I’ve been writing about the airline industry for well over 10 years now. I’ve flown well over 1,500,000 miles (most of it within the US). I’ve eaten more than my fair share of questionable airline food. I think my lower back is permanently tweaked from spending so many hours in uncomfortable economy class seats.
Therefore, I would like to think that I have earned the credentials necessary to put together a list of the best domestic airlines. The United States version at least. I mean, if Skytrax can make **** up, why can’t I?
SANspotter’s best domestic airlines for 2025(ranked from my favorite to least favorite)
In past years, I considered route networks and fleet sizes of each airline as a significant ranking factor. Y’all were kind enough to let me know how irrelevant that is. Thank you! This time, it’s 100% merit based:
1. Delta
It’s really hard for me to say anything bad about Delta. My primary reason for ranking them numero uno is that they offer the most consistent onboard experience across their entire fleet. Stepping onto a Boeing 757-200 is going to look (and feel) exactly the same as an Airbus A321.
They serve really good food in first class. There are videos screens at every seat on every aircraft (except their Boeing 717-200). And while I cannot deny that the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (their largest hub) appears to be a total motherf****r upon first glance, I find it to be one of the most efficient airports in the entire world.
Examples of some of my more recent Delta Air Lines experiences:
2. JetBlue
I’ve never had a bad flight on JetBlue. As a matter of fact, other than Hawaiian Airlines, it’s the airline I look forward to flying the most within the US. A majority of their flights are economy class only – although they do offer options (seats with extra legroom and a decent food for purchase menu) to dull the pain a little.
Their Mint business class product is phenomenal.
Examples of some of my more recent JetBlue experiences:
3. Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines onboard service is excellent, and I really appreciate how much effort they put into making everything (food, ambience, uniforms, etc) feel Hawaiian. There’s genuine Hawaiian hospitality in every facet of the services they offer, and it’s hard not to enjoy flying with them. A lot.
Yes, the food they serve in economy class is disgusting. That said, they are the only airline in the US serving food in economy class on domestic flights these days. That counts for something.
For the ultimate Hawaiian Airlines experience, fly in first class aboard one of their Airbus A330-200s. The fully lie flat seats are unique, and the island-inspired food is pretty good. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Examples of some of my more recent Hawaiian Airlines experiences:
- Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 first class
- Hawaiian Airlines A321neo first class
- Hawaiian Airlines A330-200 Extra Comfort
4. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is so close to being the best airline in the US – mostly due to their consistently great onboard service. I find the Alaska Airlines vibe to be more laid-back than the others, and it’s refreshing to say the least. Nothing about the experience feels stodgy and corporate. They feel like a small startup airline trying their damnedest to be great.
Their airplanes are clean, and overall, they run a very reliable operation. The reason for placing them in the middle of this list is because there are no video screens built into the seats (not even in first class). The food in first class is limited as well. Booo!
Examples of some of my more recent Alaska Airlines experiences:
- Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 first class
- Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 premium class
- Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 economy
- Alaska Airlines 737-900ER first class
5. Southwest
I fully admit that Southwest Airlines isn’t for me. However, since they are so good at what they do (and they do it so consistently), they are fully deserving of being placed in the number 5 spot on this list.
They have an impressive route network, decent fares, and (mostly) dead nuts reliable service. The planes are squeaky clean, the crews are happy, and it’s generally a very good experience. And just like how it is with Delta, the onboard experience is fairly consistent from one aircraft to the next.
The only reason why I don’t fly with them very often is because of the non-assigned seating. The lack of a first class product is a turn-off as well.
Examples of some of my more recent Southwest Airlines experiences:
- Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8
- Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8 exit row
- Southwest Airlines 737-800
- Southwest Airlines 737-700
6. United
United Airlines is very similar to Delta, but slightly more s****y. They have clean planes, good onboard service, and I think that they have some of the best hubs in the network.
My problem with United is how “stale” they feel. Their cabin crews always seem tired and burnt out, the food in first class isn’t quite as good as what Delta is serving, and they have been really dragging their feet upgrading the interiors of older aircraft.
