Melissa Donovan
As airfare continues to climb, rising 7.9% in the past year alone, cost remains a major concern for travelers. But while price often takes center stage, other factors can have an even bigger impact on the overall flying experience. A recent study from WalletHub sheds light on those often-overlooked aspects, from reliability and comfort to safety and pet policies, helping consumers make more informed travel decisions.
The comprehensive study ranked the largest U.S. airlines and two regional carriers across 14 key metrics. While affordability played a role, the analysis also gave significant weight to performance, safety, in-flight amenities, and how airlines handle pets. Here’s what the data reveals for 2025.
Best Overall Airline: Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines emerged as the top-performing airline in WalletHub’s rankings, scoring 69.12 out of 100. Known primarily for its ultra-low-cost fares, Spirit stood out not just for affordability, but also for safety, minimal cancellations, and overall reliability.
Despite its bare-bones approach to in-flight services, the airline’s consistent performance across multiple operational metrics gave it an edge over legacy and regional competitors.
Most Affordable Airline: Spirit Airlines
Spirit continues to dominate in cost-effectiveness, offering the lowest average airfare at just 4.56 cents per mile. That’s significantly cheaper than many major airlines, whose rates hover in the 12–15 cent range. While passengers may pay extra for carry-ons, seat selection, and snacks, the base fare remains the lowest in the industry.
Most Reliable Airline: Delta Air Lines
Delta earned top marks for reliability in 2025, with the lowest rates of flight cancellations, delays, baggage mishandling, and denied boardings among major carriers. Delta’s reliability score has remained consistently strong over the past decade, and its performance continues to improve year over year.
Most Comfortable Airlines: JetBlue Airways & Hawaiian Airlines
JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines tied as the most comfortable carriers, offering top-tier amenities such as free Wi-Fi, complimentary snacks and beverages, and extra legroom. JetBlue maintained a perfect comfort score for nine consecutive years, while Hawaiian Airlines continues to rise thanks to its high-quality onboard experience.
Best Airlines for Pets: SkyWest, United, and Envoy Air
When it comes to flying with pets, SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines, and Envoy Air came out on top. All three carriers reported zero pet-related incidents in 2024, a critical metric considering that four major airlines had at least two pet fatalities last year.
Notably, several budget carriers—Spirit, JetBlue, Frontier, and Southwest—do not transport pets, eliminating them from this category.
Safest Airline: Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines also ranked highest in safety for 2025, based on the number and severity of aviation-related incidents, injuries, and fleet age. Frontier Airlines followed closely as the safety runner-up. This marks a significant shift in perception, as ultra-low-cost carriers are often (unfairly) assumed to compromise on safety—a notion this data directly refutes.
Overall Airline Rankings for 2025
| Rank | Airline | WalletHub Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirit Airlines | 69.12 |
| 2 | SkyWest Airlines | 68.08 |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | 64.24 |
| 4 | JetBlue Airways | 63.38 |
| 5 | Southwest Airlines | 62.19 |
| 6 | Alaska Airlines | 58.38 |
| 7 | Hawaiian Airlines | 57.32 |
| 8 | United Airlines | 56.58 |
| 9 | Frontier Airlines | 47.02 |
| 10 | American Airlines | 45.81 |
| 11 | Envoy Air | 38.56 |
Final Thoughts
While flight prices are increasingly easy to compare online, this study makes it clear that airfare is just one part of the equation. Factors like reliability, safety, comfort, and pet-friendliness can have a profound impact on your travel experience.
For travelers seeking the best all-around value, Spirit Airlines leads in more categories than any other carrier in 2025. However, for those prioritizing comfort or reliability, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, and Delta remain strong contenders.
As air travel continues to evolve, comprehensive evaluations like this one help passengers fly smarter and safer.
Methodology: WalletHub analyzed publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and individual airline reports. Metrics included cancellations, delays, denied boardings, mishandled baggage, in-flight features, animal incidents, airfare pricing, and safety records.
Note: Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit do not transport pets and were excluded from pet-related rankings.
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