The 10 Best Domestic Airlines for 2023, Ranked

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

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If you’ve ever been crammed into an uncomfortable coach seat, been charged extra for a bag, or had a flight delayed for no good reason, you know how much the airline you fly can impact your trip.

To help you decide which domestic airlines to fly (and which ones to avoid), the travel experts at Bounce analyzed data and awarded scores across 11 categories:

Percentage of on-time arrivals
Percentage of cancellations
Number of flights
Meals
In-flight entertainment
Seat comfort
Staff service
Free carry-on allowance
Free checked bag allowance (domestic)
Complaints per 100 passengers

Those scores were used to calculate how domestic airlines compared. In 2022, Bounce rated Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines as the top three domestic airlines. Alaska has fallen to number four this year, and Delta has risen to the number one spot.

Airplane taking off on runway on a clear day — Senohrabek | Adobe Stock

The Best Domestic Airlines for 2023

Delta Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Alaska Airlines
United Airlines
American Airlines
JetBlue Airway Corporation
Spirit Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Allegiant Air

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