What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list
What is the best US airline? This carrier topped The Points Guy's 2025 Best Airlines list
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Preparing for summer air travel? Here's what we know now
Summer travel is always busy, but there are tips on how to avoid unnecessary flight issues. Here's what we know now.
Delta Air Lines successfully defended its title as the highest-ranked airline in The Points Guy's Best Airlines Report.
The carrier topped the 2025 list – which ranks airlines based on reliability, loyalty programs, cost and reach, and other factors – for the seventh year in a row. The airline fell short in some categories, ranking behind others in affordable pricing and the reward power of its SkyMiles, but still boasted a winning combination overall.
'What put Delta over the top in 2025 was its strength across all the categories we analyzed, from the consistently strong, on-time airline operation it runs to the experience customers have at the airport and in their seats,' the company said in the report released Thursday, June 19.
Here's how other carriers fared.
United makes gains while American drops
United Airlines rose from third place in 2024 to second place behind Delta. TPG credited the change in part to improvements in its reliability and passenger experience. Southwest Airlines came in third, up from fifth place last year, and Hawaiian Airlines jumped two spots from seventh place to fifth.
American Airlines, meanwhile, saw the largest decline on the list as compared with last year, dropping from fourth place to seventh.
'That fall came as the airline has trailed top competitors Delta and United in profitability of late and seemingly been in catch-up mode to those carriers regarding high-end offerings like business-class seats, cabin features and lounges,' the report said.
Alaska Airlines also fell from second to fourth place.
What are the best airlines in the US?
These are the top airlines in the country, according to TPG's report:
1. Delta Air Lines
2. United Airlines
3. Southwest Airlines
4. Alaska Airlines
5. Hawaiian Airlines
6. JetBlue
7. American Airlines
8. Allegiant Air
9. Spirit Airlines
10. Frontier Airlines
Travelers can find the full report here.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Did Cotton Prices Just Hit a Bottom After Falling to a 9-Week Low?
July ICE cotton futures (CTN25) were under modest selling pressure on Wednesday and slipped to a nine-week low below 65 cents a pound. The overall technical posture for the cotton futures market favors the bears as prices are in a seven-week downtrend on the daily bar chart. However, there are also some early, bullish clues that the cotton market has forged a price bottom. Since scoring a contract low of 62.05 cents a pound on April 4, July cotton futures have chopped in a sideways trading range. This is likely 'basing' action on the daily chart that has put in a price bottom. Coffee Prices Plummet on an Improved Supply Outlook Coffee Prices Sink on the Outlook for Ample Supplies Can Soybean Prices Keep Trending Higher? Stop Missing Market Moves: Get the FREE Barchart Brief – your midday dose of stock movers, trending sectors, and actionable trade ideas, delivered right to your inbox. Sign Up Now! With a price bottom likely in place, the cotton bulls now need some bullish fundamental news to start a price uptrend. Last week's monthly USDA supply and demand report had some price-friendly elements for the cotton market. The 2025/26 marketing year U.S. cotton balance sheet was revised to show lower production, beginning stocks, and ending stocks, with consumption, imports, and exports unchanged from last month. U.S. harvested area was lowered 2% to 8.19 million acres following extensive rainfall and delayed planting in the Delta. The national average yield for 2025/26 was reduced more than 1% from last month's report, to 820 pounds per harvested acre, also because of the conditions in the Delta. As a result, U.S. cotton production was forecast down 500,000 bales, to 14.0 million, and is below the 14.4 million bales produced in 2024/25 and the second-smallest crop in the past decade. Beginning U.S. stocks for the 2025/26 marketing year were reduced 400,000 bales following a corresponding increase in projected U.S. exports for 2024/25. As a result, 2025/26 ending stocks were lowered 900,000 bales to 4.3 million, for a stocks-to-use ratio of 30.3%. The projected season-average price for 2025/26 was unchanged in the USDA June report, at 62 cents per pound. For the 2025/26 marketing year, USDA forecast downwardly revised global cotton production, consumption, beginning and ending stocks, and world trade. World production was lowered over 800,000 bales as a 1-million-bale increase for China was more than offset by reductions for India, the United States, and Pakistan. Global consumption was reduced by over 300,000 bales for 2025/26. Beginning world cotton stocks for 2025/26 were lowered over 1.1 million bales, largely reflecting a 1-million-bale reduction in India's 2024/25 crop. As a result, global ending stocks for 2025/26 were lowered by nearly 1.6 million bales, primarily reflecting the reduction in beginning stocks and a decrease in production that exceeds the decrease in consumption. USDA's June supply and demand report also showed the agency forecast 2024/25 China cotton imports at the lowest level in eight years, at 5.5 million bales – roughly one-third of last year's volume. 'Several factors have pressured demand: the highest domestic production in nearly a decade, lower consumption, and less demand for government reserves.' China's 2024/25 cotton production is estimated nearly 4.7 million bales higher, at 32.0 million bales, on record yields in the Xinjiang autonomous region. Meanwhile, consumption is projected to fall nearly 2.0 million bales, to 37.0 million. At the start of the marketing year, the volume of foreign cotton in bonded warehouses was at the second-highest level for data going back to 2015. Therefore, plentiful supplies coupled with lower operating rates have driven down imports. Chinese companies are shifting production to their Vietnamese mills, spurring greater cotton consumption and imports in Vietnam. USDA's 2025/26 global outlook sees world cotton production forecast down 800,000 bales, to 117.0 million, as smaller crops in India, Pakistan, and the United States more than offset a larger crop in China. Global consumption is forecast down 300,000 bales, to 117.8 million, on lower supplies but remains the highest level in five years. USDA lowered global cotton ending stocks by 1.6 million bales, to 76.8 million, on lower production and beginning stocks in the United States. There's an old trading adage: 'Never short a dull market.' The past five weeks have seen choppy and sideways price action in July cotton futures. The price-bullish basing price action I mentioned above has arisen from the dull market conditions. Still, the cotton market needs a jolt of bullish fundamental news to generate a solid price uptrend. The U.S. stock indexes have been trending up and recently hit multi-month highs. That's bullish for cotton. The down-trending U.S. Dollar Index and up-trending crude oil prices are bullish 'outside-market' factors for the natural fiber. However, what the cotton market bulls really needs is a continued thawing in U.S.-China trade relations (China is a major cotton importer) and some drier and hotter weather in U.S. cotton regions — namely Texas. Both elements are entirely possible in the coming weeks. My bias is that the cotton futures market has put in a major price bottom, but prices will continue to chop sideways until some fresh, bullish fundamental news arises to start a new price uptrend. I think that news will come sooner rather than later. On the date of publication, Jim Wyckoff did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Think Delta Air Lines Is Expensive? This Chart Might Change Your Mind.
