Revealed: America’s cheapest, most comfortable and best airlines

When it comes to flying, choosing an airline that is comfortable, affordable, and above all else, reliable can be of the utmost importance, whether you are travelling for business or pleasure. With that in mind, personal finance website WalletHub has shared a recent study that outlines the very best airlines in the United States of America in 2018.

Comparing nine of the largest U.S airlines as well as two regional carriers across 13 different categories, the data outlines which businesses stand out in different fields. Categories included the rate of cancellation and delays, the frequency of baggage mishaps, in-flight comfort, legroom, number of complaints and Wi-Fi availability. Alaska Airlines scooped the top position, coming in as the best airline overall, followed by Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Skywest Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines.

Airlines were also featured as winners across different categories, with Delta proving to be the most reliable, having the lowest rate of cancellations, delays and mishandled luggage, while JetBlue came out as the most comfortable due to its free amenities such as Wi-Fi, snacks and beverages, as well as the extra legroom. Spirit and Frontier proved to be the best airlines for budget travellers, while Southwest Airlines had the lowest consumer-complaint rate.

The cost in relation to in-flight amenities was taken into consideration in each case, and the study also found that on average, traveling by plane costs $370 per trip.

The full results of the findings are available at the official WalletHub website.