2022 Airline Rankings

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) is the most comprehensive study of performance and quality of the largest airlines in the United States. The rating is a multifactor examination of the airlines based on mishandled baggage, consumer complaints, on-time performance and involuntary denied boardings. The impact of the novel coronavirus on the U.S. domestic air travel system in 2020 was profound and has had continued effects into 2021. Each airline was challenged to handle an uncertain situation and adapt its respective offerings to fast-changing circumstances. Some airlines adapted quicker than others and the AQR numbers give some insight into this adaptive timeline.
The mishandled baggage rate for the industry grew from 3.96 per 1,000 checked bags in 2020 to 4.97 per 1,000 checked bags in 2021.
Denied boardings were noticeably worse in 2021 (0.17 per 10,000 passengers) than in 2020 (0.08 per 10,000 passengers).
The industry rate for customer complaints per 100,000 passengers decreased from 11.75 in 2020 to 3.44 in 2021.
Only two airlines improved on-time arrival performance in 2021. On-time performance for the industry in 2021 was 79.1% compared to 83.6% in 2020.

Compare with results from previous years