Airfares in the U.S. have climbed sharply over the past year. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, average domestic airline fares reached $314.8 in July 2026, up from $250.7 in July 2025 – an increase of roughly 26%.
With travelers needing to cough up more money for flights, perceived value for money takes on added importance. YouGov BrandIndex data reveals which brands top the tables for perceived value for money, and which are record the greatest year-on-year upticks among U.S. leisure travelers.
The top five airline brands in the U.S. based on value perception
Southwest records the highest Value score among U.S. leisure travelers at 21.5. Delta Air Lines follows at 19.0, with United Airlines (17.3) and American Airlines (17.2) close behind. JetBlue rounds out the top five with a score of 12.4.
The ranking also helps distinguish between airlines that currently perform strongest on Value and those making the biggest gains. Southwest leads outright, for example, while United posts the largest year-over-year improvement among the airlines analyzed.
Liftoff: Which airline brands are recording the greatest uplift to value perception in 2026?
United Airlines records the largest improvement out of all airlines tracked by YouGov BrandIndex. Its Value score rises from 9.0 a year ago to 17.3 in the current period, an increase of 8.3 points.
American Airlines follows closely, improving 6.6 points from 10.5 to 17.2. Delta Air Lines posts a 6.5-point gain, moving from 12.5 to 19.0.
The gains across all three major U.S. carriers are particularly notable against the backdrop of rising fares. Value scores do not simply measure whether consumers think a brand is cheap; they capture whether people see a brand as representing good or poor value for money.
Emirates posts the biggest Value gain among international carriers
Emirates records the next-biggest improvement, with its Value score rising 5.8 points from 3.8 to 9.7.
Qatar Airways also makes gains, moving from 2.8 to 6.8, an increase of 3.9 points. British Airways improves from 5.1 to 8.3, while EasyJet rises from 0.3 to 3.5.
While their current scores remain below those of the three major U.S. carriers, each has strengthened its Value score among American leisure travelers compared with a year ago.
Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Value scores are based on whether respondents think a brand represents good or poor value for money and are reported on a scale from -100 to +100. This analysis is based on U.S. leisure travelers, defined as adults who take one or more leisure trips per year. Scores represent six-month averages for the current period and the equivalent six-month period a year earlier. Sample sizes are 6,667 for the current period and 4,755 for the previous period.