Alaska Airlines beats Delta for top airline spot in Embry-Riddle study

PHOENIX — Alaska Airlines beat out Delta to take the top spot in the 2018 Airline Quality Rating — a study from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.

JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest rounded out the top five positions on the list.

“What it means to the Valley, and to the entire state of Arizona, is the fact that we do have current service from the top-two ranked airlines, actually from most of the airlines in the Airline Quality Rating,” said Embry-Riddle Professor Brent Bowen.

The rating tracks four factors — involuntary denied boarding, mishandled bags, customer complaints and on-time arrival — to determine which airlines have the highest performance. 

One of the key findings of the ratings report was that three of the four factors tracked all improved in the airline industry in 2017.

However, on-time performance, which is the most heavily weighted element of the rating, fell.

“I think it’s important to recognize how many airlines we have service with Sky Harbor with, we have a lot of choices,” Bowen said. “This will help the people make the best choice.”

The Airline Quality Rating is a joint research project between that is funded as part of faculty research at the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott campus.