It’s official: these are the best (and worst) international airlines for 2023
Overall passenger satisfaction dropped seven points from one year ago, to 791 out of 1,000, according to J.D. Power’s 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. Folks in the front of planes, in first and business class sections, however, reported higher satisfaction than economy travelers, with first-class passenger satisfaction rising nine points to 846 compared to last year. J.D. Power surveyed 7,774 passengers who flew commercially between March 2022 and March 2023. Their satisfaction was measured based on how highly they rated the following criteria: Making reservations, the check-in and boarding experiences, baggage handling, the quality of the aircraft and staff, in-flight services and costs and fees.
Worst airline
Airline passenger satisfaction has waned over the past year as higher fares, crowded planes and limited flight availability have made the flying experience less than enjoyable, a new study by data analytics firm J.D. Power shows. While high demand for air travel, coupled with limited supply, is driving carriers’ revenue up, customer satisfaction is down and could mar some major airlines’ reputations, the report suggests. “While these drawbacks have not yet put a dent in leisure travel demand, if this trend continues, travelers will reach a breaking point and some airline brands may be damaged,” Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at data analytics firm J.D. Power, said in a statement.
Overall passenger satisfaction dropped seven points from one year ago, to 791 out of 1,000, according to J.D. Power’s 2023 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. Folks in the front of planes, in first and business class sections, however, reported higher satisfaction than economy travelers, with first-class passenger satisfaction rising nine points to 846 compared to last year. J.D. Power surveyed 7,774 passengers who flew commercially between March 2022 and March 2023. Their satisfaction was measured based on how highly they rated the following criteria: Making reservations, the check-in and boarding experiences, baggage handling, the quality of the aircraft and staff, in-flight services and costs and fees.
American Airlines fared poorly, as it was among the lowest-rated airlines across every fare class. Despite its holiday scheduling meltdown , Southwest ranked the highest in customer satisfaction in the economy/basic economy segment for a second year in a row. Around Christmastime, the carrier canceled more than 16,700 flights, sparking outrage among customers as well as investigations from lawmakers and transportation regulators. In some cases, travelers missed their own weddings, were separated from essential medications and were unable to retrieve their belongings, like car seats and winter coats. Here is the complete list of the best and worst airlines in the U.S. along with their satisfaction rating on a 1,000-point scale.
First/Business class
- JetBlue Airways (893)
- Delta Air Lines (865)
- United Airlines (848)
Worst airlines
- American Airlines (826)
- Alaska Airlines (833)
Premium Economy
Best airlines
- Delta Air Lines (848)
- JetBlue Airways (840)
- Alaska (823)
Worst airlines
- United Airlines (784)
- American Airlines (821)
Economy/Basic Economy
Best airlines
- Southwest Airlines (827)
- Delta Air Lines (801)
- JetBlue Airways (800)
Worst airlines
- Frontier Airlines (705)
- Spirit Airlines (727)
- American Airlines (764)
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First published on May 11, 2023 / 6:05 PM EDT
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It’s official: these are the best (and worst) international airlines for 2023
A dismal journey can make you question your choice to go abroad altogether. Was the four-hour delay into the two-day trip, trapped in a freezing cabin, really worth it?
If you want to make sure your next trip gets off to a flying start, you’re in the right place. Bounce, a luggage storage platform, has updated its airline index to reveal the best and worst international airlines in 2023. They’ve evaluated everything from in-flight catering to the number of on-time arrivals and come up with the ranking – and it’s pretty comprehensive.
The best airline in the world, according to Bounce, is Japan Airlines, which boasts a score of 8.28/10. It scores excellently for its in-flight experience and also has an impressively low flight cancellation rate, at just 1.56 percent, plus a generous baggage allowance.
On the flip side, ranking as the worst international airline for 2023 is Indonesian airline Wings Air, which has a measly index score of just 0.37/10. This might be one to avoid if you’re on a particularly tight schedule: less than half of the airline’s flights arrive on time, and its cancellation rate of 15.91 percent is the second highest, after Lion Air.
With that in mind, here are the best international airlines in 2023, according to Bounce.
- Japan Airlines (8.28)
- Singapore Airlines (7.63)
- Qatar Airways (7.5)
- Korean Air (7.19)
- Vistara (6.43)
- All Nippon Airways (6.23)
- Ethiopian Airlines (5.99)
- Air India (5.40)
- Azul Airlines (5.25)
- Emirates (5.16) / Vietnam Airlines (5.16)
And here are the worst international airlines in 2023, according to Bounce.
- Wings Air (0.37)
- Lion Air (0.61)
- Jetstar Airways (0.94)
- flydubai (1)
- VivaAerobus (1.18)
- Wizz Air (1.31)
- Ryanair (1.63)
- WestJet (1.66)
- Vueling Airlines (1.96)
- Air Canada (2.11) / Volaris (2.11)
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