The Top 5 Worst U.S. Airlines: A Traveler’s Guide to What to Avoid

Air travel can be one of the most exciting or stressful parts of a journey, depending on the airline you choose. The dream of soaring to new destinations can quickly turn into a nightmare when you’re stuck on a flight with one of the worst airlines in the U.S. From delayed flights to cramped seating and poor customer service, these airlines have consistently ranked low in customer satisfaction. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into the top five worst U.S. airlines, explain why they’ve earned this title, and suggest some better alternatives to help make your next trip more enjoyable.

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1. Spirit Airlines: The King of Budget Woes

Why It’s Considered the Worst

Spirit Airlines is infamous for its no-frills approach to air travel. While their ultra-low fares might seem like a great deal at first glance, the reality is often much different. Spirit's business model is based on offering base fares that are incredibly low but making up for it with an array of fees for everything from carry-on luggage to printing your boarding pass at the airport. This à la carte pricing structure can turn a seemingly cheap ticket into an unexpectedly expensive ordeal.

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Customer Complaints

One of the most common complaints about Spirit Airlines is the extreme lack of comfort. Spirit offers some of the least legroom in the industry, with a seat pitch of just 28 inches on most of its planes. For comparison, most other airlines offer a seat pitch of 30 to 32 inches in economy class. The seats themselves are also notoriously uncomfortable, with minimal padding and no recline feature.

Customer service is another area where Spirit consistently falls short. The airline has a reputation for being unresponsive and unhelpful, particularly when it comes to handling complaints or issues like flight delays and cancellations. Many travelers have reported being treated poorly by Spirit’s staff, both on the ground and in the air. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Spirit scored a dismal 63 out of 100 in 2023, one of the lowest ratings among U.S. airlines.

A frustrated traveler shared on TripAdvisor: "Spirit is the worst airline I’ve ever flown with. The seats are uncomfortable, the staff is rude, and the nickel-and-diming is ridiculous. I’ll never fly with them again."

The Fee Trap

Spirit Airlines is notorious for its plethora of fees. Want to choose your seat in advance? That’ll cost you. Bringing a carry-on bag? Expect to pay. Need a bottle of water during your flight? Yes, that’s an extra charge too. These fees can add up quickly, sometimes costing more than the original ticket price itself.

For example, Spirit charges anywhere from $10 to $65 for carry-on bags, depending on when you pay the fee—earlier is cheaper, while paying at the gate is the most expensive. Checked bags aren’t much better, with fees ranging from $21 to $65. If you want to choose your seat, expect to pay anywhere from $1 to $50 depending on the location and legroom.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for an airline that offers low fares without the excessive fees, Southwest Airlines is a solid choice. Southwest allows two free checked bags and does not charge for carry-on luggage. They also have a more generous cancellation and rebooking policy, along with consistently higher customer satisfaction scores.