The objective of this research is to analyze the trends in quality and performance of US airlines over the past ten years and determine what economic factors influence the level service. By identifying variables that directly affect the level of performance using data from Airline Quality Rating (AQR), service benchmarks for the airline industry can be established. Industry standard is set by AQR providing consumers and industry watchers objective performance-based data to compare performance quality among different US airlines. The AQR weighted average formula highlights criteria including baggage handling, customer complaints, denied boarding and on-time arrivals. Analyzing the data over the past ten years (2004-2014), this research will utilize the application of a comparable trend analysis methodology resulting in both industry wide and airline specific benchmarks. Data used in this research are readily available from the Department of Transportation and are considered important to the consumers regarding airline quality. Through the collected data and analysis, airlines, government entities and the traveling public will be able to make better decisions, implement policies and develop best practices.