The Worst Airlines in the US [2027], Ranked by DOT Data

Which airlines should you stay away from? Frontier lands near the bottom on almost every DOT measure. See how 8 major U.S. airlines stack up.

Everybody's got a bad airline story. The two-hour delay, the lost bag, the cancellation at midnight. Ask around, and you’ll find that everyone has a different airline they stay away from.

So who's really the worst? Going by the government's own numbers, it's Frontier, which lands near the bottom on almost every metric. But JetBlue and American aren't far behind.

Here's the twist, though. Cheap doesn't have to mean bad. Allegiant, a budget airline, does better than most of the big names. Here's how every airline stacks up, so you know who to book and who to skip.

Frontier Lands Near the Bottom

Line up the eight major U.S. airlines still flying, and Frontier lands near the bottom on almost everything the government tracks. American Airlines and JetBlue aren't much better. On the bright side, Delta and Southwest land near the top on most measures.

Here's the short version, problem by problem:

Most likely to be late: JetBlue. Most on time: Alaska.
Most likely to cancel: American. Fewest cancellations: Allegiant.
Most likely to mess up your bag: United. Best with bags: Allegiant.
Most likely to bump you: Frontier. Delta and Allegiant didn't bump anyone involuntarily.
Most complaints: Frontier. Fewest: Southwest.
Roughest on wheelchairs: JetBlue. Best: Delta.

Below, all eight airlines are lined up on each problem, best on the left and worst on the right.

Late flights are for January to August 2026, complaints for January to March 2026, and the rest for 2025. Spirit isn't on the list because it stopped flying in May 2026, and Hawaiian is part of Alaska now.

U.S. airlines ranked from best to worst on six problems. On time: Alaska, Delta, United, Southwest, American, Allegiant, Frontier, and JetBlue. Cancellations: Allegiant, Southwest, Alaska, United, Delta, JetBlue, Frontier, and American. Bags: Allegiant, JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, Delta, Alaska, American, and United. Bumping: Delta and Allegiant (tied, since neither bumped anyone), Southwest, United, JetBlue, Alaska, American, and Frontier. Complaints: Southwest, Allegiant, Alaska, Delta, United, American, JetBlue, and Frontier. Wheelchairs: Delta, Allegiant, United, Southwest, Alaska, American, Frontier, and JetBlue. U.S. Department of Transportation figures. On time covers January to August 2026, complaints January to March 2026, and everything else 2025.

Every Airline Has a Weak Spot

Even the best airlines slip somewhere, so it helps to know each one's weak spot before you book.

Alaska: The most on time, but near the bottom for bags and bumping.
Allegiant: The fewest cancellations and bag problems, but can struggle to get you there on time.
American: Canceled the biggest share of its flights in 2025, 2.4%, compared with just 0.5% at Allegiant.
Delta: Lands in the middle of the pack for cancellations and bags.
Frontier: The worst for bumping and complaints, with about 25 complaints for every 100,000 passengers, compared with fewer than 2 at Southwest.
JetBlue: The latest flights, with only 67% on time from January to August 2026, and the worst with wheelchair treatment.
Southwest: The fewest complaints. Its weakest spots are being on time and wheelchair treatment.
United: The worst with checked bags.

We worked out the complaint rates from DOT's counts and passenger numbers, since DOT only shares the counts now. And keep in mind a complaint is one person's side of the story, not proof the airline did anything wrong.

Share of flights that arrived on time from January to August 2026: Alaska 78.6%, Delta 78.0%, United 76.1%, Southwest 73.1%, American 73.0%, Allegiant 72.1%, Frontier 69.7%, and JetBlue 67.3%. U.S. Department of Transportation, January to August 2026. Spirit stopped flying in May 2026.

Cheap Doesn't Mean Bad

Budget airlines aren't all the same, so don't write them all off. Allegiant, a low-fare airline, does better than the big airlines on most of the metrics.

Allegiant beats Alaska, American, Delta and United on cancellations, bags, and complaints. Only Delta matches or beats it on bumping and wheelchairs.

Frontier, another low-fare airline, is the opposite story. It lands near the bottom on almost everything.

So judge the airline, not the price tag. A cheap ticket on a reliable airline can be a pretty good deal.

How to Avoid a Bad Flight

Whichever airline you go with, an early flight and a nonstop flight give you the best shot at landing on time. Here's what to check before you book.

Fly early: At the biggest U.S. airports in August 2026, 89% of flights due to land between 7 and 8 a.m. got in on time. For flights due between 9 and 10 p.m., that number dropped to 55%.
Go nonstop: No connection means no connection to miss. On U.S. flights under two hours, nonstop flights were usually cheaper too.
Look up your flight: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics lets you check how often your flight number shows up on time.
Give yourself a cushion: Got a cruise, wedding, or tour? Fly in a day early.
Know your rights: If your flight gets canceled, DOT explains when you can get your money back.
Watch the price: A tool like RatePunk Flights can watch prices from your home airport and alert you when a flight costs less than usual.

What to check before you book. Fly early: early flights get in on time more often. At the biggest U.S. airports in August 2026, 89% of flights due to land between 7 and 8 a.m. got in on time, compared with 55% of flights due between 9 and 10 p.m. Go nonstop: no connection means no connection to miss. Look up your flight: see how often your flight number shows up on time. Give yourself a cushion: got a cruise, wedding, or tour? Fly in a day early. Know your rights: find out when you can get a refund for a canceled flight. Watch the price: get an alert when a flight costs less than usual.

Skip Frontier When You Can

If there's one airline to stay away from, it's Frontier. It lands near the bottom on almost every problem the government tracks, and it draws more complaints per passenger than any other major airline.

After that, it depends on what bugs you most. Skip JetBlue if you can't afford to be late, American if a cancellation would wreck your trip, and United if you're checking a bag you care about.

No airline is perfect, so how you book matters as much as who you fly. Fly early, go nonstop, and give yourself a cushion when the trip really counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spirit Airlines still flying?

Nope. Spirit Airlines stopped flying on May 2, 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

What is the most reliable U.S. airline?

Delta's the most dependable pick based on DOT's numbers. Delta was near the top for on-time flights in both 2025 and 2026, and it didn't bump a single passenger involuntarily in 2025.

Does Delta or United have more delays?

United, but only by a little. From January to August 2026, 76% of United flights arrived on time, compared with 78% for Delta.

What is the safest U.S. airline?

All the big U.S. airlines have to meet the same strict FAA safety rules, and the FAA keeps watch over every one of them. So the differences you'll actually notice between airlines are delays, cancellations and lost bags.

Is Frontier really that bad?

Looking at the government's numbers, yes. Frontier lands in the bottom three on five of the six problems we compared, and it draws more complaints per passenger than any other major airline. Its one bright spot is bags, where it sits in the middle of the pack.

How We Got These Numbers

The airline figures in this guide come from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, with the month and year of each. The prices come from flight searches RatePunk tracked from the U.S. These are prices shown in searches, not prices people paid.

About RatePunk

Reading fares and understanding what makes them move is our area of expertise, and the prices in this article come from our own flight data. We run RatePunk Flights, a paid membership that watches prices out of the airport you fly from. When a route drops well below what it normally costs, the deal shows up in your app and on your dashboard, so you can book it wherever you like, with the airline itself or a travel site you already use.

If you found this interesting, you might also enjoy these articles:

We are loading your page...

The Worst U.S. Airlines to Fly in 2027