Delta Air Lines consistently adds value for its shareholders. The current trading environment heavily favors network airlines over low-cost carriers. Loyalty programs and co-brand credit cards are diversifying Delta's revenue streams. 10 stocks we like better than Delta Air Lines › Investors might not consider Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) stock expensive due to its low price-to-earnings ratio of just over 8 times earnings. Still, some of them do stress over Delta's adjusted net debt of $16.9 billion and the traditional cyclicality of its revenue and earnings. That said, I think the risk is a lot less than in previous years. Here's why. One of the longstanding, and justified, criticisms of the airline industry is that it hasn't generated a return on invested capital (ROIC) sufficient to cover its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). While airlines will all have different WACCs, a rough estimate interpolated from International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures suggests it averages around 8% or 9%. The following chart illustrates a clear bifurcation in the industry over recent years, with Delta and United Airlines' return on invested capital (ROIC) exceeding 8%, significantly ahead of American Airlines and the budget carriers. Moreover, note that the ROIC of Delta, United, and American Airlines is similar both before and after the pandemic lockdown period, while the ROIC of budget airlines has declined. There are many reasons for this bifurcation: Rising labor, airport, and supply chain costs disproportionately hit budget airlines' low-cost and low-margin business models. It's easier for premium airlines to adjust and offer economy seats than it is for budget airlines to "go premium." Delta and other network airlines have substantial loyalty programs and also generate revenue through co-brand credit cards. It all comes together to create an environment where Delta and United are likely to be more resilient in a downturn, particularly against budget airlines, as demonstrated by their ROIC. As such, a lower risk should result in a more favorable risk-reward calculation for Delta, meaning it's not as expensive a stock as many think. Before you buy stock in Delta Air Lines, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Delta Air Lines wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $660,821!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $886,880!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 791% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Think Delta Air Lines Is Expensive? This Chart Might Change Your Mind. was originally published by The Motley Fool
CBS News
19 hours ago
- CBS News
These are the top airlines in the U.S., according to The Points Guy
Looking to travel this summer but not sure which airline to fly for the best experience? The Points Guy (TPG), an online site dedicated to improving consumers' travel experiences while helping them save money, has revealed its annual ranking of the best airlines in the U.S. Founder and CEO Brian Kelly said the site ranks airlines based on four criteria: a carrier's reliability and performance; passenger experience; its cost and reach; and the quality of its loyalty or rewards program. Recent carrier meltdowns have travelers thinking more carefully about which airline — and through which airports — they want to fly. "This is not just my personal decision," Kelly told CBS Mornings. He also explained how the company weighs each metric. "We have a formula. We use lots of data. This isn't us just sticking our finger up in the air and kind of playing favorites. We look at reliability, first and foremost." "When you buy airfare, you need to get to where you're going, so we give a huge amount — 30% — to reliability," Kelly explained. Some airlines are going the extra mile to make flying more enjoyable for customers, from the minute they step foot in an airport through touchdown. For that reason, TPG assigned a 25% weight to an airline passenger's experience score to determine its overall ranking. An airline's cost and reach — including how expansive its network of destinations is — was assigned a 20% weight. And one-quarter of an airline's score was determined by the quality of its loyalty of rewards program. How the airlines stack up Delta Air Lines topped the list for the seventh year in a row, with its relative strength across all categories earning it the highest ranking, according to TPG. It is the most reliable on-time airline in America. It also provides passengers with free wi-fi, a wide selection of inflight entertainment options and meals from Shake Shack. United came in second place, rising from third place last year, aided by an improved onboard experience. It could continue to climb the rankings next year after announcing a partnership with JetBlue that will expand the airline's reach and improve perks for its loyalty members, TPG said. Weighing on the airline, though, is United's outsized presence at Newark Airport, which is suffering from persistent equipment and staffing issues. Southwest Airlines moved up two spots to earn the No. 3 position. Working in the airline's favor is its low flight cancellation rate, which is the best of any of its competitors. While it scored points in the cost and reach category, recent changes in fee structures could end its reign. It recently ended its popular "bags fly free" policy and offers a new, basic economy fare. Here are the full rankings, according to TPG: Delta Air Lines United Airlines Southwest Airlines Alaska Airlines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue American Airlines Allegiant Air Spirit Airlines Frontier Airlines
