Delta, MSP’s Top Airline, Just Ranked #1 Again
There's more good news for Minnesota travelers who fly with the largest airline serving the state, as Delta Air Lines has just topped another survey and is again rated the best airline in the country.
If this all sounds familiar, it's understandable. Delta Air Lines is used to coming in at or near the top on various customer surveys. And again this year, the airline with the most flights in and out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes has topped another list. From friendly crews to stress-free flights, here’s why this top-rated carrier is once again turning heads across the country when it comes to customer service.
In a story I wrote about last year, I gave a big Minnesota shout-out to Delta Airlines, which placed at the top of the latest J.D. Power 2025 survey for North America Airline Satisfaction in the Premium Economy category.
Delta’s Stronghold at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
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Delta, of course, has its second-largest hub in the U.S. at the largest airport in Minnesota, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) near Bloomington, so if you're flying out of the North Star State, it's likely you'll be on a Delta flight.
While 15 different airlines offer service at MSP, Delta by far offers the most. And even though it's now headquartered in Atlanta, I still kind of think of Delta as a 'Minnesota' airline, seeing as it merged with Minnesota's Eagan-based Northwest Airlines back in 2008.
Delta says it runs nearly 330 departures from MSP to 119 destinations across the globe, offering nonstop service to international destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, London, Seoul, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico City, Tokyo-Haneda and more.
Delta also serves multiple cities in Canada from MSP, including Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Toronto, and is currently the only carrier at MSP to provide nonstop service to Asia, it says.
Why The Points Guy Ranked Delta #1 in 2026
And now, Delta has just been named the best airline in the industry in 2026 by the travel site, The Points Guy. According to their annual survey:
Delta has now topped our airline rankings for the better part of the decade. It's a testament to the consistent travel experience Delta has maintained, from the hallmark reliability it's had through the years — to its policies, lounge network and on-board amenities.
The Points Guy noted that Delta gets high marks for its on-time performance, its lounges, its involuntary bumps (or lack thereof), and overall experience. The only knock on Delta, according to the survey, is its affordability.
How Delta Compares to Other Major U.S. Airlines
Following Delta on the 2026 best airlines list, you'll find United Airlines in second place, followed by Southwest, Alaska, American, JetBlue, Allegiant, and Frontier.
Another impressive feature of Delta Air Lines is that you don't have to head up to MSP to fly on the number-one airline in the country, either. Delta offers several connecting flights daily to MSP from Minnesota's Med City at Rochester International Airport.
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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. This is the same for many of the following famous brands. Keep scrolling to see how many YOU remember!
50 Famous Brands That No Longer Exist
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