Summer is here and travel plans are getting locked in. As the month of June nears, more flights are getting booked across the many carriers offered in the US. This means you are likely trying to quickly decide on which airline is the best for you to travel with.
One of the most popular choices in the US is American Airlines, but you may still be wondering “Is American Airlines a good airline?” Here is everything you need to know about the carrier and whether it is right for you.
About American Airlines
American Airlines was founded in 1930 through a merger of more than 80 small airlines and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It has since grown into one of the most prominent airlines globally. American Airlines operates a diverse fleet of aircraft, including Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777 and 787, as well as various regional jets. With these fleets the airline serves an extensive network of destinations, covering cities across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.
American Airlines is also a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, which includes other major carriers like British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. This partnership allows for extensive codesharing and cooperation between member airlines. Flyers with AA can also receive benefits in the form of its AAdvantage loyalty program, which offers rewards to frequent flyers through accruing miles and elite status tiers.
Is American Airlines Good?
Determining “is American Airlines good?” depends on a variety of factors as every airline with such a large client base will have areas needing improvement. American Airlines standards for safety are considered one of the best in the country but other aspects of the experience with the carrier are consistently rated fairly or poorly.
Best Airlines in the US in 2024
WalletHub released its annual rating of the best US airlines. The personal finance company compared the nine biggest airlines in the US, plus one regional carrier, based on how they ranked across several categories including Best Airline Overall, Most Affordable Airline, Most Reliable Airline, Most Comfortable Airlines and Safest Airline.
Additionally, according to Forbes, “To rank the airlines for 2024, WalletHub analyzed 2023 flight data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and using a strategic methodology that compared key metrics, including cancellation, delays, baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort.” The outlet further explained, “Categories were also weighted differently, with baggage and departures accounting for 50 points, safety counting for 35 points, and in-flight comfort counting for 15 points.”
Best Airline Overall
Overall, American Airlines was ranked by WalletHub at number eight out of ten for the best airline in the US. It was awarded 46.52 points out of a possible 100 points. In comparison, the highest rated airline in the US was Alaska Airlines with a score of 68.07 points. The lowest rated airline according to WalletHub was Southwest Airlines with a score of 36.03.
Most Comfortable Airlines
American Airlines did not place amongst the top of many of the categories in this ranking, as can be deduced from its overall score. AA’s highest scoring category was for most comfortable airlines in a three way tie for second place with Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Forbes reported aspects like in-flight entertainment options, snacks and drink availability and leg room were considered for this category.
Safest Airline
AA’s second highest rated category was at number five for safest airline. It received a score of 23.98 out of 35 for safety. This is up almost three points from its score from last year. Scoring for this category is based on criteria such as Fatal Injuries in Aviation Accidents, Injuries in Aviation Incidents & Accidents and Aviation Incidents & Accidents. AA has not had any fatal injuries between the years of 2018-2023.
Most Reliable Airline
The last two categories are where American Airlines falls short. For most reliable airline in the US, Wallethub ranked AA at number nine. It received a score of 17.92 out of 40 totaled from the criteria of Delays, Mishandled Baggage Reports and Denied Boardings.
Most Affordable Airline
The final category of most affordable airline in the US is where American Airlines ranked the lowest as number ten out of ten. Wallethub determined this through observing each airline’s passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM). AA had the highest rate at 16.15 cents per mile. The lowest rate and most affordable airline was Spirit Airlines with 5.23 cents per mile.
If you strictly go off the data found in Wallethub’s ranking of best airlines in the US, the answer to “is American Airlines good?” would be no in comparison to other US carriers. You can expect high comfort and good safety but other parts of the experience with AA like affordability and reliability are considered poor.
Skytrax Rating of American Airlines
You can also consider Skytrax if you are still pondering “is American Airlines good?” Skytrax is a British-based consultancy specializing in air transport research, such as airline and airport reviews and rankings. It is best known for its annual World Airline Awards, often referred to as the “Skytrax World Airline Awards” or simply “Skytrax Awards.” These prestigious awards are based on passenger surveys and cover various aspects of airline service, including cabin comfort, onboard amenities, customer service and overall passenger satisfaction.
American Airlines placed at number 82 for Skytrax’ World’s Top 100 Airlines 2023. This is down from number 68 from the previous year. Furthermore, Skytrax rated AA as a three out of five star airline. This means the quality of its airport and onboard product and staff service if considered fair or average. According to Skytrax, “Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.”
Customer reviews are also shared by Skytrax. American Airlines was rated two out of ten on average for its overall score and amongst all five categories by customers via Skytrax. Categories included Food & Beverages, Inflight Entertainment, Seat Comfort, Staff Service and Value for Money.
So, is American Airlines Good?
Many of the data provided on American Airlines shows poor or average ratings for different aspects of the experience with the airline. However, every airline has its faults and AA is still one of the biggest carriers in the US for a reason.
NerdWallet reported, “Is American Airlines a good airline? While it does have areas for improvement, no airline is perfect. American Airlines is considered to be a safe airline and has excellent mileage redemption options. It offers flights to many destinations worldwide and has a variety of ticket types for travelers of all budgets.”
American Airlines’ often higher prices, comfortability and in-flight entertainment are pretty standard, despite other airlines having better deals/amenities. The main area where AA falls short is its reliability.