By Soo KimShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAmerican Airlines, United, and Delta Air Lines have been placed among the top U.S. carriers in a new global ranking.
The annual ranking AirHelp, which evaluated 117 airlines, assessed airline performance based on three equally weighted criteria, which include on-time performance, customer opinion, and claim-processing efficiency. The analysis covered flights and customer experiences between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025.
AirHelp, a travel-tech company specializing in helping passengers secure compensation for flight delays and cancellations, has assisted more than 2.7 million passengers since 2013.
The company’s latest report compares airlines using the company’s flight-tracking data, customer surveys it conducted among travelers from more than 60 countries, and its own historical data on how efficiently carriers process valid compensation claims. Each airline was scored on each of the aforementioned three criteria and then given an overall score out of 10 to determine its position in the global ranking.
...American Airlines emerged as the highest-ranked U.S. airline globally, placing 11th. It was followed by United at 13th place and Delta Air Lines at 15th. Frontier Airlines (ranked 36th) and Hawaiian Airlines (ranked 50th) rounded out the top five U.S. carriers included in the global list. Southwest Airlines (sixth among U.S. carriers) also ranked in the upper half of the global listing, coming in at 52nd place.
AirHelp CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn told Newsweek that American Airlines edged out United due to its stronger performance in one key area. "This year, American Airlines beat out the second-ranking U.S.-based airline, United Airlines, due to its higher score in the claim-processing category."
Pawliszyn said: "In terms of customer opinion, the two airlines were scored similarly, and United actually had a higher score than American, based on on-time performance. However, United’s on-time performance score was not enough to outrank American overall this year."
Despite American Airlines' lead among domestic carriers, U.S. airlines overall saw a significant slide in the rankings. "U.S.-based airlines have been pushed out of the top 10 in the [global] rankings this year. While American Airlines had the strongest performance of U.S.-based airlines, ranking 11th globally, it did fall seven spots from its 2024 global ranking," Pawliszyn added.
United and American both saw notable drops compared with last year’s report. "Both United Airlines and American Airlines dropped from positions three and four last year, to positions 13 and 11, respectively, this year [in the global ranking]. This was mainly due to their drop in claim processing," Pawliszyn told Newsweek.
Top US Airlines in 2025 Global Listing
- American Airlines — (globally ranked no. 11; AirHelp Score: 7.64 out of 10)
- United Airlines — (globally ranked no. 13; AirHelp Score: 7.54 out of 10)
- Delta Air Lines — (globally ranked no. 15; AirHelp Score: 7.46 out of 10)
- Frontier Airlines — (globally ranked no. 36; AirHelp Score: 7.07 out of 10)
- Hawaiian Airlines — (globally ranked no. 50; AirHelp Score: 6.73 out of 10)
- Southwest Airlines — (globally ranked no. 52; AirHelp Score: 6.68 out of 10)
Source: A study by AirHelp, which ranked 117 airlines based on three equally weighted criteria, including on-time performance, customer opinion, and claim-processing efficiency, in the period between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025.
Do you have a travel-related story to share? Let us know via [email protected] and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NewsMap Shows Major Airports Expecting Worst Thanksgiving Travel Weather5 min read
TravelMap Shows Where Americans Are Most Likely To Visit for Thanksgiving3 min read
TravelAAA Warns Thanksgiving Travel Will Break Records—What To Expect3 min read
TravelAmerican Airlines Policy for Upgrading Pilots to 1st Class Raises Questions4 min read
TravelPassenger Told Not To Upgrade for 14-Hour Flight—Then She Realizes Why3 min read
TravelWorld’s Busiest Airport Announces Major Change to Boarding Rules3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsIsraeli Strikes Kill at Least Two Dozen in Gaza Amid Fragile Ceasefire5 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Mamdani and MTG, Two Sides of the Same Coin5 min read
PoliticsBomb Threats Target Democratic Lawmakers After Trump ‘Traitors’ Posts6 min read
NewsDonald Trump Reacts To Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation4 min read
NewsBolsonaro Arrested in Alleged Plot to Escape Prison Sentence4 min read
PoliticsRepublicans Are Facing a Generational Rift5 min readTrending
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
Winter StormWinter Storm Warning As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit5 min read
Product recallAmazon Recall: Threat-To-Life Warning Issued For Items Pulled Nationwide4 min read
Donald TrumpDonald Trump Faces Articles of Impeachment Before Christmas3 min read
NursesNursing Is No Longer Counted as a ‘Professional Degree’ by Trump Admin7 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Price of Culture Edition3 min read
OpinionLatinos Catch the Fish. Why Aren’t They at the Decision-Making Table? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhy Is the US Punishing Legal Immigrants? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhat Is an American?6 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: MAGA Infighting Edition2 min read
