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.

What are the world's most popular airlines?

Based on annual passenger numbers and global network size, these are some of the most popular airlines in the world:

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

While all five airlines carry millions of passengers every year, each has built its popularity in different ways. Below, we explore what sets them apart.

American Airlines

American Airlines has held the title of the world's most popular airline for several years.

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-friendly seat, giving you more to spend on holiday, or you can select its first-class cabin for a luxury time in the skies.

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. Its most popular locations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Miami and Chicago.

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 ⭐⭐⭐

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 destinations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its most popular international locations include London, Paris, Rome, Athens and Cancún.

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 Traveller 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 ⭐⭐⭐

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. Some of Ryanair's most popular routes include Dublin to Manchester and London to Rome.

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 centimetres
• 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 ⭐⭐⭐

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. Some of United Airlines' most popular locations include Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Houston.

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 ⭐⭐⭐

Southwest Airlines

Of the big American airlines, Southwest is somewhat 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. Some of Southwest Airlines' most popular locations include Denver, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Chicago and Dallas.

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What are Alternative Airlines' customers favourite airlines?

Alternative Airlines' most booked airlines of 2025 were:

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 North American demographic; however, we also offer flights to customers from across the globe! Discover the 600+ other airlines we ticket.

Ready to book your next flight?

If you’re ready to fly with one of the world’s most popular airlines, Alternative Airlines makes booking straightforward.

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• Search and compare flights from over 600 airlines worldwide
• Choose from over 40 ways to pay at checkout
• Split the cost with Buy Now Pay Later options like Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, Sezzle or Clearpay
• Add Cancellation Protection for extra peace of mind
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Instead of paying the full price upfront, you can spread the cost into instalments that suit your budget.

Travellers rate Alternative Airlines 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot, reflecting real experiences from customers around the world.