Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue Soar to the Top of 2025 J.D. Power Rankings

Updated: May 7, 2025, 12:14pm CDT

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Which Airlines Delivered the Best Experience in 2025?
Final Thoughts

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The J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Study is an annual survey that measures airline passengers’ satisfaction with their travel experience in North America. It examines feedback from thousands of travelers who recently flew with major airlines, and scores are based on a 1,000-point scale.

Every year, this survey is conducted, and some of the many airlines we know and love (and some we don’t) are mentioned.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Study results.

Which Airlines Delivered the Best Experience in 2025?

Following years of post-pandemic travel growth, the “revenge travel” trend appears to be cooling. Domestic air travel in North America is down in early 2025, and carriers are imposing new surcharges on items such as baggage and seat selection.

But here’s a twist: according to J.D. Power’s most recent airline satisfaction survey, travelers are actually happier with their flying experiences than they were last year.

Southwest agent helps passengers check in — J.D. Power’s 2025 Airline Satisfaction study shows that passengers are, on the whole, happier than last year. Image Credit: Southwest

Overall satisfaction rose slightly, especially among those flying economy or basic economy — where scores jumped thanks in large part to friendly and helpful airline staff. It’s a good reminder that great customer service still goes a long way.

Problems like delays were still the most common complaint, but only a small percentage of travelers reported issues at all. Not surprisingly, passengers who had smooth, hassle-free trips were much more likely to say they’d fly that same airline again.

JetBlue earned the top spot for customer satisfaction in the first/business class segment, followed by Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines. In premium economy, Delta led for the third year in a row, ahead of JetBlue and Alaska. Finally, for the fourth consecutive year, Southwest Airlines emerged victorious in the economy/basic economy segment, closely followed by JetBlue and Delta.

JetBlue Mint Studio — JetBlue topped customer satisfaction in the first/business class segment with its impressive Mint product. Image Credit: Stella Shon

The 2025 study is based on responses from 10,224 passengers. Passengers must have flown on a major North American airline within a month of completing a survey. The study was conducted from March 2024 through March 2025.

“Throughout our one-year study period, we’ve seen a slight decline in both ticket prices and passenger volume, which has helped keep overall passenger satisfaction levels high,” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail, and customer service at J.D. Power.

Hot Tip:

The J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Study rates airlines based on 7 key criteria: the professionalism of airline staff, the ease of digital tools like apps and check-in, the overall travel experience from booking to boarding, passenger trust in the airline, the quality of the on-board experience, pre- and post-flight services like baggage handling, and whether passengers feel they received good value for the price paid.

Final Thoughts

The 2025 J.D. Power Airline Satisfaction Study shows that overall satisfaction with airlines is on the rise. Southwest Airlines once again topped the economy/basic economy category, while JetBlue came out on top for first/business class, and Delta led the premium economy segment for the third year in a row.

The study highlights how important friendly and helpful staff are in making passengers happy, with loyalty tied to positive experiences. Even though flight delays were the most common issue, fewer than 10% of passengers reported problems, proving that airlines are improving their service overall.