Posted on 10/20/2025 8:58:44 AM PDT by Red Badger
In A Nutshell
* American Airlines ranked as the world’s most disliked carrier with a dissatisfaction score of 56 out of 100, earning just 2.9 out of 10 from passengers.
* Budget carriers Frontier and United took second and third place, with Frontier posting the lowest passenger experience rating at 2.0 out of 10 despite serving 33.3 million travelers annually across 105 destinations.
* British Airways led all airlines in lost luggage complaints with 319 searches per 100,000 passengers, while Air France matched American Airlines with 11 safety incidents and showed the second-highest baggage complaint rate.
* The analysis examined four key metrics including passenger experience ratings, Skytrax evaluations, normalized complaint search volumes, and safety records, with higher scores indicating greater passenger dissatisfaction across major global carriers.
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LONDON — Flying commercial has never been a glamorous affair, but for passengers on American Airlines, the experience appears particularly rough. A new analysis identifying airlines with the worst customer satisfaction worldwide has placed the Dallas-based carrier at the top of the list, with passengers rating their experience a dismal 2.9 out of 10 and the airline recording 11 major safety and operational incidents.
The findings come as air travel frustrations reach new heights globally. Nearly one in four flights worldwide arrives late, and over 30 million bags disappear annually, creating a perfect storm of passenger dissatisfaction that many airlines seem unable or unwilling to address.
London-based Click Intelligence developed a “Dissatisfaction Index” by examining four key quality indicators: passenger experience ratings on a scale of 1 to 10, evaluations from airline reviewer Skytrax rated from 1 to 5 stars, normalized complaint search volumes, and safety records. Airlines received scores from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater passenger dissatisfaction.
American Airlines earned a dissatisfaction score of 56 out of 100 in the ranking, which examined major global carriers. Despite connecting travelers to 350 destinations worldwide and carrying 211 million passengers annually, the airline posted some of the lowest passenger experience ratings in the study. Its safety record added to passenger concerns, with 11 major failures marking the highest count among all carriers examined.
The study provides some bumpy air for American Airlines passengers. (Photo by Ross Sokolovski on Unsplash) Budget Carriers Dominate Complaints
Close behind American Airlines, budget carrier Frontier Airlines secured second place with a dissatisfaction index of 55. Transporting over 33 million passengers yearly across 105 destinations, Frontier managed the lowest passenger experience rating of any airline studied at just 2 out of 10. The airline also recorded five major incidents and received a mediocre three-star rating from airline reviewer Skytrax.
United Airlines claimed third place in customer dissatisfaction despite operating one of the most extensive networks among carriers analyzed. Moving 173.6 million passengers annually to 373 destinations, United still couldn’t satisfy its customers, earning only 3.3 out of 10 for passenger experience and three stars from Skytrax.
European and Asian Carriers Join the List
Air France landed in fourth position, distinguishing itself with 11 significant incidents related to safety and flight operations, matching American Airlines for the most recorded failures. The French flag carrier, serving 31.5 million passengers across 190 destinations, also struggled with baggage handling, showing the second-highest rate of online searches about lost luggage at 281 queries per 100,000 passengers.
Irish budget giant Ryanair rounded out the top five with a dissatisfaction index of 51. Despite transporting 184 million passengers annually to 234 destinations, the airline scored just 2.8 for passenger experience while receiving only three stars from Skytrax.
Other carriers making the unfortunate top 10 included AirAsia (sixth), Aeromexico (seventh), Scandinavian Airlines (eighth), Wizz Air (ninth), and British Airways (tenth). BA’s inclusion proved particularly noteworthy given its premium positioning. Flying 46 million passengers yearly across 200 destinations, the carrier managed only a 6 out of 10 passenger rating while recording 10 safety and operational accidents. British Airways also led all airlines in lost baggage complaints, with roughly 320 online searches per 100,000 passengers.
When Small Problems Become Big Grievances
According to James Owen, co-founder and director at Click Intelligence, airlines consistently ranking lowest share a troubling pattern in how they handle service failures.
“The airlines with the worst customer satisfaction share a common pattern: they treat service problems as isolated incidents rather than connected experiences that build up passenger frustration over time,” Owen said. “When an airline loses your bag, delays your flight, and then makes you wait on hold for hours, each problem makes the others feel worse, turning minor issues into major grievances.”
Owen added that passengers judge airlines not simply on whether problems occur, but on how carriers respond when they do. Airlines at the bottom of satisfaction rankings have failed to grasp this fundamental aspect of customer service, continuing to approach each complaint as a standalone issue rather than recognizing the cumulative effect of repeated failures on passenger trust and satisfaction.
