Airline ticket prices had a slight drop last year, but have started to rise again this year. Cost isn’t all that matters when picking what company to fly with, though. Comfort and safety also matter, especially with recent incidents in the news about plane malfunctions. For those traveling with a pet, how well the airline treats their companion is key, too.

Finding the most affordable airfare is now quite easy for anyone with an internet connection, so this report examines other, overlooked aspects of air travel to help consumers make more-informed decisions.

WalletHub compared the 9 largest U.S. airlines, plus two regional carriers, across 16 important metrics. They range from cancellation and delay rates to baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort. We also considered costs in relation to in-flight amenities for the sake of fairness. For example, it wouldn’t be right to penalize an airline that charges for drinks if its tickets are far cheaper than those from an airline with free in-flight refreshments.


2026’s Best Airlines

Category	Airline
Best Airline Overall	Spirit Airlines
Most Affordable Airline	Spirit Airlines
Most Reliable Airline	Spirit Airlines
Most Comfortable Airline	JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines
Best Airline for Pets	Skywest Airlines and Envoy Air
Safest Airline	Frontier Airlines

Below, you can see where each major airline ranks, based on overall WalletHub Score.


Key Findings

Most Reliable Airline: Spirit Airlines has the lowest rate of cancelations, delays, mishandled luggage and denied boardings.


Most Comfortable Airlines: JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines lead the pack in terms of in-flight experience, offering free amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom, and complimentary snacks and beverages.


*The regional carriers SkyWest and Envoy are not represented in this chart because they serve other major airlines, which may dictate what amenities are provided.

Most Affordable Airline: Spirit Airlines is the best airline for budget flyers.


*Reflects passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM), obtained by dividing passenger revenue by the product of the number of available seats and the number of miles flown.

Most Pet-Friendly: Two airlines tied for being most pet-friendly, SkyWest Airlines and Envoy Air with no incidents.


*Four major airlines do not transport animals: Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and Spirit.

Safest Airline: Frontier Airlines is the safest in 2026. The safety runner-up is Spirit Airlines.