DENVER — As the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer travel season, is there a single best airline for flyers?
A new report from The Points Guy has named Delta Air Lines as the best airline in the United States for the fifth year in a row.
United, Alaska, American, and Southwest round out the top five of the rankings which looked at data from 2022.
The new 2023 rankings of "Best U.S. airlines" looked at operational reliability, timeliness, cancellations, involuntary denied boardings (bumps), baggage, and wheelchair and scooter mishandled frequency, cabin features, lounges, route networks, affordability, ancillary fees, frequent flyer programs, award availability, and customer satisfaction.
The report said Delta performed well across multiple categories including timeliness while being knocked for affordability.
Southwest Airlines' top-performing areas were bag/change fees and award availability, while its lowest areas were cancellations and lounges.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines ranked last in the ten-airline report of the country's best carriers. The report said fliers dislike Frontier for its involuntary bumps, bag/change fees, award availability, and overall customer satisfaction.
Frontier Airlines reported over 6,000 passengers were involuntarily denied boarding last year, which translates to more than 16 every day, the rankings say.
- Delta Air Lines
- United Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airway
- Spirit Airline
- Allegiant Air
- Frontier Airlines
The Points Guy said the report's data was based from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
Frontier Airlines held a groundbreaking ceremony last August for a new ground boarding facility at DIA. The 120,000-square-foot facility will be located on the east end of Concourse A.
Frontier said the facility will feature 14 ground-boarding gates, a remodeling of 83,000 square feet of space, and 37,000 square feet of new space. There will also be an adjacent 8,000-square-foot maintenance facility that will allow for centralization of personnel and parts in close proximity to the gates, according to Frontier.
Frontier will have preferential use and scheduling rights for the 14 ground gates which will allow passengers to board and deplane through the front and rear aircraft doors.
Frontier Airlines breaks ground on 14 new gates
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