It seems that a lot of people were surprised by the news that Delta Air Lines was named America’s best airline by Airfarewatchdog’s annual airline rankings. One of the routine emails I receive from Conde Naste Traveler came with the subject line “You Won’t Believe Which Airline Was Named America’s Best.” Actually, I would.

Boeing+747-400+4+hiImage courtesy of Delta Air Lines

Now, maybe I’m biased because I live in Atlanta, and as a result, spend an above average amount of time flying Delta, but here are a few things I’ve noticed over my last 2 years in the ATL.

  • I am rarely delayed (seriously)
  • In 5 years of somewhat routinely flying Delta I’ve experienced exactly one flight cancellation
  • The few issues I have experienced have always been dealt with in an effective manner
  • When I check bags, they are nearly always waiting on the carousel when I arrive in Atlanta
  • Delta people are almost always courteous
  • Inflight crews are almost always above average to excellent
  • Wi-fi is pervasive, even on large RJs

I could probably list a lot more things to like than this, but these are what come to mind right now. In short, Delta is an airline that works for me, and obviously others. You’ll likely notice the phrase “they have a great frequent flyer program” is missing. That’s because SkyMiles has its known issues, but even that has worked out OK for me, especially the Medallion program. Color me not the least bit surprised that Delta was named America’s best airline. It’s certainly the best at the things I value most as a frequent business traveler.

-MJ, August 12, 2014