{
 "source": "The Sales Traveler — the Index Desk",
 "license": "Free to use with attribution to The Sales Traveler. See https://thesalestraveler.com/press/",
 "dataUrl": "https://thesalestraveler.com/data/deal-day-airline.json",
 "slug": "deal-day-airline",
 "name": "The Deal-Day Airline Index",
 "url": "https://thesalestraveler.com/deal-day-airline-index/",
 "measures": "published commitments",
 "period": "2026-07",
 "methodology": "10 US carriers scored on 15 published commitments across five categories that decide a seller's deal day. A commitment scores Yes only where the carrier publishes it (DOT-filed customer-service plans, official policy pages, app feature documentation, or an announced fleetwide standard). “Select routes” and “most aircraft” score No.",
 "scale": {
  "rawMax": 15,
  "displayMax": 100,
  "formula": "round(raw / rawMax * displayMax)"
 },
 "categories": [
  {
   "id": "C",
   "key": "connectivity",
   "label": "Connectivity aloft",
   "max": 3
  },
  {
   "id": "S",
   "key": "schedule",
   "label": "Schedule control",
   "max": 3
  },
  {
   "id": "R",
   "key": "recovery",
   "label": "Disruption recovery",
   "max": 3
  },
  {
   "id": "W",
   "key": "work-rest",
   "label": "Work & rest onboard",
   "max": 3
  },
  {
   "id": "A",
   "key": "admin",
   "label": "Admin speed",
   "max": 3
  }
 ],
 "entities": [
  {
   "rank": 1,
   "name": "American",
   "entityId": "AA",
   "category": {
    "C": 2,
    "S": 3,
    "R": 3,
    "W": 3,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 93,
   "note": "Matches the commitment set at the top on paper: free Wi-Fi committed, care policy filed, same-day standby free.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 2,
   "name": "Delta",
   "entityId": "DL",
   "category": {
    "C": 2,
    "S": 3,
    "R": 3,
    "W": 3,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 93,
   "note": "Commits to nearly everything an airline can put in writing — free Wi-Fi, disruption care, auto-rebooking. Loses a point where the whole industry does: power at every seat.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 3,
   "name": "Alaska",
   "entityId": "AS",
   "category": {
    "C": 2,
    "S": 3,
    "R": 3,
    "W": 2,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 87,
   "note": "Strong schedule-control and care commitments; no lie-flat recovery product for the overnight-before-the-meeting problem.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 4,
   "name": "United",
   "entityId": "UA",
   "category": {
    "C": 2,
    "S": 3,
    "R": 3,
    "W": 2,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 87,
   "note": "Starlink-era free Wi-Fi and the deepest published disruption tooling in the app — docked for a basic fare that still excludes the carry-on.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 5,
   "name": "JetBlue",
   "entityId": "B6",
   "category": {
    "C": 3,
    "S": 2,
    "R": 2,
    "W": 2,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 80,
   "note": "The only carrier committing to power at every seat, plus free Fly-Fi — undercut by no standby program and Mint on select routes only.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 6,
   "name": "Hawaiian",
   "entityId": "HA",
   "category": {
    "C": 2,
    "S": 1,
    "R": 2,
    "W": 3,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 73,
   "note": "Free Starlink is a genuine connectivity commitment; schedule-control tooling trails the mainland majors.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 7,
   "name": "Southwest",
   "entityId": "WN",
   "category": {
    "C": 1,
    "S": 3,
    "R": 2,
    "W": 1,
    "A": 3
   },
   "score": 67,
   "note": "Publishes real flexibility — no change fees, free standby — but no free Wi-Fi commitment, no seat power, no premium cabin. Flexibility without infrastructure.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 8,
   "name": "Breeze",
   "entityId": "MX",
   "category": {
    "C": 1,
    "S": 1,
    "R": 1,
    "W": 1,
    "A": 1
   },
   "score": 33,
   "note": "Modern fleet with power at every seat and a business-style cabin; no phone support and no filed hotel commitment keep it low.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 9,
   "name": "Spirit",
   "entityId": "NK",
   "category": {
    "C": 0,
    "S": 1,
    "R": 2,
    "W": 0,
    "A": 2
   },
   "score": 33,
   "note": "Dropped change fees and filed a real care policy — progress — but commits to nothing a seller can work or recover on.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  },
  {
   "rank": 10,
   "name": "Frontier",
   "entityId": "F9",
   "category": {
    "C": 0,
    "S": 1,
    "R": 1,
    "W": 0,
    "A": 1
   },
   "score": 20,
   "note": "No Wi-Fi at all, no published hotel commitment for disruptions, no phone line. On deal day, every risk is yours.",
   "ruledBy": "Editor-in-Chief, The Sales Traveler",
   "ruledOn": "2026-07-22"
  }
 ],
 "entityNoun": "Carrier",
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  "attributionText": "The Sales Traveler — the Index Desk",
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   "findings, single statistics and score references",
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  "requiresSyndicationLicense": [
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  "contact": "rachel@thesalestraveler.com",
  "governance": "https://thesalestraveler.com/governance/"
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}