Miscellany

Favorite Domestic (U.S.-based) Airline


The Editors
The Editors

    SmarterTravel readers once again gave top marks to

    Southwest Airlines

    . We asked you to consider booking and changing tickets, fees, counter or online check-in, cabin comfort and cleanliness, in-flight perks, and customer service when casting your vote, and the low-cost king dominated the category, beating out its 13 other competitors with 32 percent of the vote.

    Other low-cost favorite JetBlue had a strong showing, taking second place with 12 percent of the vote. Delta took third, the highest ranking among legacy carriers.

    AirTran, our Editors' Choice award winner for 2010's

    Best Value Airline

    , received just 3.3 percent of the vote. It will be interesting to see how the low-cost airline fares next year, now that it's been acquired by Southwest.

    So let's hear a little more feedback: What are your favorite elements of a Southwest flight? What makes the experience topnotch once again this year? And, dare we suggest it—are there any ways this fan-favorite could improve its services to stay in the top spot for another year running?



    First Place

    : Southwest



    Second Place

    : JetBlue



    Third Place

    : Delta



    Voting Breakdown:

    Airline Percentage of Votes Received
    Southwest 32.0%
    JetBlue 12%
    Delta 11%
    American 7.3%
    Continental 7.2%
    United 5.1%
    Alaska 4.1%
    Virgin America 3.4%
    AirTran 3.3%
    US Airways 3.0%
    Frontier/Midwest 1.8%
    Hawaiian 1.6%
    Allegiant 1.0%
    Spirit 0.1%