Delta surges as Spirit fallout reshapes U.S. airline mood

Delta becomes – Delta Air Lines overtook American Airlines and United Airlines as the carrier U.S. travelers are most likely to consider buying from, scoring first in quality and satisfaction as well. The rankings also spotlight the lingering impact of Spirit Airlines’ collap

For U.S. travelers, the airline shopping list is changing. Delta Air Lines has become the new go-to carrier that American travelers consider when purchasing a flight, leapfrogging American Airlines and United Airlines, according to an annual study released this week by YouGov.

Delta also reached the No. 1 spot for quality. It beat the three other largest U.S. carriers—American, United, and Southwest Airlines—for satisfaction among current and former travelers. Together. those two results amounted to a “really banner year” for Delta. field marketing manager John Newell said during a conference call discussing the survey.

YouGov’s Kenton Barello, a senior vice president with the company, added that Delta has “done a phenomenal job in terms of entering the consumer mindset, staying strong, building on that consideration.”

The study doesn’t show every traveler turning fully to U.S. brands. Even with Delta’s jump, American travelers have taken a liking to foreign carriers for satisfaction. Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways topped that satisfaction ranking. Only two U.S. carriers—Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines—made the top 10 in the category.

Delta’s momentum, the YouGov results suggest, is being reinforced from multiple angles. For the fourth straight year, Delta was the top-ranked airline for customer satisfaction in the premium economy segment. It also came in second for satisfaction in the first/business class segment and the economy/basic economy segment. in the annual J.D. Power North America airline satisfaction study released earlier this month.

That broader confidence matters because it comes as the industry absorbs a shock. The YouGov survey flagged what may be the ripple effects from Spirit Airlines’ collapse, which occurred earlier this month. Among all carriers—including regional and international airlines—Spirit was the only one to see a decline in customer satisfaction from the 2025 study. Newell said that dip was “likely a contributing factor” in the company’s decision to cease operations.

Spirit’s disappearance, however, may be creating openings elsewhere. The YouGov study found Southwest, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries. Frontier’s path could be tougher than its neighbors: Frontier ranked only ahead of Spirit in customer satisfaction. meaning there’s room to improve even before it can fully capitalize on the vacuum left behind.

Newell summed up that challenge directly. “It’s an area [Frontier is] going to want to focus on,” he said. “Frontier is an airline that makes sense to be a potential really big player for those fliers who are looking for the budget airline experience.”

Delta Air Lines YouGov American Airlines United Airlines Southwest Airlines Spirit Airlines collapse Frontier Airlines JetBlue Airways airline customer satisfaction premium economy first/business class economy basic economy Emirates Singapore Airlines Qatar Airways