Examples of some of my more recent United Airlines experiences:
7. American Airlines
It’s getting to the point where I consider American Airlines to be my ‘last choice’ option. Not because I consider them to be a terrible airline or anything. My issue is that they have somehow figured out a way to even be more soulless than United.
I know. Being soulless does not automatically make an airline bad. I find American Airlines to be dependable, and as comfortable as any other major US airline. Not only that, the food in first class is easily better than the slop that United is serving these days.
But my God. Could they be any more stale and corporate? Has anyone ever seen an American Airlines employee having fun? I sure haven’t.
Examples of some of my more recent American Airlines experiences:
- American Airlines A321neo first class
- American Airlines A320 first class
- American Airlines 737-800 first class
- American Airlines 737 MAX 8 first class
8. Spirit
I’m not afraid to admit that I actually like Spirit Airlines. If you’re not checking bags, and if you can resist purchasing any extras (such as snacks or a carry-on bag allowance), it’s actually a very cheap way to fly.
Their planes are surprisingly clean considering how hard they work them. Flights are generally on time. I’ve never had a horrible experience. Even better is the fact that they offer a fairly decent (and low cost) premium seating option. I’m a big fan!
Examples of some of my more recent Spirit Airlines experiences:
- Spirit Airlines A320neo main cabin
- Spirit Airlines A320 Standard seat / main cabin
- Spirit Airlines A321neo Big Front Seat
9. Breeze Airways
Breeze Airways is another airline that I feel has the potential of being one of the best airlines in the US. They offer really great fares to secondary cities, very clean airplanes, friendly cabin crews, and even a fairly decent (and somewhat competitive) business class product. Seriously – the Breeze Airways A220-300 Ascent seats are some of the best in the US.
The only reason why I’ve placed them so far down on this list is due to an inconsistent product. They’re still a fairly new airline, and have been slow in rolling out features such as in-flight entertainment and meals. That stuff is coming though. And I can’t wait.
Examples of some of my more recent Breeze Airways experiences:
- Breeze Airways A220-300 Nicest (Ascent) seats
- Breeze Airways A220-300 Nicer (extra legroom) seats
- Breeze Airways Embraer 195 Nicer (extra legroom) seats
10. Avelo Airlines
What can I say about Avelo that I haven’t already? It’s an interesting little airline serving mostly secondary cities in both the western and eastern portions of United States.
The reason why it is unlikely that you’ll ever see Avelo at the top of this list is because of how basic their onboard service is. The seats are thin, very hard, and there’s very little when it comes to drinks and snacks. They offer really cheap fares though, which is what makes them so interesting.
Read more about my Avelo Airlines experience:
11. Frontier
I’m not as surprised as you are that Frontier Airlines isn’t sitting at the very bottom of this list. Many consider them to be the worst domestic airline, but personally, I’ve never had an issue with them other than slightly inconvenient delays.
Frontier Airlines is good IMHO. They offer cheap fares, new airplanes, and a fairly decent route network. They have potential.
Examples of some of my more recent Frontier Airlines experiences:
- Frontier Airlines A321 basic economy
- Frontier Airlines A320neo Stretch Seat
- Frontier Airlines A320 Stretch Seat
- Frontier Airlines A320 basic economy
12. Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country Airlines is an ultra low-cost carrier now, meaning that there’s hardly any onboard service to speak of (you have to pay extra for everything). Most of their aircraft are old, tired, and not very clean. They are very safe and reliable though. Cheap too!
Examples of some of my more recent Sun Country Airlines experiences:
13. Allegiant Air
Does being at the bottom of my list of the ‘best’ domestic airlines mean being the worst? Not really. I actually like Allegiant Air (just not as much as the others).
Although I can praise Allegiant for offering extremely low fares, they tend to attract a crowd which doesn’t have much experience with air travel. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – all I’m saying is that a little patience (and maybe a shot of whiskey) is required when flying this ultra low cost carrier.
