Delta Air Lines ranked as the top U.S. airline in The Points Guy's latest annual survey, which evaluated carriers on factors including reliability, customer experience, loyalty programs and cost.
asserted
which → rank → reliability
United Airlines and Southwest Airlines rounded out the top three in the travel site's 2026 report.
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Airlines → round → report
The Points Guy gave extra weight to the cost category in its 10th annual airline ranking, citing cost pressures due to the
.
asserted
Guy → give → the
Cost contributed 25% of an airline's score this year, up from 20% in 2025.
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Cost → contribute → 2025
Rising jet fuel prices have prompted several airlines to and baggage fees.
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prices → rise → fees
Still, reliability carried the greatest weight at 30% of the score, while loyalty programs accounted for 25%.
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programs → carry → %
Travel experience made up the remaining 20%.
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experience → make → %
The Points Guy's 2026 airline rankings:
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Alaska Air Group
- American Airlines
- JetBlue
- Allegiant Air
- Frontier Airlines
How airlines stack up
The Points Guy ranked eight airlines this year, down from 10 in years past.
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Guy → stack → years
The site was originally planning to include Spirit Airlines, but dropped the carrier after the budget airline
earlier this month.
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site → plan → carrier
Delta's top ranking represents its eighth consecutive win in The Points Guy's survey.
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ranking → represent → survey
Kelly told "CBS Mornings" that Delta's continued success reflects strong employee satisfaction, which he said translates into a better passenger experience.
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he → tell → experience
This year, Delta provided
to its employees, or about 8.9% of its workers' eligible annual earnings.
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Delta → provide → earnings
"So when you fly Delta, there is a marked difference in the happiness of their employees, which I believe is attributed to that profit sharing," he said.
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he → fly → sharing
United ranked highly with its loyalty program, including its strong frequent-flyer benefits.
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United → rank → benefits
However, its poor track record with baggage prevented it from claiming the top spot, Kelly said.
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Kelly → prevent → spot
The airline had the highest rate of mishandled bags, the report said, citing data from the Department of Transportation.
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report → have → Transportation
Despite scrapping their
policy last year, Southwest managed to clinch the No. 3 spot.
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Southwest → scrap → spot
"Southwest still is, relatively, when you look at fees, lower than most other airlines," Kelly said, adding that they "run a tight operation.
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they → look → operation
"Which airline offers the best deal?
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airline → offer → deal
Frontier ranked No. 1 in terms of offering the most affordable ticket prices, according to the analysis.
uncertain
Frontier → rank → analysis
Spirit would have been a close second, The Points Guy said.
asserted
Guy → say → ?
Delta and United ranked the worst when it came to affordability.
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it → rank → affordability
Kelly recommended using AI tools to find cheaper fares.
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Kelly → recommend → fares
One such tool is Autopilot, which tracks ticket fares and helps customers get a credit if the price drops after they book.
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they → track → credit
Other tools include Junova, PAiback and JetBack.
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tools → include → Junova
Google Flights can also help people traveling to Europe lock in deals, so long as they're willing to be flexible, Kelly said.
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Kelly → help → deals
"When you go to Google flights, you can put in your home airport on the explore map and put in Europe, the Caribbean, wherever you want to go," he said.
asserted
he → go → wherever
"It'll show you a map of Europe and all the cheapest flights."
asserted
It → show → Europe
The Aporia
