customer service us travel docs

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

CBP One™ Mobile Application

A single portal for multiple CBP services to streamline your experience.

Trusted Traveler Programs

Which one is best for you?

What International Travelers Should Know Before Visiting

Cbp releases trade and travel fiscal year 2021 report.

Agency Adapts to Secure and Facilitate Essential Trade and Travel amid Pandemic.

Almost a million times each day, CBP officers welcome international travelers into the U.S. In screening both foreign visitors and returning U.S. citizens, CBP uses a variety of techniques to assure that global tourism remains safe and strong. Descriptions of CBP processes and programs are available for first-time and frequent travelers.

For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents

If you are a U.S. citizen traveling abroad, get the information you need to smoothly navigate your return back into the U.S.

For International Visitors

If you are a visitor to the U.S. coming to work, study, conduct business or immigrate, get the Information you need to smoothly navigate the process and procedures to enter the U.S.

CBP's Trusted Traveler Programs provide expedited travel for pre-approved, low-risk travelers through dedicated lanes and kiosks.

Ready Lanes

If you are a traveler coming to the U.S. through a land border Port of Entry and have a Ready Lane-eligible document, get the information you need to experience significantly faster processing.

If you are a traveler coming to the U.S. through a land border Port of Entry and have a Ready Lane-eligible document, get the information you need to benefit from dedicated primary vehicle and pedestrian lanes and experience significantly faster processing.

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Create Account

I-131, Application for Travel Document

ALERT: On Jan. 31, 2024, we published a  final rule in the Federal Register, that adjusts the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees will be effective April 1, 2024.

Applications and petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024, must include the new fees or we will not accept them.

What to Know About Sending Us Your Form

The new filing fee is effective for filings postmarked April 1, 2024, and later. If you are filing an acceptable prior form edition on or after April 1, 2024, you must include the new filing fee.

Alert:  Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

If you are a TPS beneficiary with an existing, unexpired advance parole document, you may continue to travel and seek reentry to the United States after a trip outside the United States through the period of validity printed on your advance parole document.

If you are a TPS beneficiary applying for a new travel authorization document, you should continue to use Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. If you have a pending Form I-131, you do not need to file a new application.

We will continue to issue advance parole documents to noncitizens with pending initial applications for TPS (Form I-821).

TPS beneficiaries and individuals with pending initial TPS applications should carefully read the Form I-131 Instructions which contain warnings about certain risks an individual may face if they are outside of the United States while USCIS is considering their TPS reregistration or initial application, such as missing important request for evidence or other notices or being denied TPS while outside the United States.

ALERT: Court decisions regarding DACA.

On Sept. 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a decision finding the DACA Final Rule unlawful and expanding the original July 16, 2021, injunction and order of vacatur to cover the Final Rule. However, the court maintained a partial stay of the order for “all DACA recipients who received their initial DACA status prior to July 16, 2021.” See the Memorandum and Order (PDF, 1.35 MB)  and Supplemental Order of Injunction (PDF, 72.53 KB) .

Accordingly, current grants of DACA and related Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) remain valid until they expire, unless individually terminated.  In accordance with this decision, USCIS will continue to accept and process DACA renewal requests and accompanying applications for employment authorization under the DACA regulations at 8 CFR 236.22 and 236.23, as it has since October 31, 2022. We will also continue to accept initial DACA requests, but in accordance with the District Court’s order, we will not process initial DACA requests.

Current valid grants of DACA and related EADs will continue to be recognized as valid under the Final Rule. This means that individuals with DACA and related EADs do not have to submit a request for DACA or employment authorization until the appropriate time to seek renewal.

Please see the  DACA Litigation Information Page  for important updates and information related to court rulings on the DACA policy.

Use this form to apply for a reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization document, advance parole document (including parole into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit), or advance permission to travel for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term residents.

For information on travel documents, including potential immigration-related consequences of traveling outside the United States, see our Travel Documents page. If you are in the United States and you have an urgent need to travel outside the United States, see our Expedite Requests page and  Emergency Travel  page.

If you file this form to request an Advance Parole Document authorizing you to seek parole in the United States when you return to the United States after temporary travel abroad, and you depart the United States before we issue your Advance Parole Document, we will consider your Form I-131 abandoned unless you were previously issued an Advance Parole Document that remains valid for the entire time you are outside the United States.

If you file this form to request an advance permission to travel for CNMI long-term residents document, and you leave the CNMI without having an advance permission to travel document, your status will automatically terminate.

