It’s a tale of two North Texas giants. Dallas-based Southwest keeps its crown in customer satisfaction, but American Airlines misses the mark in every category.
DALLAS — North Texas-based airlines are seeing vastly different results in the eyes of travelers, according to the J.D. Power 2026 North America Airline Satisfaction Study released Wednesday.
The annual study, which measures passenger satisfaction across seven core categories including staff, trust, and value, found that overall satisfaction with North American carriers is rising. However, the performance of the two local giants—Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Fort Worth-based American Airlines—shows a significant gap in customer approval.
Southwest Remains the Economy King
Southwest Airlines once again secured the highest ranking in the Economy/Basic Economy segment. This marks the fifth consecutive year the Dallas carrier has taken the top spot in this category, finishing with a score of 670 on a 1,000-point scale. Delta Air Lines followed in second place with a score of 667, while JetBlue Airways ranked third at 655.
“Earning the top spot for a fifth consecutive year is a powerful demonstration of the experience our People provide to our Customers,” said Tony Roach, Southwest’s Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Brand Officer.
American Airlines Struggles Below Average
While Southwest celebrated a victory, Fort Worth-based American Airlines struggled to keep pace with industry averages. According to the study, American Airlines ranked below the segment average in all three categories: First/Business, Premium Economy, and Economy/Basic Economy.
Across the industry, the top three performers in the First/Business segment were JetBlue, Delta, and Alaska Airlines; in Premium Economy, the leaders were Delta, Alaska, and JetBlue; and in the Economy/Basic Economy category, Southwest, Delta, and JetBlue took the top spots.
In the First/Business segment, American had a score of 698—well below the segment average of 717. American had a score of 657 in the Premium Economy segment and 624 in the Economy/Basic economy segment; both below the average score in each category.
Industry Trends
Overall, the industry is seeing a “return to basics” that is resonating with passengers.
“Despite many challenges, the airlines returned to basics of passenger communication, friendly service and providing slightly better value for money compared to past years,” said Michael Taylor, senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service at J.D. Power.
However, Taylor warned that rising costs may threaten these gains.
“With airfare prices for some routes tripling over the past few weeks and baggage fees increasing to cover rising fuel costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines to continue to drive the high levels of customer satisfaction,” Taylor said.