Planning your next trip? These airlines were ranked the best in USA Today poll

Ready to jet set across the country or the globe? These airlines were named among the best in the nation in the 2024 USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards .

The Readers' Choice Awards highlight the very best in travel, food and drink and lifestyle. Every week, USA TODAY 10Best invites a panel of industry experts to nominate their favorite points of interest and attractions across a wide range of categories.

This week's awards featured air travel - including the best airlines, the airlines with the best business and first class, cabin crew, economy class and inflight entertainment and food, as determined by USA Today readers.

Southwest, Delta airlines top the list

Several airlines were named to the list, including the top two honorees - Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines , which were, respectively, named first and second best airlines. American Airlines was fifth, United Airlines was named sixth and JetBlue was ninth on the list.

Regarding Southwest's top spot, USA Today said, "While you won’t find first class seats or luxe airport lounges when flying with Southwest, the popular American-based airline wins passengers over with a host of perks. Southwest offers low fares, free baggage allowance, no fees for flight changes or cancellations, and spacious seats, compared to their competitors."

On top of selecting Southwest as the nation's best airline, USA Today readers also picked the Dallas-based airline carrier to have the best cabin crew , saying: "The cabin crew members aren't just attentive and reliable, they're also encouraged to have fun; their playfulness lifts even the most mundane or turbulent flights."

Southwest was also named second best economy class and fourth among airlines for best inflight entertainment .

Delta Air Lines, in addition to its second-place spot as best airline, was also named second place for best inflight entertainment by USA Today readers. The Atlanta-based carrier was also named third for best business and first class offerings and fifth for best cabin crew, best economy class and best inflight food.

What are the best airlines to fly? Here's the top 10

1. Southwest Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. Air New Zealand
4. Cathay Pacific
5. American Airlines
6. United Airlines
7. Alaska Airlines
8. Singapore Airlines
9. JetBlue
10. Emirates

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Planning your next trip? These airlines were ranked the best in USA Today poll