These are the airlines most Americans say they avoid flying no matter what

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These are the airlines most Americans say they avoid flying no matter what​

Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY - Yesterday 9:46 PM

Many of us have our prefered airline, but what are the ones you refuse to fly?

In anticipation for a busy summer of travel, The Vacationer surveyed over 1,000 Americans to discover which of the 10 major U.S.-based carriers they avoid at all costs. Some of the airlines mentioned included Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines.


A Spirit Airlines plane at Myrtle Beach International Airport in August 2022© Zach Wichter/USA TODAY

“Lack of communication and poor customer service are two major reasons why people will not fly an airline again,” The Vacationer’s Eric Jones said.

Remember Southwest’s meltdown that left thousands of people stranded in airports last December? The event didn’t deter the airline from being awarded J.D. Power’s highest marks in the economy travel category and ranking positively in The Vacationer’s survey.

Travelers should not have to worry about what will happen if their flight gets canceled or delayed,” he added.

The survey took place on May 1, and respondents were able to check off as many airlines as they wanted and their results were anonymous.

Below are the airlines people avoid flying on the most, in order from most avoided to least avoided. The percentages show how many people chose that airline, or technically, don’t actually choose that airline.

1. Allegiant Air — 16.36%
2. American Airlines — 14.40%
3. Frontier Airlines — 14.30%
4. Delta Air Lines — 12.63%
5. JetBlue — 12.63%
6. Alaska Airlines — 10.68%
7. Southwest Airlines — 10.28%
8. United Airlines — 7.64%
9. Hawaiian Airlines — 5.48%

Nearly half of the survey respondents said they don’t avoid a specific airline but care more about flight cost or date and time.

This isn’t the first time Spirit has ranked lowest in passenger satisfaction. In the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index, which collected data from April 2022 to March 2023, Spirit earned a score of 64 out of 100, dead last out of 11 U.S.-based airlines.

According to The Vacationer, Spirit was also the most avoided airline for every single age group.

Jones said he was surprised that Southwest wasn’t avoided by more Americans and higher on the list. “Southwest Airlines has quickly recovered from its holiday meltdown last year,” he added. “While the airline reported a first-quarter loss, its March bookings were up from last year.”

He said the speedy recovery is a result of having two free checked bags, no change fees for some tickets and how it’s more affordable than other carriers.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are the airlines most Americans say they avoid flying no matter what