These are the best — and worst — airlines
- Joann Muller, author of Axios What's Next

Photo: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Travel advisory site The Points Guy is out with its annual ranking of the 10 best U.S. airlines — and given how miserably the industry has performed lately, we wanted to see who was the "best of the worst."
- Spoiler alert: It's Delta Air Lines (more on that below).
Why it matters: Despite billions of dollars in government aid, understaffed airlines are still reeling from the pandemic, unable to keep pace with a sudden upswing in demand.
- Thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled, a trend that has continued through the beginning of August, CBS News reports.
- Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is leaning on airlines to help stranded and delayed passengers, warning that new regulations to expand travelers' rights could be coming.
Of note: The Points Guy's 2022 rankings are based on airlines' performance in 2021. They don't account for this summer's travel hell — that'll show up in next year's rankings.
Details: TPG used scaled scores to grade each airline relative to the others on a variety of criteria, such as reliability, experience, cost and loyalty.
- Hawaiian Airlines was the most reliable, with just over 90% of its flights arriving on time in 2021. Delta ranked second on reliability but last for affordability.
- Allegiant ranked worst for delays and cancellations but tops in handling baggage and wheelchairs.
- JetBlue, with its free Wi-Fi and seatback screens, had the best cabin experience, while Delta and Alaska Airlines scored high on lounge access.
- United has the broadest route network and the best loyalty program.
The bottom line: Here's how they ranked overall:
- Delta
- Southwest
- United
- American
- Alaska
- Hawaiian
- Jet Blue
- Frontier
- Allegiant
- Spirit