As 'Best Airline' Surveys Emerge, Is There a Consensus Winner?

This seems to be the season for "Best Airline" surveys, a good reminder that there is no definitive best U.S. carrier, because there is no single correct way to evaluate the contenders.

Still, it's worth a review of recent airline ratings by different sources to see whether there's any overlap in their findings. Maybe there is a consensus best airline, after all.



TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor's best-airline list

is based on reader feedback, specifically airline reviews submitted between February 2016 and February 2017.



Related: Free Tickets Anyone? JetBlue Is Giving Away 1,000 of Them



Among U.S. airlines, readers favored Delta over other major airlines. Among "Mid-Size & Low Cost Airlines," a rather awkward category, JetBlue was top-ranked.



Airline Quality Rating



The annual

Airline Quality Rating

study, a joint undertaking by professors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical and Wichita State universities, incorporates 15 elements in four areas of airline performance: mishandled bags, on-time arrivals, denied boardings, and customer complaints. The report synthesizes data compiled by the DOT for its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report, and assigns U.S. airlines a higher or lower AQR (Airline Quality Rating) accordingly.

Applying those criteria, the study ranked U.S. airlines as follows:

1. Alaska
2. Delta
3. Virgin America
4. JetBlue
5. Hawaiian
6. Southwest
7. SkyWest
8. United
9. American
10. ExpressJet
11. Spirit
12. Frontier
    
    SmarterTravel Editors' Choice
    
    For its
    [2017 Editors' Choice](https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/04/12/best-u-s-airlines-2017/)
    rankings, SmarterTravel considered the seven factors "most likely to affect the average traveler": hard product, soft product, reliability, scope, fees, complaints, frequent flyer program. Each factor was assigned a weight, according to its relative importance, and the contenders were then rated accordingly.
    The top five:
    
    
13. Alaska
14. JetBlue
15. Southwest
16. Delta
17. United
    
    The Points Guy's Best and Worst Airlines
    
    For
    [The Points Guy's contribution](https://thepointsguy.com/guide/best-and-worst-airlines-2017/)
    to the best-airline studies, 10 criteria were considered, falling into four general categories: price, convenience, headaches, and extras.
    The top five:
    
    
18. Alaska
19. United
20. Virgin America
21. JetBlue
22. American
    
    Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards
    
    In the domestic airline category,
    [Travel + Leisure](https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/domestic-airlines-in-us)
    readers rated airlines according to cabin comfort, service, food, customer service, and value.
    
    
23. Virgin America
24. JetBlue
25. Hawaiian
26. Alaska
27. Southwest
    
    Best of the Best
    
    Many surveys, many rating criteria, many outcomes. Are there any airlines that rate highly across the surveys?
    As it turns out, there is one airline that is top rated in three of the five surveys, and ranked in the top five in a fourth. Alaska Airlines. If there is a consensus favorite, that's it.
    For a runner-up, JetBlue placed in the top five in all five surveys, making it a lock for second place and a strong contender for the top spot.
    
    **Reader Reality Check**
    
    What are your choices for the best U.S. airlines?