The Fool Index: July 2026
By the government's own numbers, Frontier was the most foolish US airline in July 2026, with the most DOT complaints per flight and the most passengers bumped against their will. JetBlue was a close second after cancelling nearly 1 in 10 flights, and Allegiant was the best behaved.
Data: U.S. DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, released September 2026. Updated monthly. Our Fool Rankings are vibes. This one is receipts.
- 1Frontier71/100
The most DOT complaints per flight of any airline (37.7 per 1,000 flights) and by far the most passengers bumped against their will. The tribute band is playing the hits.
62.5%on time3.4%cancelled0.54bags lost per 10037.7complaints per 1k flights1.09bumped per 10kFrontier guide Vibes rank: #1 - 2JetBlue68/100
Cancelled 9.8% of its flights, nearly 1 in 10, and landed on time just 55.7% of the time, the worst of anyone. The Wi-Fi was great, though.
55.7%on time9.8%cancelled0.46bags lost per 10031.9complaints per 1k flights0.07bumped per 10kJetBlue guide Vibes rank: #6 - 3American42/100
The most complaints in raw numbers (1,734 in one month) and the second-worst bag record. Your bag is still in Charlotte. Now it has company.
68.0%on time3.2%cancelled0.74bags lost per 1009.5complaints per 1k flights0.36bumped per 10kAmerican guide Vibes rank: #3 - 4United30/100
The worst bag record in July: 0.80 bags mishandled per 100 checked. Paperwork about your paperwork, now with extra paperwork.
72.2%on time2.7%cancelled0.8bags lost per 1007.1complaints per 1k flights0.01bumped per 10kUnited guide Vibes rank: #2 - 5Delta20/100
Zero passengers bumped against their will, but 3.3% of flights cancelled. Still smug. Slightly less on time than usual.
71.7%on time3.3%cancelled0.42bags lost per 1006.4complaints per 1k flights0.00bumped per 10kDelta guide Vibes rank: #7 - 6Southwest15/100
Few complaints per flight and a solid bag record. The assigned-seat grief has not reached the government yet.
68.0%on time1.1%cancelled0.35bags lost per 1002.2complaints per 1k flights0.01bumped per 10kSouthwest guide Vibes rank: #5 - 7Alaska13/100
The best on-time record in the country: 74.8%. Still too polite to roast. We tried.
74.8%on time1.1%cancelled0.48bags lost per 1002.8complaints per 1k flights0.06bumped per 10kAlaska guide Vibes rank: #8 - 8Allegiant10/100
The best bag record and the fewest cancellations of any airline in July. We ranked them #4 on vibes. The data disagrees. We regret nothing.
68.6%on time0.5%cancelled0.12bags lost per 1008.3complaints per 1k flights0.00bumped per 10kAllegiant guide Vibes rank: #4
The full numbers
| Airline | Fool Score | On time | Cancelled | Bags lost /100 | DOT complaints | Complaints /1k flights | Bumped /10k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Frontier | 71 | 62.5% | 3.4% | 0.54 | 773 | 37.7 | 1.09 |
| 2. JetBlue | 68 | 55.7% | 9.8% | 0.46 | 744 | 31.9 | 0.07 |
| 3. American | 42 | 68.0% | 3.2% | 0.74 | 1,734 | 9.5 | 0.36 |
| 4. United | 30 | 72.2% | 2.7% | 0.8 | 966 | 7.1 | 0.01 |
| 5. Delta | 20 | 71.7% | 3.3% | 0.42 | 955 | 6.4 | 0.00 |
| 6. Southwest | 15 | 68.0% | 1.1% | 0.35 | 280 | 2.2 | 0.01 |
| 7. Alaska | 13 | 74.8% | 1.1% | 0.48 | 132 | 2.8 | 0.06 |
| 8. Allegiant | 10 | 68.6% | 0.5% | 0.12 | 111 | 8.3 | 0.00 |
Also in July 2026
- Refunds were the top complaint category across all airlines, with 2,316 complaints to DOT in a single month.
- July 18 was a rough day in New York: a large share of the month's 3-hour-plus tarmac delays were flights stuck at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark that day.
- Owed money after a delay or cancellation? The refund letter builder tells you what you're owed and writes the letter.
How the Fool Index works
We take five official measures for each airline's network (including its regional partners): late arrivals, cancellations, mishandled bags per 100 checked, DOT complaints per 1,000 scheduled flights, and passengers bumped involuntarily per 10,000 (the latest quarter). Each measure is scaled from 0 (best of the eight) to 100 (worst of the eight), and the Fool Score is the average. Higher is more foolish. It's a comparison among these eight airlines for one month, not an absolute grade.
Source: U.S. DOT Air Travel Consumer Report, September 2026 (July 2026 data). Spirit stopped flying in May 2026 and is not included.
Quick answers
- Which US airline was worst in July 2026?
- Frontier, by the JetFools Fool Index, which combines five official DOT measures: on-time arrivals, cancellations, mishandled bags, complaints per flight, and involuntary bumping.
- Which airline cancelled the most flights in July 2026?
- JetBlue cancelled 9.8% of its scheduled flights, the highest rate of the major US airlines.
- Which airline had the best on-time record in July 2026?
- Alaska Airlines, with 74.8% of flights arriving on time.
- Where does the Fool Index data come from?
- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report, released September 2026.