Top 10 Airlines With Lowest Customer Satisfaction
1. American Airlines (Dissatisfaction Index: 56)
Passengers carried annually: 211 million
Passenger experience rating: 2.9 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 350
Accidents: 11
Search volume per 100K passengers: 152
2. Frontier Airlines (Dissatisfaction Index: 55)
Passengers carried annually: 33.3 million
Passenger experience rating: 2.0 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 105
Accidents: 5
Search volume per 100K passengers: 37
3. United Airlines (Dissatisfaction Index: 54)
Passengers carried annually: 173.6 million
Passenger experience rating: 3.3 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 373
Accidents: 0
Search volume per 100K passengers: 136
4. Air France (Dissatisfaction Index: 53)
Passengers carried annually: 31.5 million
Passenger experience rating: 5.0 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 190
Accidents: 11
Search volume per 100K passengers: 281
5. Ryanair (Dissatisfaction Index: 51)
Passengers carried annually: 184 million
Passenger experience rating: 2.8 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 234
Accidents: 0
Search volume per 100K passengers: 8
6. AirAsia (Dissatisfaction Index: 50)
Passengers carried annually: 34 million
Passenger experience rating: 2.8 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 130
Accidents: 1
Search volume per 100K passengers: 5
7. Aeromexico (Dissatisfaction Index: 49)
Passengers carried annually: 24.7 million
Passenger experience rating: 3.0 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 89
Accidents: 6
Search volume per 100K passengers: 8
8. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) (Dissatisfaction Index: 47)
Passengers carried annually: 23.7 million
Passenger experience rating: 3.4 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 150
Accidents: 3
Search volume per 100K passengers: 39
9. Wizz Air (Dissatisfaction Index: 45)
Passengers carried annually: 63.4 million
Passenger experience rating: 3.0 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 3 out of 5 stars Destinations: 134
Accidents: 0
Search volume per 100K passengers: 6
10. British Airways (Dissatisfaction Index: 43)
Passengers carried annually: 46 million
Passenger experience rating: 6.0 out of 10
Skytrax rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Destinations: 200
Accidents: 10
Search volume per 100K passengers: 319
Methodology
Click Intelligence developed an airline Dissatisfaction Index by analyzing four key quality indicators across major global airlines. Researchers examined passenger experience ratings on a scale of 1 to 10, evaluations from airline reviewer Skytrax rated from 1 to 5 stars, normalized complaint search volumes, and safety records documenting major accidents and operational failures. Airlines received scores from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater passenger dissatisfaction. The analysis included data on passengers carried annually, destinations served, and specific metrics related to customer complaints and safety incidents for each carrier studied.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on research conducted by Click Intelligence analyzing major global airlines. The Dissatisfaction Index scores and rankings reflect data collected on passenger experience ratings, Skytrax evaluations, normalized complaint search volumes, and safety records. Individual passenger experiences may vary. Airlines and their services are subject to change, and readers should conduct their own research when making travel decisions.
Aviation Ping!..................
It’s not all of them??
What? No Spirit?
“5. Ryanair (Dissatisfaction Index: 51)”
How the heck isn’t RyanAir No. 1?? They’re the worst of the worst and the industry leader in nickel-and-diming... “Sorry, love, your carry on is 1 kilo over. That’s be 50 Euros, cash or card?”
Makes me want to take a flying Wizz.
I’m guessing Spirit Airlines was too small to be included?
Otherwise, they are easily on that list.
United is a “budget” airline?
No mention of Aeroflot....
Aeroflop.......................
I regularly fly American, as they are the only one with nonstop service to and from where I want to go.
Other than glitchy web page I have no issues with them.
SW used to have a flight I would take, but they dropped it.
They were a spastic operation, one time waiting in the plane for several hours as the head mechanic that had to sign off on flight readiness did not show up to work.
I find it hard to believe that American carriers lead the pack when compared to 2nd and 3rd world airlines like Aerosucre or Aeroflot.
I will never fly AirFrance again.
State owned, Union run.
London-based Click Intelligence
Yup, or rating Ryanair better than United?
Me too. I am very surprised Sprint did not take one of the top (er, bottom) three spots.
I assume Delta and SouthWest are better than the ones listed.
Other airlines like United offer better service but worse planes. Trade off. But since I fly out of Philly I'm pretty much trapped on American and since they know this, they are now price gouging. It's 2-3x more for a ticket to the same destination from Philly than if I bought same ticket from any other area airport (Newark, BWI, etc).
The reason Sprint didn’t make the list is their customers are not the kind to take surveys.............
Wholeheartedly agree with United, one big DEI operation. Air Asia gets a huge pass as they are highly discriminatory or hiring
Hahaha that was my first thought...
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