Summary

• Alaska Airlines has a strong management team and pilots who stay for decades, making it a great choice with comprehensive benefits and competitive salaries.
• Southwest Airlines provides excellent benefits, higher than average salaries, and a positive company culture, making it a top choice for pilots.
• Delta Airlines has a comprehensive healthcare package, profit-sharing program, and pays above average, creating a family-like environment that pilots love.

Being a pilot is a job that requires a lot of passion. It can be difficult to travel all the time, and becoming a pilot is not always easy. Choosing this profession takes a lot of dedication. Flying with dozens of passengers is also stressful. The company a pilot chooses to work for affects their attitude and mood.

Luckily for the people who decide to become pilots, some airlines compensate their flight crews well and genuinely care about the people who work for the company. Working for these select carriers makes the job a lot more enjoyable. From things pilots can't do in the cockpit to what their job truly entails, the high skies aren't always smooth sailing.

These are the airlines with the happiest pilots, which just might make your next flight more enjoyable!

UPDATE: 2024/01/22 14:45 EST BY NOAH STAATS

Happy Pilots Mean Happier Skies For Passengers

This article has been refreshed with new information on the happiest airlines for pilots, plus benefits and salary figures. Although everyone needs to get from point A to B on time, it doesn't hurt to also have a friendly, well-treated flight crew!

Alaska Airlines Pilots Stay Exceptionally Happy

Great company culture, high pay, and flexible scheduling make Alaska a good air carrier for pilots

One of the happiest airlines to work for is Alaska Airlines. Because the company has a strong management team and pilots who often stay for decades, Alaska Airlines is an underrated choice for employees.

With pilots often receiving comprehensive benefit packages for themselves and family members, plus above-average pay, there aren't many reasons not to work here. Specifically, pilots can expect comprehensive medical benefits, financial aid and a stipend up to $27,000, and competitive entry salaries of ~$100,000.

More experienced Alaska Airlines pilots make $225,000+, with that number increasing when bonuses and other incentives are added at the end of the year.

• Why pilots are happy: Good starting salaries, comprehensive family and member benefits, good upper management, strong company culture.

Southwest Airlines Provides Excellent Benefits

Great benefits and competitive compensation make Southwest a top choice for pilots

Southwest provides its employees with excellent benefits and compensation. They also consider the pilot's family life when scheduling their flights. Those aspects of working for the airline make the job a lot more enjoyable, including for Southwest's flight attendants, who seem to love their work.

The domestic air carrier also seems to care about people. Southwest pilots are typically there to introduce themselves to the passengers as they get on the plane and thank them for flying on the airline when they leave the cabin.

It's also worth noting that pilots here tend to make over $200,000 annually, so this is rather competitive — and Southwest pilots also negotiated a recent raise of 29 percent.

• Why pilots are happy: Great health benefits, higher than average salaries, and positive company culture.

Southwest has various rules for its passengers before boarding, but remember that these rules help pilots and flight attendants do their jobs more easily!

Delta Pilots Are A Family

High salaries, a profit-sharing program, and good company culture keep Delta pilots happy

Delta is an airline with several parent-child pilot teams. These parents love flying for the airline so much that they have inspired their children to become Delta pilots, too.

It is not uncommon for Delta pilots and their families to be close, and it has been this way for decades. Many of the flight crew members and pilots have been with the company for decades. It is often difficult to retire because Delta employees love working for the company.

Salary and benefit-wise, Delta offers a long list of perks, including a profit-sharing program, extensive healthcare coverage, and job stability. Most pilots with Delta make around $277,000 annually, and this number steadily rises with more experience.

• Why pilots are happy: Delta has a comprehensive healthcare package, a profit-sharing program, and pays above average.

Delta also has onboard perks that make flights more enjoyable for passengers, too.

United Airlines Has Excellent Pilot Reviews

There are endless perks keeping United pilots in flight for decades

Pilots for United Airlines are some of the most well-paid, they fly to some of the most desirable locations, and they enjoy some of the best benefits in the industry.

The pay for new pilots is highest with United Airlines, and they also enjoy excellent medical insurance, free flights, adoption assistance services, and many other attractive benefits that draw them in and keep them satisfied throughout their careers.

So, while United might have received some bad publicity over the past few years regarding their passenger policies, their pilots have no complaints about working for the company. At least you know when you fly with the carrier that your life is in the hands of someone who enjoys their job. Plus, United Airlines pilots pocket $279,000+ annually.

• Why pilots are happy: The company pays well and has extensive medical benefits, opportunities for growth, and appreciation for workers.

Emirates Pilots Enjoy Company Support While Making History

Women have a chance here, Emirate benefits are impressive, and the opportunity for growth is huge

The pilots who fly for Emirates enjoy excellent company support while accomplishing their dreams. Many female pilots work for the airline, and these women are leaders in the industry. The air carrier also supports young women who are interested in becoming pilots.

The Emirates pilots also enjoy excellent pay and other benefits like discounts with many worldwide brands, and airport amenities specifically for the carrier's employees, including coffee bars, gyms, and other extras.

All of that must be enough to keep its pilots happy because it has one of the lowest employee turnover rates. Plus, their pilots are known to be friendly with passengers and airport employees.

You can also expect to make $200,000-$300,000 a year here as a pilot.

• Why pilots are happy: Emirates values equality between genders, has a low turnover rate, a comprehensive benefits package, and a good company culture.

JetBlue Pilots Are Happy To Spend Time Inspiring Kids

Although an economy airline, JetBlue pays well, treats pilots nicely, and offers great perks

JetBlue is an economy airline. However, their pilots are happy working for the company. They regularly take time to visit children and inspire them to reach their full potential. These professionals must inspire the next generation of pilots because the industry has grown, yet children rarely think about taking up an aviation career.

It is nice to see that JetBlue pilots are willing to take a bit of time out of their busy schedules to visit with children. There was a time when these interactions with pilots happened in flight, so they were much more regular. Air travel regulations made it illegal for pilots to do many things, including allowing passengers into the cockpit in flight, so these exchanges do not occur regularly anymore.

You also see extensive BlueBenefits with JetBlue, including family healthcare plans and coverage. It's one of the best airlines in terms of coverage. Pilots also make roughly $150,000-$200,000 annually.

• Why pilots are happy: JetBlue offers extensive medical coverage for pilots and their families, fair pay, and a laid-back company culture.

A happy crew is one of the best indicators that an airline is doing a good job, and according to pilots at these airlines, they are top-tier.