My wife Linda and I have been flying a lot more lately — mostly United, because our daughter lives out in Humboldt County, California, and that is the route that works. No complaints. Every flight has been smooth, the crew has been great, and I have made my peace with the stroopwaffle.

So when WalletHub dropped its Best Airlines report for 2026 this week, I was curious where United landed. Spoiler: dead last. Number ten out of eleven. Apparently I have been accidentally loyal to the bottom of the barrel — and somehow I keep arriving on time with my luggage.

Go figure.

SEE ALSO: Newark and Philly made the worst airport list — and nobody is surprised 

Newark Airport Flight Delays

Newark Airport Flight DelaysThe full WalletHub rankings for 2026

WalletHub evaluated eleven U.S. carriers across 16 metrics using Department of Transportation data — cancellation and delay rates, baggage handling, safety, in-flight comfort and cost. Here is where everyone landed:

Spirit AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSkyWest AirlinesAlaska AirlinesHawaiian AirlinesJetBlue AirwaysDelta Air LinesAmerican AirlinesFrontier AirlinesUnited AirlinesEnvoy Air

Spirit took the top spot for the second consecutive year, earning the best marks for affordability and reliability. Frontier — despite my personal feelings about the experience —ranked highest for safety. JetBlue, Hawaiian, American and Southwest were rated most comfortable. I fly American occasionally and I will give them this: the Biscoff cookie is not nothing. It is a small joy at 35,000 feet and I will defend it.

Frontier, on the other hand, I will not defend. I have flown them once. The seats were so tight it felt like an overpacked elevator that lasted four hours. Hard pass.

The Spirit Airlines problem

Here is where this gets complicated for New Jersey travelers specifically.

Spirit operates out of Newark Liberty, Atlantic City International, Philadelphia and LaGuardia. For a lot of people in this state — especially those flying out of ACY, where Spirit has been a major presence — this airline is not a novelty. It is how they get somewhere affordable.

And right now Spirit is in serious trouble. The airline is reportedly on the verge of liquidation, navigating its second bankruptcy in less than a year while fuel costs keep climbing. Competitors have already begun adding flights to Spirit destinations — which tells you everything about how the industry is reading this situation.

The timing is almost poetic in the worst possible way. Spirit just won its second straight WalletHub crown for best airline in America, and it may not exist by summer. I genuinely hope they figure it out. Budget-friendly air travel out of Atlantic City and Newark matters to a lot of New Jersey families — and losing that option would be felt.

What to do if you have Spirit tickets

If you are holding Spirit tickets right now, here is the practical advice. Pay close attention to your flight status. If the airline does shut down and you paid with a credit card, you can file a dispute for services not rendered — same as if you ordered something online that never arrived. If you purchased travel insurance before this became a known situation, contact your provider to check whether Financial Default coverage is included. Going forward — for any airline — paying with a credit card is always the smarter move.

The WalletHub study is a useful gut-check on an industry we all depend on. Some of the results are surprising. Some confirm what you already suspected. And some — like Spirit sitting at number one while potentially shutting down — are just the kind of only-in-2026 twist that makes you want to book your summer flight today, just in case.

Stroopwaffle or Biscoff. Your call. Just get on the plane.

LOOK: Most common domestic destinations from Atlantic City International AirportStacker compiled a list of the most common domestic flights from Atlantic City International using data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Gallery Credit: Stacker