File Online    

Form Details

Form I-131 (PDF, 451.87 KB)

Instructions for Form I-131 (PDF, 285.07 KB)

04/01/24 . Starting June 3, 2024, we will accept only the 04/01/24 edition. Until then, you can also use the 06/06/23 E edition. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions . 

Please check our Filing Addresses for Form I-131  page for information on where to mail your application. Applications that are not submitted to the appropriate direct filing address may experience processing delays.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-131 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.  

The fee is effective for filings postmarked April 1, 2024, and later.

You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check, or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions . If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request.  If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

If you are submitting multiple forms, pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.

Payment if you file at a field office: You cannot pay fees with a money order or cashier’s check when filing at a field office. You can only pay with a personal check, debit card, credit card, or reloadable prepaid credit or debit card.

You do not need to pay an additional fee for Form I-131 if:

• You are filing Form I-131 Application Type B or D;
• You filed a Form I-485 with a fee on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024; and
• Your Form I-485 is still pending.

For refugee travel document applications filed from outside of the United States, you must pay the applicable fee(s) to the cashier at the USCIS overseas office or U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location. Please see the website of the appropriate  embassy or consulate  to confirm acceptable forms of payment. Include the fee receipt from the U.S. embassy or consulate when you file your application package.

Please do not mail cash, personal checks or traveler’s checks. If you do not include a fee receipt with your filing, we will reject your application.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-131. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Read more information about the types of evidence that may be relevant to specific parole requests on our  Humanitarian Parole  page.

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

• Family Name
• Physical Address
• Date of Birth
• 1.a. – 1.f.
• Family Name (If 1.f. selected)
• Physical Address (If 1.f. selected)

Filing Tips:  Review our  Tips for Filing Forms by Mail  page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that we have accepted  your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete  Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance , and clip it to the first page of your form.

• Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members  
• Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans 
• Card Delivery Tracking
• Department of State: Photo Specifications
• Travel Documents

Baguhin ang Wika: Change to Tagalog

Apply for a U.S. Visa

In the philippines.

Important Notice! Insert Message Here

• Bank and Payment Options
• DS-160 Information
• Appointment Wait Times
• Photos and Fingerprints
• Visa Waiver Program
• Security Regulations
• Apply for a Visa
• Pay My Visa Fee
• Complete My DS-160
• Schedule My Appointment
• Change Document Delivery Address
• Retrieve My Passport/Visa
• Apply for an Expedited Appointment
• Renew My Visa
• Application Pending Further Action
• Visa Information
• Check My Petition Status
• Visa Wait Times
• Select Document Delivery Address
• Travel Coordinator
• Priority Interview Program
• Crew and Manning Program
• Group Appointments
• Diplomatic and Government Officials
• Visas for Children
• U.S. Embassy, Manila
• Passport/Visa Collection Locations
• Document Drop-Off Locations
• Bank Locations
• Holidays and Closures
• Helpful Links

You are here: Home / Contact Us

On this page:

Hours of Operation

Check your visa application status, check the status of your passport, required information, contact information.

English- and Tagalog-speaking customer service agents are ready to assist you Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 8:00pm. The call center is closed for Philippine and U.S. holidays .

If you are a nonimmigrant applicant, you may check your DS-160 and visa application status online here by entering your interview location and your DS-160 barcode number. If you are an immigrant visa applicant you will enter your case number.

Instant: Enter your passport number below to check on the status. If your passport is ready for pick-up, please bring supporting documents and collect it in a timely manner. If your passport is not collected in a timely manner it will be sent back to the Embassy or Consulate.

Email: Send an email to [email protected] and in the subject and/or body enter a valid passport number exactly as it was entered at the time the appointment was scheduled, and you will receive an automatic response with the status.

Please have all of the following information on hand before contacting the call center:

• The visa applicant's first and last name
• The visa applicant's passport number
• The visa applicant's date of birth
• The visa applicant's email address
• The U.S. Embassy/Consulate where the visa applicant will appear for an interview

If you do not have all of the information listed above then the call center will not be able to help you. Please collect the missing information and then call back.

If you need help with your visa application or want to learn more about obtaining a visa to travel to the U.S., please contact us via any of the means shown below. Visa application services call center agents are able to assist you via telephone, chat or email.

Telephone: Please contact a customer service representative using one of these telephone numbers:

• Information - If you are in the Philippines and wish to learn more about obtaining a visa to travel to the U.S., please call (02)5488223 or (02)7928988.
• International Callers: Applicants calling from the United States can reach a customer service representative at +1 703 520 2235. Hours of operation in the continental U.S. are 7pm-7am EST / 6pm-6am CST / 5pm-5am MST / 4pm-4am PST.
• Web call: You can talk to us directly through your browser, if you are using Chrome, Firefox, Safari11 or Opera. Make sure the audio features on your device are enabled as the functionality is restricted to audio connections only. Click on the green button to begin.

