Flying has always come with a little misery baked in. The security lines, the delays, the mystery stains on the seatbelt. But a new global study has officially ranked which airlines push passengers the furthest toward madness.
Researchers at Click Intelligence analyzed nearly two dozen major carriers across 84 countries, combining passenger ratings, Skytrax scores, complaint data, and safety records into a single “Dissatisfaction Index.” The higher the score, the grumpier the flyers.
The verdict? American Airlines came in dead last, followed closely by Frontier and United. According to the report, passengers rated American a dismal 2.9 out of 10, while its overall dissatisfaction score landed at 56 out of 100. It also recorded 11 major safety or operational incidents—the highest of any airline on the list.
“The airlines with the worst customer satisfaction share a common pattern,” said James Owen, co-founder of Click Intelligence. “They treat service problems as isolated incidents instead of recognizing how repeated failures build frustration over time.”
Here’s how the top offenders stack up:
1. American Airlines — Scored 56 out of 100 with the lowest overall satisfaction and 11 major incidents. Serves 350 destinations but apparently few smiles.
2. Frontier Airlines — Budget flights, budget happiness. A 2.0 passenger rating, five incidents, and 33 million unhappy travelers a year.
3. United Airlines — Serves 173 million people annually, yet still can’t buy goodwill. Pulled a 3.3 rating and a long list of complaints.
4. Air France — Matches American with 11 major incidents and a high baggage loss rate. The romance of flying to Paris stops somewhere around lost luggage.
5. Ryanair — Europe’s budget beast scored 2.8 for passenger experience. Cheap tickets mean expensive patience.
6. AirAsia — Carried 34 million passengers and still managed a 2.8 experience score.
7. Aeromexico — Six major incidents and low satisfaction at 3.0 out of 10.
8. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) — Nordic efficiency doesn’t always translate to content customers.
9. Wizz Air — 63 million passengers with just a handful of fans. Earned a 3.0 rating and one of the worst reputations in Europe.
10. British Airways — Once the pride of polished air travel, it now leads the world in lost luggage complaints.
The study paints a bleak picture of modern flying, where travelers face shrinking seats, spotty service, and baggage that might never make it home. And yet, despite the frustration, we keep booking. Because for all the delays, middle seats, and crying children, the only thing worse than flying is not going anywhere at all.
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