JetBlue and Southwest are flyer favorite airlines again this year
Passengers were more satisfied with airlines last year, but can the gains hold?
Zach Wichter- Passenger satisfaction with North American airlines has improved despite recent travel challenges.
- JetBlue, Delta, and Alaska were the top-rated airlines for premium cabin experiences.
- Southwest Airlines ranked highest for economy travel for the fifth consecutive year.
Despite all the travel headaches in the past year – Real ID implementation, multiple government funding lapses and more – passengers are more satisfied now than they were a year ago with how airlines are performing.
JD Power’s annual North American Airline Satisfaction Study shows that the industry as a whole improved eight points on a 1,000-point scale over the previous year's results.
"Despite many challenges, the airlines returned to basics of passenger communication, friendly service and providing slightly better value for money compared to past years," Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service at JD Power, said in a statement. "The big question now is how long that can continue. With airfare prices for some routes tripling over the past few weeks and baggage fees increasing to cover rising fuel costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines to continue to drive the high levels of customer satisfaction in this year’s study."
JetBlue, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines were favorites in the premium cabin categories, while Southwest Airlines, Delta and JetBlue scored top marks for economy.
JetBlue is a premium traveler favorite again
JetBlue scored top marks for its first/business class cabins and came in third place for its premium economy offerings. Delta and Alaska were also in the top three in both categories.
According to JD Power, improvements in the premium customer experience drove the overall increase in satisfaction last year.
Southwest remains the economy darling
Southwest Airlines topped the charts for economy travelers for a fifth consecutive year, followed by Delta and JetBlue, but JD Power warned its position could slip.
"Southwest has dramatically changed its operating processes at the behest of shareholders," the press release said. "The introduction of fees has traditionally had a major effect on satisfaction with airline performance."
During the survey period, Southwest introduced bag fees and switched to assigned seating, which could affect its results going forward.
JD Power also warned that rising prices may offset satisfaction gains if the trend continues.
"As airfares have begun to skyrocket in 2026, airlines may soon find it difficult to offset high costs with great service," the release said.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York, and you can reach him at [email protected].