Email: To reach a customer service representative via email, please write to us at:

Skype: To use Skype to speak to a customer service representative Monday – Friday from 8:00am to 8:00pm., please add a new contact to your Skype account with the Skype name ustraveldocs-philippines .

Please verify the Skype ID of the US Visa Service Desk before adding it. Our Skype ID is [insert Skype ID]. Agents will not instruct you to pay your MRV fee over the phone; we strongly advise you to verify payment instructions on the Bank and Payment options page {hyperlink this part} before paying your MRV Fee. Our call center agents will not engage in a chat conversation via Skype. A chat option is available through a different application on this page.

In order to make sure you are connecting to the right Skype ID please click on the icon on the bottom of this page to place a call.

Chat (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.): To chat with a customer service representative, please click below.

Reporting Fraud

Please contact us if you are aware of suspicious activities, paid unnecessary fees, or believe you have experienced fraud at any point in your visa application process. This can include but is not limited to: paying your MRV fee, scheduling your visa interview or receiving your passport. If any of these apply please contact us immediately at [email protected] .

© CGI Federal Inc.

• NIV Information
• NIV Application
• Immigrant Visas
• Local Visa Programs
• General Information

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments. Exception: request blocked

The Federal Register

The daily journal of the united states government, request access.

Due to aggressive automated scraping of FederalRegister.gov and eCFR.gov, programmatic access to these sites is limited to access to our extensive developer APIs.

If you are human user receiving this message, we can add your IP address to a set of IPs that can access FederalRegister.gov & eCFR.gov; complete the CAPTCHA (bot test) below and click "Request Access". This process will be necessary for each IP address you wish to access the site from, requests are valid for approximately one quarter (three months) after which the process may need to be repeated.

An official website of the United States government.

If you want to request a wider IP range, first request access for your current IP, and then use the "Site Feedback" button found in the lower left-hand side to make the request.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents, contact u.s. passports.

Emergencies Abroad

Reporting U.S. Passport or Visa Fraud

U.S. Visas Contacts

Intercountry Adoption Contacts

International Parental Child Abduction Contacts

Report Website Issues

Contact Vital Records

Contact Authentications

Share this page:

Before you call, check our  Frequently Asked Questions  page for answers to your common questions.

When to Contact Us

I have already applied and have urgent travel, i have not applied yet and have urgent travel, reminders for contacting us.

• Representatives are available Mondays through Fridays 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. We close on federal holidays.
• Our primary number is  1-877-487-2778 . Se habla español.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing ,  call   1-888-874-7793  for TDD/TTY teletype services.
• Contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate if you are applying outside the United States. 
• Email us only if you need to  cancel an appointment  at a passport agency or center. Do not email us if you are requesting a status update or you have a travel emergency. Our email is  [email protected] .

Website Issues

Complete our  Website Issues  form if you are reporting a broken link or missing, incorrect, or unclear information on this website. Do not complete this form if you have a question or issue with your passport application. 

If you have a compliment or a complaint, we want to hear from you. You can complete a  Customer Survey Form  and provide your feedback online. 

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

Thay đổi Ngôn ngữ: Change to Vietnamese

Apply for a U.S. Visa

• Payment Locations and Instructions
• DS-160 Information
• Appointment Wait Times
• Photos and Fingerprints
• Visa Waiver Program
• Apply for a Visa
• Pay My Visa Fee
• Complete My DS-160
• Schedule My Appointment
• Change Document Delivery Address or Service
• Track & Retrieve My Passport
• Apply for Expedited Visa Processing
• Visa Renewals
• Application Refused Under INA 221(g)
• Visa Information
• IV Address Registration
• Fiancé(e) Visas (K1 & K2)
• Returning Resident Visas (SB-1)
• Re-Schedule My Immigrant Visa Appointment
• Check My Visa Application Status
• Immigrant Visa Wait Times
• Select Document Delivery Address
• Travel Coordinator
• Group Appointments
• Diplomatic and Government Officials
• No Fee J Visas
• Visas for Children
• U.S. Embassy and Consulate
• Passport/Visa Collection Locations
• Document Drop-Off Locations
• Fee Payment Locations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Holidays and Closures
• Rights and Protections
• Helpful Links
• Security Regulations

How Are We Doing?