The good news is that they’re not cutting corners on aircraft maintenance anymore (it used to be really bad). That tells me that they’re at least trying, and who knows? Maybe they’ll be positioned a little higher up in the next version of the annual SANspotter best domestic airlines list…
Interesting list! Having lived in the US for 5 years, I’ve flown on a good number of airlines. Not as much as you though. I’ll be talking about Economy Class in my ranking btw, since that’s what I mostly flew:
1) JetBlue. Despite their limited route network, they’re great on the routes they serve. The staff is excellent, the snack selection generous for US standards, and the seats quite comfortable and even…spacious. It was also really cool to have IFE screens on every aircraft, even the Embraers.
=2) Alaska. Like JetBlue, the staff is great and very friendly, and I really like their policies, such as delivering your bags in 20 minutes or else giving you a lot of miles. They seem to have a solid frequent flyer program as well, with lots of partner airlines. They’re also very reliable and on-time. My problem is that everything else (seats, snacks, etc) is rather average and unexceptional.
=2) United. Again, the staff is very friendly most of the time, and I agree that their hubs are among the best in the US. Additionally, the app is excellent. However, the seats aren’t all that great, and their interiors are very inconsistent. But, I do like the direction in which they’re going (mostly), as they seem to be improving a lot.
3) Via Air. They were a very little-known airline that operated 3 E145’s throughout the southern US between 2017-2019. My only flight with them was a BTR-SFB red eye in 2018 that was delayed 3 hours (due to weather). However, I really liked the “niche” feel, and the flight attendants were among the most cheerful and friendly I’ve had on a flight. But I admit that this airline certainly doesn’t get any points for reliability.
4) American. I’ve never had a truly bad flight with AA, and the staff have mostly always been great. However, just like United, their interiors are very inconsistent, and unlike UA, I don’t like the direction in which they’re going with the new Project Oasis/Kodiak interior. Oh, and their on-time record is quite poor.
5) Spirit. A pretty good ULCC, with friendly and cheerful staff and as you say, clean planes. My main complaint is that the seats are uncomfortable, but hey, you get what you pay for. It’s also quite cheap for me, since I only check one bag and eat before the flight.
6) Frontier. Very similar to Spirit, but the staff isn’t as friendly IMO. And as you say, they aren’t very reliable.
2 questions:
1) What makes Alaska better than Hawaiian if HA has that unique ambience, and if they both have the same flaw? (A limited route network) Is Alaska’s route network better?
2) Similarly, Spirit>jetBlue? Really? jetBlue has a much better product!
Anyway, it was very interesting to read this ranking!
Good questions!
1). The problem with Hawaiian (my opinion only) is that they are far too niche of a carrier to be considered competitive with most other US airlines. For flights out the the islands and back, yeah, they are usually the best option. But how often does the average person travel between Hawaii and the mainland? Alaska has much better coverage of the entire US, which makes them more practical, thus earning a higher spot on this list. I can see how some might disagree with me on this, but it’s my list, so I’m standing firm on this. 🙂
2). Cheaper fares + better coverage of the US. JetBlue does offer a better onboard experience without a doubt, but they aren’t all that practical for much of the population. For example, as a resident of San Diego, JetBlue is only an option if I’m headed to the east coast. For anyone who lives in the midwest, they are essentially non-existent.
You’ve made me realize that I placed too much of an emphasis on practicality vs onboard amenities/features when ranking this list. I do believe those onboard amenities/features should carry more weight, and I’ll make the necessary adjustments in the 2023 update.
Ok, those are good points regarding Alaska vs. Hawaiian and JetBlue vs. Spirit.
And yes, it was surprising to see how much you focused on practicality! I agree that the actual onboard experience matters more, since that’s what you’re paying for: transportation from Point A to Point B. You judge an airline based on what they offer/how they treat you in this form of public transit. Way to de-romanticize air travel, I know. Lol
Very interesting observations Peter – thanks for your input! I’ve actually never even heard of Via Air, but now I wish I had the chance to try them. Those niche carriers are usually the most interesting.
How long has it been since you flew on Sun Country? The growing pains have been felt by many, yes, but their product has worked most of the kinks out now and I believe they have a very good middle of the road service offering. They have in-seat power, they serve free beverages and even snacks to their priority seats, and they have free in flight entertainment. I think it is worth checking out again if it has been a while since you flew with them!
