These Are the 5 Most Reliable U.S. Airlines

For the best odds of an on-time arrival, book with one of these airlines.

When flying on major U.S. airlines, you have about a three-in-four chance of arriving on time. That's according to an Air Travel Consumer Report that tracked airline arrivals over the first six months of 2022. An arrival is considered on-time if it's within 15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time.

Travel delays are always frustrating, and although a majority of flights arrive on time, the airline you choose makes a big difference here. Among the 10 largest U.S. carriers, on-time arrival rates ranged from 61.6% to 82.1%.

You'll find the five most reliable airlines below. Note that for airlines with branded codeshare partners, their partners' on-time percentages are included in their overall averages.

1. Hawaiian Airlines (82.1%)

Hawaiian Airlines has the best on-time arrival rate among the major U.S. carriers. This airline is different from most in that it's dedicated to flying passengers to and from Hawaii, so it has a much smaller route network. In addition to staying on schedule, Hawaiian Airlines is also great at avoiding common air travel issues, like cancellations and baggage mishaps.

Those who live in Hawaii or travel there often may want to consider the Hawaiian Airlines credit card. Any time you fly with an airline often, it's worth checking out that carrier's airline credit cards to see what kind of benefits it offers.

2. Delta Air Lines (80.7%)

Delta Air Lines ranks second for on-time arrivals, and it's the best among the carriers with large route networks. Considering its good reputation, that's to be expected. Delta has consistently achieved high scores in customer satisfaction, and part of keeping passengers happy is staying on schedule.

The main Delta hub and its headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, and it has a total of nine hubs across the United States. If you're a frequent flyer with this airline, Delta credit cards offer extra perks and can help you earn more miles. There are multiple credit card options available, so you can pick the one with the features that fit you best.

3. Alaska Airlines (78.9%)

Alaska Airlines came in third over the first half of 2022. This airline used to be the definitive leader in customer satisfaction, as it ranked first in the J.D. Power rankings for 12 years in a row until 2019. Even though it isn't No. 1 anymore, it still gets good customer satisfaction scores.

The primary Alaska Airlines hub is at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, and it has five total. Frequent flyers can check out the Alaska Airlines credit card to add to their miles.

4. United Airlines (76.9%)

United Airlines has been doing reasonably well with on-time arrivals lately. But even though it beats the average in this category, United has below-average customer satisfaction scores in recent J.D. Power rankings.

This airline has eight hubs in the United States, with the largest being at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. For its loyal customers, the airline offers several different United credit cards, all with their own unique and valuable perks.

5. American Airlines (76.7%)

While there are plenty of large airlines, American Airlines is the largest. Considering the massive number of flights and routes it offers, this airline's on-time arrival rate is a point in its favor. However, it tends to get low scores for customer satisfaction, so there's still room for improvement in other areas.

There are 10 American Airlines hubs in the United States, with the largest being at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. If you want to earn miles with American on your everyday purchases, you can do so by getting one of the American Airlines credit cards.

Other major airlines fell short

You might be wondering how other popular airlines fared. Outside of the five listed above, the other big airlines didn't do so well. On-time arrival rates were especially disappointing with some of the low-cost carriers. Here were the exact numbers for the other top U.S. airlines:

• Southwest Airlines: 73.9%
• Spirit Airlines: 69.3%
• Frontier Airlines: 64.5%
• JetBlue Airways: 62.1%
• Allegiant Air: 61.6%

Arrival rates can fluctuate from month to month, and overall, they're down across the board this year. But over longer periods of time like this data covers, we can get an accurate idea of how each airline performs. If you're deciding between airlines, either for a single flight or as your carrier of choice, the ones at the top of this list are the most reliable.