Is JetBlue Actually the ‘Worst’ Airline?

What’s the worst airline out there? The Wall Street Journal’s Airline Scorecard just made a surprising claim, ranking JetBlue as the country’s worst airline while Delta ranked first.

The Journal’s ranking was based on seven statistical measures: On-time arrivals, canceled flights, extreme delays, two-hour tarmac delays, mishandled baggage, involuntary bumping, and number of DOT complaints.

These are essentially the same inputs used by the annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR) prepared by researchers at Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, but the results might be shocking to the many who swear by JetBlue. Our sister site Seatguru.com and other air rankings, on the other hand, have long dubbed JetBlue the best hard product among domestic lines, largely based on legroom.

JetBlue’s minimum legroom, at 32-34 inches in coach, beats most of its competition, as does legroom in the economy-stretched Even More Room seats, at 37 or more inches. Seat width aboard JetBlue’s fleet of A-320 family jets beats that of competitors that use 737 family jets. In the front cabins of some longer routes, JetBlue’s Mint service gets mostly favorable reviews as well.

So, when you’re choosing a flight, which means more to you—a slightly greater chance of a delay or mishap, or a measurably better seat? Comment below.

More from SmarterTravel:

• 6 Big Questions for Travel in 2018
• The 10 Countries Where Your Spending Money Lasts Longest
• Why JetBlue Mint Is More Than Just Lie-Flat Seats

Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuses every day at SmarterTravel.