Top 10 Airlines with Poor In-Flight Service in 2025

Looking for the World’s Best Airlines for in-flight service? Right this way! What’s worse than grumpy gate agents and a complaint line that no human being will ever answer? When you’re on a long-haul flight from Chicago to Ho Chi Minh City, in-flight service trumps anything that happens on the ground. In-flight service isn’t just about the quality of the food or the amount of legroom; it’s also about entertainment options, comfort levels, and the treatment you receive from the flight crew. Consequently, when it’s bad, it can be excruciating. After all, whether your flight attendants help fix your seatback screen and top off your drink with a smile, or snatch away your peanut pack before you finish it then run over your foot with the beverage cart, you’re stuck with them for hours.

On the best flights, you’re leaning back in your seat, enjoying a just-released film in HD and sipping a cup of Cabernet. However, on other carriers, you’re more likely to be facing a loop of the grainy films from 1997 and buzzing your flight attendant to beg for a sip of water.

The Airlines with the Worst In-Flight Service

The airlines that received the lowest scores for service in the annual World’s Best Awards survey were accused of being rude, if not “downright nasty,” and of “nickel-and-diming [customers] to death.” No-frills carriers notorious for cutting conveniences (farewell, tiny snack cart) ended up on the list — but so did a number of traditional airlines. “Flying is no longer an adventure or a pleasure,” said one Delta Air Lines passenger, mourning the loss of the Golden Era of air travel. “[Now] it’s an ordeal.” Below are the airlines with the most room for improvement.

No. 20: Air Berlin, International

Score: 72.558

The low-cost carrier based in Germany typically gives travelers what they expect—affordable tickets paired with basic service. However, cramped cabins—“they insist on packing people onboard like sausages,” observed one voter—and less-than-friendly crew members landed Air Berlin on our World’s Worst list.

No. 19: TAM, International

Score: 72.174

While this Brazilian airline won’t be in the skies much longer due to a merger with LAN, the vestiges of the airline still fail to impress passengers. One disgruntled traveler boarded the plane only to find the cabin crew occupying his lay-flat seats. Awful service ensued, with a tiny cheese bun at the beginning of the flight and no sign of the attendants afterward.

No. 18: AeroMexico, International

Score: 71.733

One angry passenger said AeroMexico had “the worst service,” and recommended that the airline close. We wouldn’t go that far, but the airline may want to consider upgrading the in-flight entertainment options. One traveler said that the flip-down screens didn’t go down during the entire flight from Mexico to Orlando.

No. 17: WestJet, International

Score: 70.870

Canada’s low-cost carrier may be known for spreading mini-miracles—acts of kindness employees undertake over the holidays—yet, when the season comes to an end, the airline’s reputation takes a downturn. Unpleasant crewmembers didn’t help the airline’s service score. A reviewer noted, “We waited at the counter for 10 minutes while being deliberately ignored by an entire WestJet crew.”

No. 16: China Airlines, International

Score: 69.524

Cold shoulders and high levels of attitude were responsible for China Airlines’ low score. “Greeted harshly, crew rarely smiled, and they didn’t seem friendly or approachable,” said one reviewer. Additionally, others warned that the in-flight entertainment is becoming less impressive, making it wise to bring your own food.

No. 15: Delta Air Lines, Domestic

Score: 69.034

“Delta put the torture back in travel,” accused one angry reader. Complaints ranged from outdated entertainment systems to “disinterested and surly” flight attendants. One traveler noted that there was no service at all, with the flight crew nowhere to be seen.

No. 14: Iberia, International

Score: 68.468

Spain’s flag carrier may keep passengers entertained with A340s and A600s, which even have tail-mounted cameras for real-time footage of the flight. However, “unpleasant” and “unfriendly” flight crew cost the airline major points.

No. 13: Sun Country Airlines, Domestic

Score: 68.333

“Airline support staff needs to get off of their cellphones and deal with their customers,” reported an unhappy passenger in the WBA survey. Unfortunately, the crew seems to be the only ones who are connected.

No. 12: TAP Portugal, International

Score: 67.407

“A good deal that turns out to be a bad, low-cost experience,” reported a France-based flyer. His affordable tickets bought him an antiquated in-flight entertainment system only playing old films, along with sloppy, inefficient staff members.

No. 11: Alitalia, International

Score: 66.591

This Italian airline may not have received the unfortunate honor of landing in the No. 1 spot, but one traveler did certainly think the airline was that bad. “WORST economy cabin service I have ever experienced or viewed,” reported one reviewer, pointing to the lackluster service he received.

No. 10: Air China, International

Score: 63.947

Sometimes, we expect poor or minimal service in coach-class cabins. However, one Skytrax reviewer had a broken in-flight entertainment system and was laughed at by flight attendants when he reported the issue.

No. 9: American Airlines, Domestic

Score: 62.322

Unfortunately for American, the merger with U.S. Airways hasn’t gone quite seamlessly. Many travelers noted that since the two major domestic carriers began melding into one, the quality of service has deteriorated. Poor service and unenthusiastic flight attendants seemed to be the worst parts of the flying experience.

No. 8: AirTran Airways, Domestic

Score: 61.825

Most voters agreed that the only way to ensure a pleasurable in-flight experience on an AirTran flight is to upgrade to first class. “While it is understood these passengers paid more, it’s no excuse for looking down on coach class customers,” said one traveler.

No. 7: United Airlines, Domestic

Score: 61.644

A United traveler suggested the airline has tumbled all the way “from first to worst.” Not quite, but not far, either. Listening to attendants complain about their jobs is bad, but their inattentiveness is remarkable.

No. 6: US Airways, Domestic

Score: 59.914

For the numerous travelers whose negative reviews placed US Airways in the bottom 10, there’s good news: this year, the domestic carrier completed its massive merger with American Airlines. Hopefully, it can step up its in-flight service game moving forward.

No. 5: Frontier Airlines, Domestic

Score: 59.780

Customers used to have fond memories of Frontier, but this year, reports weren’t so favorable. “Frontier is going downhill so fast, and they do not seem to care,” observed one voter. What’s changed? Poor service and new fees that left passengers feeling nickel-and-dimed.

No. 4: American Eagle, Domestic

Score: 57.494

“American Eagle has the rudest flight attendants I have ever encountered,” claimed one voter in the WBA survey. During a severely delayed flight, another traveler noted crewmembers berating customers.

No. 3: easyJet, International

Score: 55.059

“You would have thought the cabin crew were paying for this out of their own pocket,” said one reviewer who observed attendants begrudgingly serving snacks. At least there were snacks!

No. 2: Allegiant, Domestic

Score: 54.925

“You’ll be lucky if you make it there alive,” said one reader—though he was talking about bad service and unreliable schedules, not safety. An “apathetic flight crew” didn’t help the airline’s ratings, which suffered enormously from reduced in-flight amenities.

No. 1: Spirit Airlines, Domestic

Score: 43.829

“I would not fly Spirit [even] if it was free,” wrote a subscriber after a horrible in-flight experience. “Service is terrible, incompetent, and insulting,” said another traveler, referring to multiple aspects of their experience. It’s no wonder, then, that Spirit came in at No. 1 with a score over 10 points lower than the second-worst airline. Better luck next year, Spirit.