Air travelers say you should avoid flying this airline

road trip

as if Kirsten Fleming

May 12, 2023 | 6:42 p.m

Americans don’t feel ghosts in the sky.

In an anonymous survey conducted on May 1, travel source Vacationer asked more than 1,000 Americans which of the 10 major carriers they avoid flying in the US.

Spirit Airlines had the dubious distinction of finishing with 21 percent.

Allegiant Air came second with 16.36%, while American Airlines rounded out the top three with 14.40%. Frontier Airlines followed closely behind at 14.30 percent.

“Lack of connectivity and poor customer service are the two main reasons people don’t fly airlines again,” Vacationer’s Eric Jones told USA Today.

It has not been a good year for Spirit Airlines in consumer opinion. They were rated low in passenger satisfaction in the 2023 US Customer Satisfaction Index, which collected data from April 2022 to March 2023.

The budget airline was awarded 64 points out of 100, which is the dead last of the 11 domestic airlines.

Surprisingly, Southwest fared relatively well.

They crashed in December when they canceled more than 2,500 flights, crowding out thousands of travelers during the holiday season, but came in at No. 8 with 10.28%.

“Southwest Airlines recovered quickly from last year’s holiday slump. While the airline reported a first-quarter loss, its March numbers were up from last year,” Jones said.

The airline said that two free checked bags, no change for some tickets and a comparable price compared to other airlines is the airline’s speedy return.

According to the site, Spirit was the most rejected airline for each age group.

The list below ranks airlines from most avoided to least avoided, and the percentages reflect how often travelers chose or didn’t choose them.

1. Spirit Airlines – 21.06%
2. Allegheny Air – 16.36%
3. American Airlines – 14.40%
4. Frontier Airlines – 14.30%
5. Delta Air Lines – 12.63%
6. JetBlue – 12.63%
7. Alaska Airlines – 10.68%
8. Southwest Airlines – 10.28%
9. United Airlines – 7.64%
10. Hawaiian Airlines – 5.48%

About half of respondents said they don’t avoid specific carriers, but are more concerned about flight price, date and time.