We're committed to monitoring the quality of the services and products we provide, as part of an ongoing improvement process. We would appreciate your feedback on our performance. (All submissions are anonymous.) Click here to complete a quick survey.

You are here: Home / Contact Us

On this page:

Hours of Operation

Check the status of your visa, check the status of your passport, contact information, reporting fraud.

English and Vietnamese  speaking customer service agents are ready to assist you Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Vietnam time. The call center is closed weekends and Vietnam national  holidays  as observed by the U.S. posts

• Live Chat: Please make sure you are using Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Opera as a browser. To chat with a customer service representative, please click on the "LIVE CHAT" button below, enter your information as required and press the chat icon. The session will be secure and encrypted. To facilitate the provision of our services, we use session cookies. By using this service, you are agreeing to it.

You can check the status of your application any time at the following website . 

Instant:  Enter your passport number below to check on the status.

Email:  Send an email to  [email protected]  and in the subject and/or body enter a valid passport number exactly as it was entered at the time the appointment was scheduled, and you will receive an automatic response with the status.

If you need help with your visa application or want to learn more about obtaining a visa to travel to the United States, please contact us via any of the means shown below. Visa application services call center agents are able to assist you via email, telephone or chat.

If you do not have all of the information listed above, then the call center will not be able to help you. Please collect the missing information before contacting the call center

Email: To reach a customer service representative via email, please write to [email protected] .

Telephone: Please contact a customer service representative using one of these telephone numbers:

• Callers in Vietnam: Call 19006444.
• Callers in the United States: Call +17036657350.

Please make sure you are using Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Opera as a browser. To begin, click on the "Click to Talk" button below, enter your information as required and press the phone icon. Please make sure the audio features on your device are enabled or share permission if asked for: microphone and speaker. The functionality of the widget was intentionally restricted to messaging and to audio connections only. Your communication will be secure. It's deleted the very moment you close your browser. Your webcam is never accessed! To facilitate the provision of our services, we use session cookies. By using this service, you are agreeing to it. 

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have experienced fraud or have been asked to pay any unnecessary fees to pay your MRV fee, schedule your visa interview, or ship documents to or from the consular section.

© CGI Federal Inc.

• NIV Information
• Payment Options
• NIV Application
• Change Document Delivery Address
• Immigrant Visas
• Local Visa Programs
• U.S. Embassy
• General Information

Alaska Airlines was named America's favorite airline for the 2nd year in a row — months after a hole blew in the side of one of its planes

• A major consumer survey found that Alaska Airlines is the most popular airline in the US for the second year running.
• The airline topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index, despite its infamous panel blowout in January.
• Overall, US air travel customers were happier than last year with their experiences.

Alaska Airlines is the most popular airline in the US for the second year running, according to a major consumer survey.

The airline comfortably topped the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index with a score of 82, a one-point improvement compared to 2023.

American Airlines was second with 79 points, while low-cost carrier Allegiant Air beat better-known legacy names like United and Delta to take third place. Allegiant registered a four-point rise in overall customer satisfaction, making it one of the fastest climbers this year.

United Airlines was the only carrier to lose ground, sliding three points to a score of 75.

The index, which has been running since 1994, tracks customer satisfaction across five travel industries — airlines, car rentals, lodging, online travel agencies, and ridesharing platforms.

Related stories

To determine the rankings, 16,352 customers were asked to rate their experiences with companies based on nineteen different factors, such as ease of making a reservation, check-in process, cleanliness of cabin and lavatory, courtesy and helpfulness of flight crew, and timeliness of arrival. By collating this information, the American Customer Satisfaction Index says it provides a "definitive measure of passenger satisfaction."

Alaska Airline's top ranking comes despite the airline's nightmare safety incident in January 2024, during which a decommissioned door plug flew off during one of its flights at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

The plane, a Boeing 737 Max 9 made a safe landing back at Portland International Airport 35 minutes after takeoff, with all 177 people on board surviving.

14 passengers on the flight have since filed a class-action lawsuit against Boeing and Alaska Airlines, asking for monetary damages to cover injuries sustained during the incident and claims that some oxygen masks malfunctioned.

US airlines are getting better

Overall, the data found that customers were increasingly happy with airline travel, with ratings for all nineteen areas of customer satisfaction across airlines either improving or staying level with responses from 2023.

The polled customers were particularly happy with app services, the ease of making reservations, and airlines' websites, pointing to the importance of developing customer-friendly technology offerings.

As they become happier with travel experiences, customers are also travelling more. This February, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported a 21.5% rise in global air passengers compared to the previous year.

Watch: Why Hooters Air, Pan Am, and the Concorde all disappeared from the skies

• Main content