America's 5 Best Airlines For 2025, Per A New Study

These days, it seems like online forums and the news are chock-full of air travel horror stories. On the more trivial end, there's the tale of Finnair's weird "cleaning mishap" that created cancellations and delays. And on the severe end, there are hundreds of incidents of mayhem in the skies caused by increasingly unruly passengers lashing out at cabin crew and disrupting flights. While at times it can be funny and relatable to hear about flights going horribly wrong, it's also refreshing to understand what airlines are doing right — and that's exactly what one organization aims to do in its 2025 study.

AirHelp relies on its team of experts and innovative technology to advocate for air passenger rights. In order to produce its AirHelp Score study, a ranking of the best airlines, the organization looked at three areas — customer opinions, on-time performance, and claim processing — and analyzed data for 117 airlines from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. For the first ranking factor, the company surveyed more than 11,500 passengers across over 60 countries, asking them to rate "very good" to "very bad" on five elements of their in-flight experience: entertainment, cleanliness, food, comfort, and staff. For the second factor, AirHelp used its own database to identify how many flights landed on time. And for the third factor, AirHelp gathered data on the number of valid compensation claims each airline received, how it handled the claims, and how many it paid out. And the results are in, published in a report released in November of 2025.

The rankings are for global airlines, but the list can be sorted by region and country, making it possible to see the top-performing domestic airlines. We narrowed down AirHelp's list to U.S.-based airlines to determine the five best domestic carriers for 2025.

American Airlines leads the way as the top-ranked U.S.-based airline (although it came in at No. 11 in the overall rankings). It received scores of 7.1 for on-time performance, 8 for customer opinion, and 7.8 for claim processing, giving it an average of 7.64 and beating out several prominent international competitors, including Emirates, KLM, and Lufthansa.

This carrier, based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, has been in operation for over 95 years. It's a founding member of Oneworld Alliance, which boasts 15 participating members, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways. It flies to 350 destinations in over 60 countries, primarily across North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. And it runs thousands of flights daily, adding more regularly. For example, it recently announced that the dreamy Caribbean destination of Bimini, Bahamas, will soon be accessible from Miami on a new route to launch in February 2026 — its shortest international flight to date. Passengers who book a flight with American Airlines have eight different fare classes (depending on the destination and aircraft), giving them a variety of inclusions and price points to choose from. To get the most bang for their buck, travelers should join AAdvantage, the carrier's free loyalty program, to earn miles when they fly on American Airlines or any of its partners.

Generally, while individual reviews of American Airlines on platforms like Tripadvisor and Yelp are mixed, the positive reviews praised the excellent customer service and in-flight experience. One previous passenger shared on Tripadvisor in September 2025, "Amazing airline. Have only positive words to say. The food is the best I have had on an airplane — both lunch and dinner made with thought and care." Another reviewer noted the "kind and helpful customer service" they received.

Slightly below American Airlines is United, ranking second on the domestic list and No. 13 overall. Its total AirHelp score is 7.54, and it received a 7.4 for on-time performance, an 8.1 for customer opinion, and a 7.2 for claim processing.

This airline is based out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and dates back to 1929. Along with Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines, United is one of the "big four" U.S.-based carriers. Together, they account for roughly 75% of domestic market share (via Statista). But United leads the way in fleet size, with 1,056 aircraft, as well as in number of routes. As of 2025, the carrier flies to 380 destinations (153 of them international). It's also a founding member of the Star Alliance, which has 25 participating members, including esteemed carriers across the globe like Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and Air Canada. Signing up for United MileagePlus, the airline's loyalty program, gives members the opportunity to earn miles on flights across a wide range of carriers and destinations. United has partnerships with 16 independent airlines, along with those in the Star Alliance; its global reach makes its frequent flyer program one of the most valuable to join.

Similar to American Airlines, reviews of United on independent platforms are mixed. But positive reviews note the attention to detail, professionalism, and customer service provided by the cabin crew. A previous passenger on an October 2025 flight shared on Tripadvisor, "This was probably one of the best flights that I have ever been on. ... The service, food, and effort put into the flight were all amazing ..." Another reviewer, who flew in November 2025, praised the "outstanding customer service" and the "kind courteous staff."

Coming in at No. 3 domestically (and No. 15 globally) is Delta Air Lines, known for being one of the oldest in the U.S. This airline got a 7.5 for on-time performance and 8.1 for customer opinion, but it was lower in score for claim processing, with 6.8. It was given an average score of 7.46.

Delta has a lot going for it, and the accolades have been piling up. It was awarded "Best Airline Staff in North America" for 2025 by Skytrax, topped the Forbes list of "Most Trusted Companies in America" in its sector (ranking 10th overall), and earned top honors on The Points Guy's 2025 rankings of the best airlines in the U.S. — for the seventh year in a row. And recently, the most profitable airline in America was revealed to be Delta, based on 2024 data (via Sam Chui Aviation & Travel). This just goes to show that creating a strong reputation built on brand trust, operational reliability, and a great customer experience can pay dividends.

