Despite massive flight delays, packed airports, and rising ticket prices, North American airlines have still managed to win over travelers. With gains in each cabin class, overall satisfaction rose 8 points on a 1,000-point scale in 2026, according to J.D. Power’s latest annual North America Airline Satisfaction Study.
The study surveyed more than 10,900 passengers who flew on a major North American airline. Carriers are scored based on seven factors:
- airline employee
- digital devices
- ease of travel
- level of trust
- on-board experience
- Pre-flight/post-flight experience
- value of price paid
However, the benefits may be short-lived. Michael Taylor, senior managing director at J.D. Power, said fares on some routes have tripled in the past few weeks, and baggage fees are rising along with fuel costs.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines to continue to achieve the high levels of customer satisfaction found in this year’s study,” he said in a. Summary of findings.
Here are the highest-rated North American airlines in three categories – starting with Economy/Basic Economy class.
Economy/Basic Economy Class
The average customer satisfaction score among airlines offering the highest fares in Economy/Basic Economy class – aka coach – is 627 on a 1,000-point scale. This is 6 points more than 2025. Here are the airlines that exceed that score:
- Southwest Airlines: 670
- Delta Air Lines: 667
- JetBlue Airways: 655
- Alaska Airlines: 648
- Elegant Air: 630
Southwest Airlines is in the lead for the fifth consecutive year, although its margin over second-place Delta has dropped to just 3 points. J.D. Power says Southwest changed its operating model under shareholder pressure, and the new fees — which Southwest has historically avoided — hurt customer satisfaction scores. Read more about Southwest’s changes here.
Here are the economy class airlines that scored below average:
- American Airlines: 624
- United Airlines: 608
- air Canada: 576
- Spirit Airlines: 560
- WestJet: 553
- Frontier Airlines: 533
premium economy
Satisfaction in this segment has increased by 14 points from 2025, with the average customer satisfaction score at 682 out of 1,000. Here are the airlines that beat the average:
- Delta Air Lines: 736
- Alaska Airlines: 720
- JetBlue Airways: 701
Delta Air Lines takes the top spot for the fourth consecutive year and the airline has achieved the top ranking in the American Consumer Satisfaction Index’s 2026 Travel Study.
Here are the airlines that scored below average:
- United Airlines: 665
- American Airlines: 657
- WestJet: 641
- air Canada: 633
First/Business Class
First class passengers recorded the biggest jump in satisfaction, with the average customer satisfaction score increasing 17 points from 2025 to 717 out of 1,000. Here are the airlines that beat the average:
- JetBlue Airways: 759
- Delta Air Lines: 750
- Alaska Airlines: 720
This is the second consecutive year that JetBlue Airways has topped this segment.
Here are the airlines that scored below average:
- United Airlines: 700
- American Airlines: 698
- air Canada: 694
Taylor says airlines have performed well this year by “providing the fundamentals of passenger communication, friendly service and slightly better value for money than in previous years”.
But the airline industry faces some tough challenges as the Iran conflict pushes up travel prices. And since Spirit Airlines has ceased operations, travelers will see costlier airfares and fewer flight options.