Millennials are known for travel, which is the best airline in 2017
WalletHub convicted a survey of all the major airlines. On average tickets for air travel cost around $370 per trip. As we saw recently on the news, choosing the wrong airline has the potential to take even more from us than just money. Sadly, 26 animals died during air transportation in 2016, and seven major U.S. airlines had at least one pet fatality.
It’s not just about price when selecting an airline. There are other critical factors to consider, such on-time arrival, baggage restrictions and good old fashioned customer service. In terms of finding the least expensive is easy with online travel sites. But which is the best?
WalletHub compared the 10 largest U.S. airlines, plus two regional carriers, in 13 important categories. They range from cancellation and delay rates to baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort. And while this report focuses on non-price aspects of the flying experience, costs were considered 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, when its tickets are far cheaper than an airline offering free in-flight refreshments.
Check out the results”
source: WalletHub
The winner is Alaska Airlines with a score of 81.02.
Here are the best by category:
2017’s Best Airlines
| Category | Airline |
|---|---|
| Best Airline Overall | Alaska Airlines |
| Cheapest Airline | Spirit Airlines |
| Most Reliable Airline | Alaska Airlines |
| Most Comfortable Airline | JetBlue Airways |
| Best Airline for Pets | Alaska Airlines |
| Least Complained-About Airline | Southwest Airlines |
Here is how the National Airlines ranked by category:
National Airline Scores
| Metric | Max Score | American Airlines | Delta Air Lines | Southwest Airlines | United Airlines | JetBlue Airways | Alaska Airlines | Spirit Airlines | Frontier Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines | Virgin America |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled Flights | 10 | 5.81 | 7.48 | 4.98 | 6.78 | 6.36 | 8.09 | 3.01 | 6.77 | 8.52 | 5.32 |
| Delays | 20 | 3.32 | 9.28 | 1.36 | 5.03 | 0.00 | 12.31 | 7.33 | 0.24 | 9.88 | 0.99 |
| Mishandled Baggage Reports | 10 | 3.59 | 7.08 | 4.48 | 5.32 | 7.53 | 7.46 | 6.30 | 2.59 | 5.19 | 8.82 |
| Denied Boardings | 10 | 9.36 | 9.90 | 9.01 | 9.57 | 9.08 | 9.60 | 9.42 | 9.42 | 9.95 | 9.88 |
| Complaints | 15 | 13.51 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 13.73 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 9.26 | 10.06 | 14.84 | 14.15 |
| Animal Related Incidents | 15 | 12.91 | 11.52 | N/A | 9.49 | N/A | 14.16 | N/A | N/A | 0 | N/A |
| Leg Room | 4 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
| Entertainment Options | 2 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Wi-Fi Availability | 2 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 |
| Complimentary Refreshments | 2 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 |
| Price | 10 | 4.29 | 3.81 | 3.63 | 4.46 | 4.73 | 5.39 | 9.87 | 9.01 | 4.26 | 5.80 |
| Final Score | 100 | 61.79 | 73.08 | 55.83 | 63.38 | 62.00 | 81.02 |
The recent events really made us aware of what can happen when you travel the wrong airline. Congratulations Alaska Air as being the best Airline for 2017.
Original Article including methodology from Wallethub:
