The world's most popular airlines

The world's most popular airlines

In 2024, American Airlines helped an astounding 249 million passengers reach their destination. With overall air traffic rising by 3.8% since pre-COVID times, airlines are predicting a continued increase in customers over the next few years, with the most popular airlines encountering the biggest boom in demand.

But other than American Airlines, which airlines actually are the most popular, and what makes them so special? In this article, we'll go over the most popular airlines and detail the features that have helped cement them as the best.

The most popular airlines:

1. American Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. Ryanair
4. United Airlines
5. Southwest Airlines

American Airlines

American Airlines has held the title of the world's most popular airline for several years. Although popularity is constantly changing, there have been no significant indicators that American Airlines' will drop anytime soon.

Even though the USA doesn't have an official flag carrier, with its popularity and title of American Airlines, it's hard not to associate it as the country's national airline. With the US dominating the skies in terms of passengers per year, it's unsurprising that American Airlines has secured itself as the best.

American Airlines offers a diverse travel experience thanks to its multiple cabin classes. You have the option to choose a more budget seat, giving you more to spend on holiday, or you can select a more lavish experience with its first-class cabin.

Another big part of American Airlines' popularity comes from the sum of locations it flies to. It travels to over 350 destinations spanning across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa.

American Airlines' perks:

• Carry-on baggage of up to 22 x 14 x 9 inches
• Checked baggage of up to 63 inches and 23 kilograms
• In-flight entertainment
• Food and drinks (purchasable)
• Meals (depending on route and class)
• Onboard Wi-Fi (purchasable)
• Frequent Flyer Program
  

American Airlines is a 3-star airline on Skytrax, which gives it an average rating ⭐⭐⭐

Interested in booking a flight with American Airlines but worried about the price? At Alternative Airlines, you can spread the cost of your flights into manageable instalments by selecting a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) at checkout. Find out more about the BNPLs that you can pair with your American Airlines ticket✈️

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines comes in second. In 2024, it served over 200 million passengers, its highest-ever number.

Delta is an important airline in American history because it's the country's oldest remaining airline. It was founded a century ago in 1924. Its long legacy has helped drive some of its success, as well as its onboard features and destinations.

Delta flies to more than 290 locations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa.

With Delta's many cabin classes, it's another excellent airline that can perfectly accommodate your needs, whether you'd rather spend more or less.

Delta wins awards every year, including being crowned 'Airline of the Year' by Global Traveler in 2024. In fact, it's won so many awards that it's officially America's most-awarded airline.

Delta Air Lines perks:

• Carry-on baggage of up to 45 linear inches
• Checked baggage of 62 inches and 23 kilograms
• Food and drinks (purchasable)
• Meals (depending on route and class)
• In-flight entertainment
• Onboard Wi-Fi (purchasable)
• Frequent Flyer Program
  

Delta has a 3-star rating on Skytrax ⭐⭐⭐

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Ryanair

The first and only of the big five global airlines to not be American is Ryanair. During 2024's financial year, Ryanair hosted an impressive total of 184 million passengers, a 9% increase from 2023.

Ryanair is an Irish airline that has successfully become the biggest airline in Europe. It flies to over 200 locations, most of which are in Europe, as well as a couple of destinations further afield in North Africa and the Middle East.

Ryanair's incredibly affordable pricing makes it an ultra-low-cost airline. With its accessible price range, it has garnered a committed number of passengers.

Ryanair is another multi-award-winning airline. One of its most recent awards was an A- rating for climate protection, making it one of the most environmentally friendly airlines.

Ryanair offers two cabin classes, business and economy, giving you further control over the price of your tickets.

Ryanair's perks:

• Carry-on baggage of up to 40 x 20 x 25 centimeters
• Carry-on suitcase of up to 10 kilograms (purchasable addition)
• Checked baggage of up to 20 kilograms (x3) (purchasable addition)
• Snacks and beverages (purchasable)
• Meals (depending on route)
  

Ryanair is a 3-star low-cost airline on Skytrax ⭐⭐⭐

Make your Ryanair flights even more affordable by paying in smaller chunks. Just select a BNPL at checkout✈️

United Airlines

Back with the American airlines, the next biggest carrier is United, a major airline headquartered in Chicago. 2024 was yet another great year for United as it saw a 5.3% increase in passengers with a yearly total of 173.6 million customers.

United Airlines flies to more than 360 destinations, with the majority being in the USA. It also flies to major cities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. This makes United Airlines the number one American airline in terms of destinations served.

United Airlines offers multiple cabin classes so you can select the perfect flight experience for you, whether you want to pay more and receive more luxuries or pay less and save on travel costs.

In 2024, United received the Airline of the Year - Best Airline to North America award at the Irish Travel Industry Awards.

United Airlines perks:

• Carry-on baggage of up to 9 x 14 x 22 inches (depending on cabin class)
• Personal item of up to 9 x 10 x 17 inches
• Checked baggage of up to 62 inches (weight varies depending on cabin class)
• In-flight entertainment
• Onboard Wi-Fi (purchasable)
• Snacks and drinks (complimentary depending on cabin class and route)
• Snacks and drinks (purchasable)
• Three-course meal (for flights longer than 12 hours)
  

Ryanair is a 3-star airline on Skytrax ⭐⭐⭐

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Southwest Airlines

Of the big American airlines, Southwest remains popular but continues to be overshadowed by its counterparts. It's because of that reason that it appears both here on our objective list of most popular airlines and in our subjective piece on the five most underrated airlines, where it is ranked as America's most underrated airline.

Southwest Airlines is a low-cost airline founded in Texas. In 2024, Southwest delivered over 140 million passengers to their destinations.

Southwest Airlines only flies within the continent of North America, which is a significant factor in why it receives fewer yearly passengers than the previous airlines mentioned.

It has two cabin classes, Economy and Business. Both provide affordable travel while still allowing passengers to spend a little more or less on additional amenities.

The airline received several awards in 2024, including being the number one airline for economy-class satisfaction, an achievement it has now garnered three years in a row.

Southwest Airlines' perks:

• Carry-on baggage of up to 10 x 16 x 24 inches
• Personal item of up to 18.5 x 8.5 x 13.5 inches
• Checked baggage of up to 22 kilograms (x2)
• In-flight entertainment
• Soft drinks and snacks
• Coffee and alcohol (purchasable)
• Onboard Wi-Fi (purchasable)
• Frequent Flyer Program
  

Southwest Airlines is a 4-star low-cost airline on Skytrax, giving it an above-average score and the highest of the top five most popular airlines ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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What are Alternative Airlines' customers favourite airlines?

Alternative Airlines' most booked airlines of 2025 (so far) are:

1. Delta
2. American Airlines
3. Spirit Airlines
4. Frontier Airlines
5. United Airlines
   

As you can see, at Alternative Airlines, we have a significant American demographic; however, we also offer flights to customers from across the globe. Curious about some of the other 600+ airlines we ticket? Then check out more of our blogs on all things airlines.

Ready to book your next flight?

If you're ready to fly with one of the top five most popular airlines, then Alternative Airlines is the perfect place to book your tickets.

Alternative Airlines is an online travel booking company. We help customers from across the world book flights to their dream destinations. Our goal is to provide accessible travel, and one way we do that is through our different payment providers.

Unlike many airlines and booking companies, with Alternative Airlines, you can select a Buy Now Pay Later at checkout. This way, instead of paying for your flights upfront as you would traditionally, you can pay back the cost of your tickets in small instalments over a time that suits your travel and budget needs.

We also offer many brilliant add-ons. With additions like our cancellation protection, you can have greater security when booking your flight.

Still not sure? Then check out our reviews from all the happy customers we've helped travel across the globe. We're a 4.9-star company on Trustpilot! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