With airline fares having increased 25 percent last year, outpacing inflation, WalletHub recently released its report on 2023’s Best Airlines. Air travel has become especially stressful this year due to a shrinking workforce, including a pilot shortage, massive crowds, and climate change’s impact on air travel with more extreme weather.
“As the number of pilots willing to work for the pay and the regional airline schedule decreases, we will see a decrease in the number of flights to small and medium-sized communities,” says Cody Christensen, E.D., associate professor at South Dakota State University. “The aircraft will continue to get bigger, which in turn will decrease the number of flights into and out of spoke communities. Consumers need to be ready for increased ticket prices and less availability in the coming years.”
WalletHub’s study focused not just on price but also many other aspects of the air travel experience, such as safety, delays, baggage issues, animal incidents, and more. Here are the highlights from the study, which may prove useful next time you book your next flight:
- Best Overall – Delta Air Lines earned the highest overall WalletHub Score (66.79) for the second year in a row, followed by Spirit Airlines (66.57).
- Most Reliable – Delta Air Lines has the lowest overall rate of cancellations, delays, mishandled luggage, and denied boardings. The next most reliable company is United Airlines.
- Safety – Envoy Air is the safest, with a low number of incidents and accidents per 100,000 flight operations, no fatalities, and fewer than 15 people injured between 2017 and 2022. Envoy Air also has a relatively new fleet of aircrafts. The safety runner-up is Spirit Airlines.
- Most Pet-Friendly – Three airlines tied for being most pet-friendly – Delta Air Lines, SkyWest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines – with no incidents.
- Most Comfortable – JetBlue Airways leads the pack in terms of in-flight experience, offering free amenities such as Wi-Fi, extra legroom, and complimentary snacks and beverages. Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines are tied for the second position for this category.
For the full list of 2023’s Best & Worst Airlines, please visit:
https://www.wallethub.com/edu/best-airlines/20916/
