The Best Airlines in North America for Each Flight Class, Ranked

It’s been yet another rocky year for air travel in the wake of a series of devastating accidents and economic uncertainty that is starting to impact travel demand. But despite the challenges, overall passenger satisfaction with North American airlines was up six points (on a 1,000-point scale) compared to last year, according to the J.D. Power’s 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, which was released on Wednesday released.

“A slight decline in both ticket prices and passenger volume” has “helped keep overall passenger satisfaction levels high,” according to Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service for J.D. Power.

But he added that “market dynamics are changing and will likely affect passenger experience in the coming weeks and months. Airlines will likely have a tougher year this year, economically. . . . The key to their longer-term success will be how well they manage economic headwinds without compromising on customer experience.”

The fact that overall passenger satisfaction is up compared to the study’s 2024 results is due in part to improved ratings for the back of the plane, of all places (economy and basic economy, specifically, received higher marks this year than in 2024), and improved encounters with airline staff and crew. Plus, a relatively small number of passengers (10 percent) said they’ve experienced serious problems with their flights over the past year, such as major delays and/or cancellations.

The survey divides airlines into three categories: first and business class; premium economy; and economy and basic economy. So, which airlines were best in class for each class of service? This year, JetBlue Airways, which recently unveiled plans to bring a first-class cabin to its domestic flights, ranked highest for first and business-class service—JetBlue calls this its Mint class. The airline ousted Delta Air Lines, which ranked No. 1 for its front-of-the-plane offering last year. Delta did, however, hang onto its top spot for its premium economy offering (it happens to be one of Afar editors’ favorite premium economy service). And despite numerous fundamental changes that are currently underway at Southwest, the airline hung onto its first-place spot in the economy and basic economy category.

The report was based on a survey conducted from March 2024 to March 2025 that gathered responses from 10,224 passengers who had flown with a major North American airline within the past month.

For the 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, overall passenger satisfaction was measured based on these seven factors:

• Airline staff
• Digital tools
• Ease of travel
• Level of trust
• Onboard experience
• Pre- and post-flight experience
• Value for price paid

In the J.D. Power 2025 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, the points are based on a 1,000-point scale. Here’s how the airlines stacked up.

The best North American airlines for first and business class

1. JetBlue Airways (738 points)
2. Delta Air Lines (724 points)
3. Alaska Airlines (709 points)
4. United Airlines (690 points)
5. Air Canada (686 points)
6. American Airlines (684 points)

The best North American airlines for premium economy

1. Delta Air Lines (717 points)
2. JetBlue Airways (699 points)
3. Alaska Airlines (691 points)
4. United Airlines (652 points)
5. American Airlines (650 points)
6. Air Canada (616 points)
7. WestJet (614 points)

The best North American airlines for economy and basic economy

1. Southwest Airlines (694 points)
2. JetBlue Airways (663 points)
3. Delta Air Lines (662 points)
4. Alaska Airlines (645 points)
5. Allegiant Air (636 points)
6. United Airlines (603 points)
7. American Airlines (597 points)
8. Air Canada (561 points)
9. WestJet (537 points)
10. Spirit Airlines (526 points)
11. Frontier Airlines (520 points)

This story was originally published in May 2023 and was updated on May 7, 2025, to include current information.