Is American or United safer?

In its list of the 20 overall safest airlines for 2023, U.S. based airlines which made the cut include Alaska Airlines in eighth place, Hawaiian Airlines in 12th, United Airlines in 14th, American Airlines in 19th and Delta Air Lines in 20th, according to Airlineratings.com.



Both American Airlines and United Airlines are among the safest airlines in the world and maintain elite "Gold Standard" safety ratings as of 2026. Both carriers are subject to the same rigorous FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) oversight and international safety audits, such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). In 2026 global safety rankings, American Airlines is frequently lauded for its aggressive pilot training refreshers and modern fleet maintenance, while United is recognized for its "elite status" in safety innovation and digital diagnostic tools for aircraft health. Statistically, the difference in safety between these two legacy giants is virtually non-existent; both have flown millions of hours with a high-fidelity commitment to passenger security in the modern jet era. When travelers compare them, the choice is usually made based on loyalty programs, seat comfort, or route availability rather than safety. Both airlines continue to modernize their fleets with next-generation Boeing and Airbus aircraft, ensuring that the structural and technological safety of their operations remains at world-class levels.

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In fact, American outranked United on most metrics in our 2023 Best-Of Awards analysis of major domestic carriers. But United has a few things going for it, including its credit card perks, more legroom in economy plus and the luxurious Polaris class.

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Safety ratings In an AirlineRatings.com 2021 analysis of the safest airlines in the world, United ranked among the top 20 airlines out of 385 carriers. The analysis took into account factors such as fleet age and serious incident history.

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British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the only two UK airlines featured in the top 20 world's safest airlines. Qantas topped the list of the world's safest airlines with Air New Zealand coming in second and Etihad Airways was placed in third.

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Running since 1929, Hawaiian is among the oldest airlines in the world but, remarkably, it has never suffered a single fatal crash or hull loss.

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While AirlineRatings.com does not officially release rankings for the least-safe airlines, the following carriers featured at the bottom of the list with one-star rankings: Nepal Airlines (Nepal), Airblue (Pakistan), Sriwijaya Air (Indonesia), Blue Wing (Suriname), Pakistan International Airlines and Air Algerie ( ...

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The top 10 safest airlines 2023 Australia's largest carrier outranked last year's winner Air New Zealand, which came second. According to the AirlineRatings.com study, Qantas is considered the industry's most experienced airline because it has 100 years of operational history.

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For travel within the U.S. and Canada, our United First® service provides you with extra space and comfort, as well as complimentary dining and alcoholic beverages. You'll also receive Premier Access® benefits as well as two free checked bags and priority baggage handling.

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United Airlines ranked third with a score of 848. According to the airline's website, it serves airports in 354 destinations and 48 countries. Delta Air Lines is ranked No. 1 for best in premium economy, with a score of 848.

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In the competition between British Airways versus American Airlines, there's a clear winner: American Airlines. American Airlines provides a much more extensive route for U.S.-based flyers, additional credit card options, more valuable miles and lower fees.

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Size and scale: United Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world. It has a large network of routes and a large fleet of aircraft. This gives United Airlines a competitive advantage over smaller airlines. Brand recognition: United Airlines is a well-known and well-established brand.

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KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, March 27, 1977 This crash remains the deadliest ever, claiming the lives of 583 people when two 747s collided on a foggy runway on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

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Of these 24 million hours, 6.84 of every 100,000 flight hours yielded an airplane crash, and 1.19 of every 100,000 yielded a fatal crash.

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British Airways Since 1985, BA has never had a fatal accident, the closest call coming in 2008, when First Officer John Coward earned his place in the aviation Hall of Fame by landing a plane without any power. Read the full story here. BA ranks among the world's top 20 safest airlines according to AirlineRatings.

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September 24, 2023 A single-engine Beechcraft BE23 crashed in a field near Roger M Dreyer Memorial Airport in Gonzales, Texas, around 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, September 24. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

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Ryanair has never had a fatal crash In its 37 years of existence, there have been zero passenger or crew member fatalities.

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Mamont says the high level of automation on commercial airliners, combined with the redundancy of having a second pilot in the cockpit, has greatly influenced the safety record for commercial airliners and smaller corporate jets.

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Coming in at eighth overall, Alaska ranks as the safest U.S. airline in 2023. However, four other domestic carriers made the cut, including Hawaiian Airlines (12th), United Airlines (14th), American Airlines (19th) and Delta Air Lines (20th).

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