Hey Thomas – yeah, it’s been a while. I’m going to try them again sometime in early 2023, and I’m looking forward to seeing first hand how much things have changed over the years. Sounds like it’ll be interesting!
I am interested to see your thoughts! I would recommend trying both their “best” seats and the standard seats they have for sale – just to see the differences in the product. Personally, I think their service these days is a very good middle of the road approach.
I am a frequent Delta flyer myself, and a Delta cardmember, so I have to agree with placing them at the top of this list as well. As someone who flies in and out of MSP quite a few times a year, I definitely do not mind booking with Sun Country though, especially if I am flying with family.
Definitely! I’ll most likely try both types of seats whenever I get around to flying them again.
Thanks, and you’re welcome for the input! Yeah, I agree that niche carriers are the most interesting. Via Air felt like a nice change of pace from the mega-corporate feel of American and United.
This is a great list. I would also rank Delta (so glad they came into and are expanding in the Alaska market) at #1. Now I can fly straight through out of the country on the same airline. I live in Anchorage so I would list Alaska Air at #2. Our direct and cheap flights to Hawaii every winter come in CLUTCH! We usually fly to HNL and then hop on Hawaiian the next day to Kona because Alaska only flies direct to KOA 3 times per week. I love Hawaiian and wish I had the opportunity to fly them more than an hour between islands. JetBlue came into the Alaskan market for only a couple of years before pulling out. I only managed to ride them once to Seattle, but would love to try those Mint seats. I’ve flown a few of the rest of the list once I got to the lower 48 and really don’t have much of an opinion either way.
Yeah, I’d probably rank Alaska Airlines higher if they had better coverage of the US. They do an excellent job serving the Pacific Northwest (and the west coast in general) though! And yes, Delta is really hard to beat. They were starting to lose their way during the pandemic, but they’ve kicked things into gear again and they hold the #1 spot by a fairly wide margin IMHO.
I have to disagree with delta as the number 1 pick. For the problem lies simply with their Atlanta hub which while efficient is always overcrowded and IMO lacks a good variety of shops.
I also have to disagree with downgrading B6,AS,HA for their small(er) route network. Each has their beach in which they match or even beat any of the big 3.
Especially AS has been amazing throughout the pandemic and is my first choice when AA innevitably screws something up.
Being BA Gold I don’t really have much of choice beyond AA but always try to use AS whenever possible
All good points! Although I really think Delta deserves the top spot overall for the robustness of their operation, I’ll put less of an emphasis on route networks for the 2023 update. Unless anything significant changes between now and then, JetBlue, Hawaiian, and Alaska will probably move up.
Thank you for the reviews. One thing though – when flying somewhere we usually don’t go over the list of the airlines in the order of preference and check if they fly where we need to go. We use some booking service that offers a list of options depending on the route, so at this point it doesn’t matter what else those airlines cover. What would be nice at this point is a ranking that doesn’t count coverage at all – to choose the best option on the list of flights 🙂
Thank you for your comments, I have to go to Fargo in a quick pinch and was going to book on
FRONTIER and the site is not working :-(. The Yogi the Bear Icon is just spinning and spinning
with no end in site. I have tired last night and again today . Geesh 🙁
I too am a frequest flyer but have not tired all the airlines like you have so bravely done. I am a 2Million Miler on Delta and a 1 Million on Alaska so that tells you where my butt has sat for the last 20 years.
I say with pride ALL DOMESTIC MILES AS WELL! 🙂 Think I might just cash in some of those Frequent Flyer Miles and GET MY BUSINESS DONE !! No thanks to Frontier ! LOL !!! (my mom said,”if they dont mind their business and make sure their on line ticket site works do you trust their planes? ” I guess not !
You’re very welcome Mary! 3 million miles (all domestic) is an insane amount of flying – you most certainly deserve to spend those miles on first class upgrades. Life is too short to spend it waiting on a spinning Yogi the Bear icon!