SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Breeze Airways is being recognized by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) as the Best Major Airline in North America for 2026. The award was presented to Breeze  Airways’ founder and CEO David Neeleman today during his keynote address at the APEX Global EXPO in Long Beach, California.

“Since our inception, Breeze has rapidly expanded across the nation and introduced  millions of travelers to a modern-day version of air travel – one that combines  comfort and convenience with affordability and ease,” Neeleman said.

“This recognition is proof that we are not just connecting dots on a map, we are creating true loyalty and demand for our unique model, and I couldn’t be prouder of the more than 2,000 Team Members who have gone all-in from day one to bring this to life.”  

Breeze, which began flying in 2021, has quickly carved out a niche in the industry  while garnering multiple accolades for its hybrid approach to efficient and elevated air service. Previously, the airline has been awarded Best Cabin Service (2025) and  Best Seat Comfort (2024) by APEX. Breeze’s premium product offering, including its  first-class seating section, Breeze Ascent, qualifies it as a major airline according to  APEX Official Airline Ratings. 

The ratings rely on independently verified passenger feedback collected through  partnership with TripIt, a travel management app which prompts travelers to rate  flights on a five-star scale. Approximately one million flights across more than 600  airlines are rated each year, and all results undergo independent professional  audits to ensure accuracy and integrity. 

“Breeze Airways surged in Net Promoter Score ratings, verified by APEX and TripIt  by Concur, and now holds both APEX Five Star status and the title of APEX Best 

Major Airline in North America,” APEX Group CEO Dr Joe Leader affirmed. “Breeze’s  nicest experience delivers wide recliners in a 2–2 layout with 39 inches of pitch, 20.5  inches of width, personal device holders, and full AC plus USB-C power. With Viasat  Wi-Fi across the fleet and attentive service from curb to cabin, Breeze demonstrates  a premium standard that passengers across North America celebrate as best in  class.” 

Earlier this year, Breeze was named one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative  companies of 2025 for its fresh take on affordable flying that is transforming low cost air travel into a nice experience. It was also named the No. 3 Best Domestic  Airline by Travel + Leisure in June, placing Breeze in the list’s top four every year  since it began flying. 

Breeze also today announced the appointment of Dana Shapir as Chief Guest  Officer. Dana brings with her 25-years of airline operations experience, including leadership roles at Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and – most recently – Spirit Airlines. Dana will be responsible for optimizing and improving the end-to-end  Guest experience and will lead the Airport Operations, Guest support, and Inflight  teams.  

“Dana’s extensive experience, particularly in airport operations, will be invaluable to  her role as Chief Guest Officer at Breeze,” Neeleman continued. “We’re excited to  welcome her to the team and look forward to working with her as we continue to  deliver exceptional air travel experiences to our Guests.” 

To learn more about Breeze or to book a flight, visit flybreeze.com or download the Breeze Airways app. 

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About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a writer and journalist with over 15 years of experience. I write the food and travel blog Carlos Eats (https://www.carloseats.com​​​) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines on numerous topics.