as expensive a stock as many think. Before you buy stock in Delta Air Lines, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Delta Air Lines wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $660,821!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $886,880!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 791% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Think Delta Air Lines Is Expensive? This Chart Might Change Your Mind. was originally published by The Motley Fool
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
These are the top airlines in the U.S., according to The Points Guy
Looking to travel this summer but not sure which airline to fly for the best experience? The Points Guy (TPG), an online site dedicated to improving consumers' travel experiences while helping them save money, has revealed its annual ranking of the best airlines in the U.S. Founder and CEO Brian Kelly said the site ranks airlines based on four criteria: a carrier's reliability and performance; passenger experience; its cost and reach; and the quality of its loyalty or rewards program. Recent carrier meltdowns have travelers thinking more carefully about which airline — and through which airports — they want to fly. "This is not just my personal decision," Kelly told CBS Mornings. He also explained how the company weighs each metric. "We have a formula. We use lots of data. This isn't us just sticking our finger up in the air and kind of playing favorites. We look at reliability, first and foremost." "When you buy airfare, you need to get to where you're going, so we give a huge amount — 30% — to reliability," Kelly explained. Some airlines are going the extra mile to make flying more enjoyable for customers, from the minute they step foot in an airport through touchdown. For that reason, TPG assigned a 25% weight to an airline passenger's experience score to determine its overall ranking. An airline's cost and reach — including how expansive its network of destinations is — was assigned a 20% weight. And one-quarter of an airline's score was determined by the quality of its loyalty of rewards program. How the airlines stack up Delta Air Lines topped the list for the seventh year in a row, with its relative strength across all categories earning it the highest ranking, according to TPG. It is the most reliable on-time airline in America. It also provides passengers with free wi-fi, a wide selection of inflight entertainment options and meals from Shake Shack. United came in second place, rising from third place last year, aided by an improved onboard experience. It could continue to climb the rankings next year after announcing a partnership with JetBlue that will expand the airline's reach and improve perks for its loyalty members, TPG said. Weighing on the airline, though, is United's outsized presence at Newark Airport, which is suffering from persistent equipment and staffing issues. Southwest Airlines moved up two spots to earn the No. 3 position. Working in the airline's favor is its low flight cancellation rate, which is the best of any of its competitors. While it scored points in the cost and reach category, recent changes in fee structures could end its reign. It recently ended its popular "bags fly free" policy and offers a new, basic economy fare. Here are the full rankings, according to TPG: Delta Air Lines United Airlines Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue American Airlines Allegiant Air Spirit Airlines Frontier Airlines
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list
What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list Show Caption Hide Caption Preparing for summer air travel? Here's what we know now Summer travel is always busy, but there are tips on how to avoid unnecessary flight issues. Here's what we know now. Delta Air Lines successfully defended its title as the highest-ranked airline in The Points Guy's Best Airlines Report. The carrier topped the 2025 list – which ranks airlines based on reliability, loyalty programs, cost and reach, and other factors – for the seventh year in a row. The airline fell short in some categories, ranking behind others in affordable pricing and the reward power of its SkyMiles, but still boasted a winning combination overall. 'What put Delta over the top in 2025 was its strength across all the categories we analyzed, from the consistently strong, on-time airline operation it runs to the experience customers have at the airport and in their seats,' the company said in the report released Thursday, June 19. Here's how other carriers fared. United makes gains while American drops United Airlines rose from third place in 2024 to second place behind Delta. TPG credited the change in part to improvements in its reliability and passenger experience. Southwest Airlines came in third, up from fifth place last year, and Hawaiian Airlines jumped two spots from seventh place to fifth. American Airlines, meanwhile, saw the largest decline on the list as compared with last year, dropping from fourth place to seventh. 'That fall came as the airline has trailed top competitors Delta and United in profitability of late and seemingly been in catch-up mode to those carriers regarding high-end offerings like business-class seats, cabin features and lounges,' the report said. Alaska Airlines also fell from second to fourth place. What are the best airlines in the US? These are the top airlines in the country, according to TPG's report: 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 Travelers can find the full report here. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
