The Most Hated Airline In The World May Not Be What You Think

Of all the airlines in all the countries around the world, the most hated is a well-known U.S. legacy carrier. American Airlines, the biggest airline in the United States in terms of passenger capacity, took top place in a "dissatisfaction" survey released by Click Intelligence. To compile the rankings, Click Intelligence mined data from a number of sources, including Skytrax, customer complaints, and safety or operational incidents. 

With an overall score of 56 (the higher the score, the lower the satisfaction rating) on a scale of zero to 100, American Airlines earned the dubious honor of being named the world's most frustrating airline. The data Click Intelligence collected reflected a pattern of high complaint volume and inconsistent service. Specifically, the airline had unreasonably long hold times for customer service, a lack of communication when flights are delayed or canceled, and too many incidents of misplaced bags — although American Airlines did make an effort to lose less luggage in 2025. Plus, the airline had the highest number of operational incidents than any other on the list.

While American Airlines earned the No. 1 spot, sources blasted other carriers in the top 10 with similar complaints. Rounding out the top three (or perhaps bottom three is more accurate), Frontier Airlines came in at No. 2 with a score of 55 — that's actually an improvement compared to when Frontier ranked dead last for economy customer satisfaction in a 2024 J.D. Powers study. United Airlines, No. 3 on the Click Intelligence ranking with a score of 54, had similar results, also ranking low in the 2024 J.D. Powers study. Coincidence? Or pattern?

All of the top (or bottom) carriers dinged in the Click Intelligence study were cited for similar issues that negatively impact the customer experience. Specific issues for Frontier Airlines included the carrier's propensity for padding basic fares with add-on fees and uncomfortable seating configurations. United Airlines garnered criticism for inadequate customer service and a customer-unfriendly manner of handling refunds. Still, there's enough crossover to detect a motif. "The airlines with the worst customer satisfaction share a common pattern," James Owen, Click Intelligence co-founder and director, tells Men's Journal. "They treat service problems as isolated incidents rather than connected experiences that build up passenger frustration over time."

The remainder of the Click Intelligence ranking of the 10 worst airlines for customer service include Air France at No. 4, Ryanair (a low-cost carrier known for using sneaky tactics to get passengers to make more in-flight purchases) at No. 5, Air Asia at No. 6, Aeromexico at No. 7, Scandinavian Airlines at No. 8, Wizz Air at No. 9, and British Airways at No. 10. With across-the-board complaints ranging from too many instances of lost luggage and delayed refunds to ineffective customer service and an inconsistent in-flight experience, it's difficult not to notice that some major airlines once considered the cream of the crop ranked lower than low-cost carriers that are upfront about offering a budget experience. While it's not entirely clear, this phenomenon may be due in part to passenger expectations for major airlines versus low-cost carriers.