The Airlines You Can Count On This Holiday Season

A Look at Airline Performance Ahead of the Busy Travel Rush

With Thanksgiving days away and millions preparing to fly, a new analysis sheds light on which airlines are most likely to get you to your destination on time. FinanceBuzz reviewed Department of Transportation data from the last four holiday seasons, examining delays, cancellations, mishandled bags, and average arrival delays to determine which carriers deliver the smoothest travel experience.

Delta Leads the Pack

Delta Air Lines ranked as the most dependable airline, earning the highest overall score thanks to its low percentage of delayed (13.7%) and cancelled flights (0.7%). While not the fastest for average delay length, Delta still outperformed the field in overall consistency. Forbes also recently named Delta the Best U.S. Airline for 2025, highlighting perks like complimentary Wi-Fi and standout customer service.

Hawaiian Airlines followed closely behind, and Southwest landed in the top three—boasting the shortest average delay time at just 50 minutes.

The Carriers Struggling Most

On the opposite end, JetBlue, Alaska, Allegiant, and Frontier posted the highest percentages of delays, cancellations, or mishandled bags. JetBlue recorded the highest delay rate (27.5%), while Allegiant posted one of the highest cancellation rates (2.2%). American Airlines also ranked near the bottom due to longer average delays—up to 75 minutes.

FinanceBuzz notes that the national average delay during recent holiday seasons is just over an hour, and only a handful of airlines come in under that threshold.

Why It Matters for Travelers

With nearly 39 million passengers screened during last year’s holiday season, choosing the right airline can be the difference between a smooth trip and a stressful one. While weather and airport congestion are out of travelers’ control, picking a consistently reliable carrier may help keep holiday travel headaches to a minimum.