Delta started out as a fleet of crop-dusting planes within an agricultural flying enterprise in 1924, making the company over 100 years old. From these humble beginnings, the airline, which is based in Atlanta, is now one of the largest carriers in the world, currently servicing over 300 destinations on six continents. It is also a founding member of the SkyTeam Alliance, an 18-member-strong network reaching nearly 1,000 destinations globally. Travelers can become members of SkyMiles, Delta's free loyalty program, to earn and redeem miles for flights, vacation packages, and various other perks.

Much further down the order on the global list at No. 36 (but No. 4 domestically) is Frontier Airlines, an ultra-low-cost carrier headquartered in Denver. It has an AirHelp score of 7.07 overall, receiving 7 for on-time performance and 7.1 for both customer opinion and claim processing.

The airline's motto is "Low Fares Done Right," and it's not kidding — as of this writing, it offers one-way flights for as low as $19 (conditions and additional fees apply) for routes including Philadelphia (PHL) to Orlando (MCO), Denver (DEN) to Las Vegas (LAS), and Atlanta (ATL) to New York City (LGA). It currently flies to about 120 destinations, primarily in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, including hotspots like Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Cancún (Mexico), and Montego Bay (Jamaica). Additionally, Frontier is no stranger to innovative deals: This airline recently launched an unlimited travel pass at a bargain price, called the GoWild Pass, which enables holders to take an unlimited number of flights until April 2027. If you're fine with booking last-minute flights, you'll be able to access over 100 destinations for your next spontaneous domestic or international vacation.

If you're a frequent Frontier flyer, join Frontier Miles, the airline's loyalty program. And check the website for seasonal and member-exclusive offers, like the promotion available as of this writing for one-way Caribbean flights from 1,000 miles and one-way international routes starting at 5,000 miles. When flying, though, keep in mind that this is a no-frills carrier. As Julia Martin from the travel blog Bookish Wayfarer wrote in her review, "Despite its shortcomings, Frontier Airlines can still be a worthwhile choice. For many flight routes, it is the cheapest option, and if you are willing to sacrifice some degree of comfort, you can get a great deal."

Hawaiian Airlines, incorporated in 1929 and covering far-flung destinations in Asia and the South Pacific, came in at a respectable No. 50 globally and placed No. 5 for U.S. carriers. Its AirHelp score is 6.73, but it received high marks for both on-time performance (8.3) and customer opinion (8). However, its much lower score on claim processing (3.9) brings its overall ranking down significantly and is perhaps one factor that the airline should work towards improving.

This Honolulu-based carrier has Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) as its main hub. As of 2025, it flies to 19 domestic and 10 international destinations across eight countries, connecting the U.S. with Japan, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and more. In September of 2024, Hawaiian Airlines was acquired by Alaska Airlines, and while the transition is still ongoing, the merger will provide passengers of both with access to 29 global destinations. Members of both HawaiianMiles and Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan, which have become Atmos Rewards (their joint loyalty program), will be able to transfer miles between accounts. And they can earn and redeem for flights with all Oneworld Alliance members, too.

Across several platforms, Hawaiian Airlines has generally positive reviews, with many posters commenting on the kindness and "aloha spirit" embodied by the crew. In an article published in Australian media outlet The AU Review, editor Chris Singh wrote, "The service on Hawaiian Airlines is notably better than what I would expect on board a US carrier. Despite this being a well-worn route, staff are vigilant, inexplicably happy and generous with their time." Indeed, the carrier was crowned the winner of Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice awards for 2018, 2019, and 2020. And it even made Islands' list of America's best-ranked airlines of 2025 for its amenities, service, and reliability.

For this story, Islands perused AirHelp's rankings and reviewed its methodology. We scoured online reviews of each airline independently, including those on sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp, to find out what previous flyers were saying. We read through blog posts from sites like the Bookish Wayfarer and news articles from media outlets like The AU Review to find seasoned travelers' honest reflections on their experiences with these airlines. Additionally, expert guides and trusted travel publications, including The Points Guy and NerdWallet, were invaluable resources to compare the positives and negatives of the carriers.

For further background information, aviation industry blogs were used such as Simple Flying and Sam Chui Aviation & Travel. We looked at the airlines' websites and social media accounts, along with those of their specific loyalty programs, to uncover information on their tiers, pricing, rewards, and more. We gathered information on each airline's destinations and routes either through their individual sites or through the FlightConnections site. Finally, specific data on the various carriers was found through AirHelp Score and through comprehensive databases like Statista. By using a wide variety of publicly available data and verifying details across multiple sources, the Islands team aimed to provide its readers with accurate information on the top-ranked airlines in the U.S. for 2025.