Minnesota’s Biggest Airline Is Now The Best in the Country Again

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Good news if you're flying on the biggest airline in Minnesota: it's once again ranked as the number-one airline in the country.

It's the largest airline in Minnesota-- and it's #1 again

That's the word from Delta Air Lines, which was named the Top U.S. Airline of 2023 by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in its annual airline scorecard rankings which was released recently. Delta, of course, has a major hub at the largest airport in Minnesota, the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in Bloomington.

I still kind of think of Delta as a 'Minnesota' airline, even though it's not headquartered here. Its corporate headquarters are in Atlanta, but since Delta merged with Minnesota's Northwest Airlines in 2008, Delta still has a major Minnesota influence.

READ MORE: How Much $ Do Delta's MN Pilots Make?

And now, it's once again the best airline in the industry. This year is the third consecutive win and sixth in the past seven years, Delta Air Lines said in a release. It's just another award for Delta, who back in January of 2023 was also named the best overall airline in the industry according to WalletHub.

So how did they come up with those rankings?

Delta said the WSJ ranked airlines by objective industry performance metrics and U.S. Department of Transportation data. Delta ranked No. 1 overall and in three of the seven categories, including on-time arrivals, low U.S. DOT complaints, and involuntary bumping.

Delta also ranked No. 2 in mishandled baggage and extreme delays.  And WSJ reported that Delta had the lowest rate of complaints and reduced its flight cancellation rate to 1.2 percent of flights, down from nearly two percent previously.

In addition to Minneapolis, Delta also offers flights out of Rochester

It's also impressive to note that you don't have to drive up or down Highway 52 to MSP to fly on the number-one airline in the country, either. Delta offers direct flights to Atlanta and connecting flights to MSP from Minnesota's Med City at Rochester International Airport, as well.

As I mentioned earlier, Delta merged with Minneapolis-based Northwest Airlines back in 2008. Northwest was one of those brands that was once huge here in Minnesota (kind of like Dayton's also was) but that now no longer exists. Which is the same for many of the following famous brands. Keep scrolling to see how many YOU remember!

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