• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
JD Power

The Best and Worst Airlines, According to J.D. Power

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 30, 2019, 12:41 PM ET

Between the TSA and the ongoing grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max Jets, traveling this summer is going to be bad enough. You don’t want to heighten that pain by flying on a carrier with a low satisfaction rating.

J.D. Power is out with its rankings of the best—and worst—airlines in North America, measuring customer satisfaction on a variety of factors. And the good news is: Travelers have never been happier when it comes to flying.

Overall satisfaction with carriers was up 11 points in the analytics firm’s 1,000-point scale measurement, the eighth consecutive year of improvements. But while customers might appreciate the savings of low-cost carriers, they’re starting to get fed up with some of the differences in services between those and traditional airlines.

The Power survey measures seven factors among passengers: cost and fees; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; flight crew; check-in; and reservation.

Wondering who topped the lists (and who fell short)? Here’s a look at this year’s top and bottom scoring airlines.

Highest-Ranked Airlines

JetBlue: The budget carrier is ranked “among the best,” tying for best overall score with Southwest.

Southwest Airlines: Despite the heightened number of delayed and cancelled flights due to the carrier’s large 737 Max fleet, Southwest again tied for the best low-cost carrier and overall airline, with a score of 817.

Alaska Airlines: For the 12th consecutive year, this carrier topped the list among traditional carriers, with a score of 801.

Delta Air Lines: The second most popular traditional carrier is ranked “better than most” with a score of 788.

Lowest-Ranked Airlines

Air Canada: The Canadian carrier failed to impress flyers, earning a score of 729.

United Airlines: While it’s one of the largest airlines around, United ranked lowest among traditional carriers, with a score of 723.

Spirit Airlines: Spirit might offer low fares, but its practice of charging for seat assignments and fees for printed boarding passes earned it a score of just 711.

Frontier Airlines: The Denver based carrier received the lowest score among the ranked airlines, coming in at 702.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—The Dolomites: Where Italian cuisine and adventure reach new heights

—These Eastern European winemakers are on the cutting edge

—This remote ranch in Wyoming should be your next all-inclusive luxury vacation

—A guide to the food and wine capital of South Africa

—Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily

Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

A laptop screen shows World Liberty Financial's website
CryptoCryptocurrency
Trump-backed World Liberty Financial tokens hit all-time low on reports of insider loans
By Jack KubinecApril 10, 2026
17 minutes ago
Iran is demanding tankers in the Strait of Hormuz pay tolls in crypto: What we know so far
CryptoIran
Iran is demanding tankers in the Strait of Hormuz pay tolls in crypto: What we know so far
By Ben WeissApril 10, 2026
27 minutes ago
Kash Patel sits with his two fingers on lips
CybersecurityIran
First they went after medtech, then Kash Patel. Iranian hackers’ next target is likely ‘low-hanging fruit’ in water, energy, and tourism, experts say
By Jacqueline MunisApril 10, 2026
32 minutes ago
The 5 Best Weight Loss Pills of 2026: Expert and Doctor Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
The 5 Best Weight Loss Pills of 2026: Expert and Doctor Approved
By Emily PharesApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
kamala
PoliticsElections
Kamala Harris says she’s ‘thinking about’ running for president again: ‘I’ll keep you posted’
By Steve Peoples, Matt Brown and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago
scott bessent
CybersecurityFederal Reserve
The AI that found 27-year-old vulnerabilities no human ever caught before just forced an emergency meeting with every major Wall Street CEO
By Jake AngeloApril 10, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
Success
'I hate working 5 days': Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.