US Travelers Report Increased Satisfaction with Major Airlines
According to a recent survey, US travelers are increasingly satisfied with major airlines, with a 3% gain in overall customer satisfaction. The American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study 2026 surveyed 14,910 US travelers between April 2025 and March 2026 to gather these results.
Delta Air Lines emerged as the highest-rated airline, receiving a score of 77 out of 100. American Airlines also saw improvement in customer satisfaction. However, there were a few exceptions to the overall trend of increased satisfaction.
Southwest Airlines, which had previously led the industry with a score of 80 in the 2025 survey, experienced the largest drop in satisfaction. This was attributed to their recent changes in open seating and checked bag policies, which were not well-received by travelers.
Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI, emphasized the fragility of these gains, stating that sustaining higher satisfaction will depend on airlines’ ability to consistently deliver quality service while managing costs and meeting changing customer expectations.
The survey evaluated various categories within the industry, including seat comfort, mobile app reliability, baggage handling, crew courtesy, timeliness, and more. The use of technology to improve the travel experience was identified as a major driver behind the overall increase in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, ultra-low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines received the lowest satisfaction scores in the survey. Spirit Airlines, which has faced multiple bankruptcies, was the lowest-rated major airline. Their efforts to enhance the in-flight experience were overshadowed by decreasing scores in mobile app quality and call center satisfaction.
In terms of rankings, the eight largest US airlines were scored as follows:
– Delta Air Lines – 79
– American Airlines – 78
– JetBlue – 78
– Southwest Airlines – 77
– Alaska Airlines – 75
– United Airlines – 75
– Frontier Airlines – 69
– Spirit Airlines – 66
Overall, the survey reveals a positive trend in US travelers’ satisfaction with major airlines, with a few notable exceptions. As competition in the industry continues to increase, it will be important for airlines to prioritize consistent quality and customer service in order to maintain or improve their rankings.