The Best Airlines in the U.S.: 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards
Now in its 36th iteration, our annual Readers’ Choice Awards continues to capture the travel experiences our readers love best, from hotels and airlines to cruises, islands, and luggage. This year, you traveled farther and deeper; seeking out remote properties; sailing on smaller, more intimate ships; and prioritizing destinations you’ve been waiting years to visit. At least that’s what a staggering 526,518 of you told us in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey. In an unusually difficult time for air travel, these reader favorites stood out for their ability to avoid cancellations and—especially—their exemplary customer service. Here are the best airlines in the U.S., as voted by our readers.
View the Readers' Choice Award winners for best airlines in the world here.
Cam Ferland/Unsplash10. Frontier Airlines
The Denver-based low-cost carrier touts its status as North America’s greenest airline, with a significantly lower carbon footprint than its competitors, thanks to steps big and small, like 30 percent lighter seats, fuel-efficient engines, and biodegradable cups. As a symbol of this eco-friendliness, the airline has been painting its tails with larger-than-life animals since the mid-1990s, including newcomers Francie the piping plover, Crystal the Florida manatee, and Hudson the bog turtle. Frontier recently expanded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in a big way, with 10 new nonstop routes.
Ethan Miller/Getty9. Allegiant Air
Passengers pledge allegiance to Allegiant for its steadfastly solid service at a reasonable price point. Across the board, our readers appreciate the low-cost carrier's inexpensive (and, admittedly, frill-free—bring your own snacks!) offerings. They also favor Allegiant because, as one reader puts it, it is “the best airline for regional airports.” Routes shouted out include Savannah to Akron-Canton, Grand Rapids to Sarasota ("my only choice," writes one reader) and anywhere to Tampa-Clearwater Bay. Round-trip flights for that former route start at around $120.
Julio Rivera/Unsplash8. American Airlines
The world’s largest airline in terms of fleet size and number of scheduled passengers, American operates across 10 domestic hubs, including Miami and Dallas/Fort Worth. From these Southern home bases, the airline has emerged as a major player in the Caribbean and Latin America, with new routes to less-expected destinations like San Andres Island, Colombia, and Chetumal, Mexico. This city, the capital of the Yucatán state of Quintana Roo, is the carrier’s 28th across Mexico, the most of any U.S. airline. In August, American committed to buying 20 planes from Boom Supersonic, which promises to revolutionize their transatlantic and transpacific routes.
Arkin Si/Unsplash7. United Airlines
With eight hubs across the United States (including Guam), the Chicago-based carrier offers an expansive and ever-growing network of international destinations. Recent additions include Amman, Jordan; Bergen, Norway; Johannesburg; Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and a trio of island hotspots that have historically been tricky to get to from the U.S.: the Azores, Mallorca, and the Canary Islands. The airline responded to the pandemic by eliminating change fees for most flights, and it will soon welcome 270 new Boeing and Airbus planes to its fleet. The new aircraft will of course make your flight more comfortable and high-tech, but they come with an added bonus: They’re expected to reduce carbon emissions by 17 to 20 percent per seat, compared to older planes.
Samantha Gades/Unsplash6. Southwest Airlines
Southwest long ago moved beyond the geographic boundaries its name suggests, with an increasingly vast route network that now stretches from Hawaii to Latin America and the Caribbean. No matter where they’re flying, travelers can take advantage of the low fares and consumer-friendly “bags fly free” policy, though they’ll have to accept some of the carrier’s quirks, like the love-it-or-hate-it boarding process. Newer amenities like in-flight Wi-Fi have helped smooth the rough edges of the airline's basic passenger experience, which on most itineraries consists of a free beverage and a snack, but bargain hunters rarely find a better deal in the skies.
Arkin Si/Unsplash5. Alaska Airlines
Alaska is an enduring favorite, getting top grades for its reliability, friendly flight crews, and generous awards plan. Thanks to onboard service that includes Pacific Northwest regional touches, such as local wine and craft beer, you might almost forget that it's now the fifth-largest airline in the U.S. Not surprisingly, its route map has outgrown the regional confines of its name, stretching from Hawaii to New York and from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico and Latin America. Befitting its home base in the tech-friendly Seattle metro area, the airline recently announced a partnership with Twelve, a company that produces sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from recaptured carbon dioxide.
Lukas Souza/Unsplash4. JetBlue Airways
Fliers loyal to New York’s hometown airline have a new reason to choose JetBlue: In 2021 the carrier launched its long-awaited flights to London from JFK Airport, with an expanded Mint Class premium cabin equipped with spacious flat-bed sleeper seats, and last year they added routes from Boston to both Heathrow and Gatwick. Other recent innovations, such as new seats and more legroom throughout the plane, continue to win over passengers. Not to be overlooked, JetBlue’s free Wi-Fi, a.k.a. “Fly-Fi”, delivers one of the fastest internet connections in the air, and the airline is one of the few still offering seat-back videos—with free live TV.
Mark Vanderberg3. Tradewind Aviation
This 20-year-old company operates both charter flights and scheduled shuttles to upscale watering holes like Nantucket and Newport from its Westchester County base in the northeast, and to St. Barts, Antigua, and Anguilla from its San Juan base in the Caribbean. With its fleet of propeller planes and Citation jets, Tradewind flies out of private air terminals, a definite plus these days. Readers praise its "super helpful and generous staff” and its stress-free airport operations, which include lounges with an array of pre-flight beverages and snacks.
Alamy2. Hawaiian Airlines
From its origins as a local-service puddle jumper, Hawaiian has grown to operate a network of inter-island and U.S. mainland routes, plus long-distance flights around the Pacific region. Readers appreciate the premium cabin, with lie-flat seating available on some ultra-long flights, and all passengers can enjoy island-inspired food and beverage options, including Maui Brewing Company beer and hard seltzer, Honolulu-roasted Lion Coffee, caramel macadamia nut popcorn, and furikake chips. In 2016, they also teamed up with On the Rocks for a line of bottled cocktails that now includes a Mai Tai, a passionfruit-infused Molokai Mule, and the Tropical Landing, which pairs gin with violet, coconut, guava, and citrus. And if it’s reliability you care about, Hawaiian is routinely ranked the most on-time carrier in the country.
Samantha Gades/Unsplash1. Delta Air Lines
Delta continues to earn high marks for the quality of its in-flight service and its amenities on the ground, such as well-appointed Sky Clubs at major airports in the U.S. Case in point: The airline’s stunning new $4 billion terminal at New York’s overhauled LaGuardia Airport, which includes high ceilings, wood and marble accents, and attention-grabbing installations from local artists. And with its high-tech innovations at check-in and boarding, Delta is working to make the air-travel experience as seamless as possible. Passengers also appreciate in-flight touches like free text messaging, and, for those in the pointy end of the plane, cozy Delta One business class suites on its new Airbus A350 jetliners and other wide-body planes. And thanks to an expanding route map, you’ll be able to enjoy those perks on trips to even more far-flung destinations, including Tahiti, Tel Aviv, and Cape Town.