Ranking the Airlines

From on-time flights to lost bags, new airline quality survey shows who's hot and who's not

A delayed flight or lost bag can really put a damper on travel. To keep airlines accountable and passengers informed, the Airline Quality Index outlines the best and worst flying experiences. For the second year in a row, Virgin America earned the index's No. 1 ranking.

Using weighted data for on-time flights, overbooked passengers, lost bags and complaints, the Airline Quality Index has been compiled annually since 1991. This year, however, marked an important milestone.

"The Airline Quality Rating score for 2013 was the best industry score for all of the 23-year history," the researchers said.

"Southwest shows poorer performance for 2013 and was the only airline to show decline in all four areas rated," the researchers said.

While the overall ratings improved, two key areas declined for the airline industry as a whole: on-time arrival percentage and lost bags. On the plus side, overbooked flights and customer complaints decreased from 2012 to 2013.

Virgin America's top ranking is credited to on-time flights (82 percent) and a rate of less than one lost bag per 1,000 passengers. The industry average for lost bags is more than three times higher than Virgin America's figure. Virgin's customer complaint rate, however, is higher than most of its competitors.

Virgin hopes to secure two new gates at Dallas Love Field in October, when American Airlines merges with US Airways. The timing coincides with the expiration of the Wright Amendment, which restricted flights from Love Field since 1979.

Jet Blue earned second place on the index, buoyed by the lowest customer complaint and overbooked flight rates of all airlines. On-time flights are the weak link at Jet Blue, where only 74 percent of planes take off as scheduled.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines came in at No. 8, just behind US Airways and a slot ahead of neighboring American Airlines. Southwest has been on the decline since 2007, when it earned a No. 3 ranking on the index. Since then, it has dropped from the fifth, sixth and seventh slots.

Southwest's on-time flights decreased from 83 percent in 2012 to 77 percent in 2013; its lost bags, customer complaints and overbooked flights all increased from last year.

"Overall, Southwest shows poorer performance for 2013 and was the only airline to show decline in all four areas rated," the researchers said.

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it's park season

Texas' 2 national parks rank among 30 best in the U.S. for 2026

Photo by Raychel Sanner on Unsplash

Leave the car behind and embrace the rugged beauty of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas offer the best views of the American wilderness in 2026, according to a new national list.

The recognition comes in HomeToGo's "2026 National Parks Report," a new "data-driven ranking" of 51 national parks located in the contiguous U.S. Parks are evaluated across various factors including their proximity to major transport hubs, annual visitor figures adjusted for seasonal accessibility, and the median nightly cost per person for vacation accommodations in the area surrounding each park in 2026.

Guadalupe Mountains ranked as the 16th best national park to visit this year, and it has the fifth-most affordable vacation accommodations out of all the parks on the list. Nearby lodging costs about $62 per person per night, but campers can stay at one of the three developed campgrounds at the park for as little as $20 per night.

Visitors can go hiking and backpacking across 80 miles of rugged trails, but don't expect to take any vehicles far into the parkland. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is almost entirely road-free, allowing for the protection of local wildlife and the preservation of the park's beautiful scenery.

Travelers on the hunt for the perfect scenic drive can instead head over to Big Bend National Park, which ranked as the 26th best must-see national park in 2026. There are over 100 miles of paved roads around the park for exploration, as well as improved and primitive dirt roads.

Big Bend National Park is a popular choice for Texas travelers. Photo by Backroad Packers on Unsplash

The National Park Service (NPS) offers route recommendations specifically for day trippers.

"Big Bend is too big to see in a single day, but a great one-day trip to the park might include a trip down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and a visit to the Chisos Basin," the NPS website says. "The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive will give you fantastic views of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and will lead you to the banks of the Rio Grande. There are scenic overlooks and exhibits along the way, and the short walks to Sam Nail Ranch and Homer Wilson Ranch and a visit to the Castolon Historic District will give you a glimpse into Big Bend’s past."

Visitors that want to turn their day trips into overnight stays near the park can do so for about $96 per person per night, or they can camp on-site with nightly fees starting at $16. Travelers can additionally book a room at the Chisos Mountains Lodge or Big Bend Station, but Chisos Mountains Lodge will temporarily close on May 1 while the NPS completes two Chisos Basin improvement projects over the next two years.

A HomeToGo survey said about 40 percent of Americans are planning national park trips in 2026, with millennials and Gen Zers showing a higher interest in exploring the American wilderness.

"At HomeToGo, we believe vacation planning should be fun, but we know it’s not always a walk in the park," said spokesperson Eleanor Moody. "That’s why this year’s index ranks destinations based on affordability, crowd levels, and convenience in terms of nearby accommodation availability and ease of access, making it easier than ever for travelers to pinpoint an ideal destination based on what’s most important to them."

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