A Taco Bell drive-thru in Vernon Hills, Illinois (Getty Images)

Taco Bell is named the fastest drive-thru for a fifth year, but it may have lost a human touch with AI

Though Chick-fil-A was the slowest fast-food drive-thru, it was considered the friendliest, per the latest QSR report. At the Golden Arches, however, customers weren’t lovin’ the vibe.

Millie Giles

10/2/25 11:13AM

At first glance, it seems as though Yum! Brands’ AI drive-thrus, developed with Nvidia to deliver even faster fast food, are paying off... bar the odd 18,000 water cups.

According to the QSR Drive-Thru Report for 2025, made in partnership with Intouch Insight and released Wednesday, the quickest drive-thrus — measured by the shortest time taken to complete the entire process, from ordering to receiving food — of all the chains surveyed were Taco Bell (4 minutes, 16 seconds) and KFC (4 minutes, 21 seconds), which are both owned by Yum! and have both launched AI-powered ordering systems at select locations earlier this year.

But these outlets were already pretty quick, even if at the expense of accuracy: 2025 marks the fifth consecutive year that Taco Bell has taken the top spot in the rankings. On closer inspection, the total wait time and order accuracy at Taco Bell was the same as last year, and KFC actually took 2 seconds longer than last year’s average — and got 10% more orders wrong.

Service with a smile

While the early rollout of AI drive-thru systems has yet to have a tangible effect on wait times and accuracy, one thing that the tech can’t replicate (try as it might) is real-life connection. The report detailed another factor at the drive-thru: friendliness, measured as the percentage of shoppers who said that the service was “friendly.”

Naturally, Chick-fil-A, renowned for its customer service and lengthy lines, was considered friendly by 93% of customers — and, even though its food took the longest (at 7 minutes and 6 seconds), the chicken chain was also joint first place for overall satisfaction with rapidly growing coffee chain Dutch Bros.

Indeed, as well as being the second-most-amiable outlet in the study (with a 92% “friendliness” score), the “broista”-branded beverage company delivered protein coffees and energy drinks in 6 minutes and 22 seconds on average.

Happy meals?

Perhaps most surprising was just how much customers weren’t lovin’ it over at McDonald’s. America’s biggest fast-food chain was found to be the least welcoming, scoring a paltry 65% for “friendliness.”

Still, even as fast-food customers look for more supersized pleasantries with their service, Taco Bell’s iconic offerings aren’t going anywhere — especially as they start to look more like fan favorite Chick-fil-A’s.

Will investing in kids games finally make Netflix Games “the Netflix of games”?

Netflix is launching a game for preschoolers, its latest foray into stuff-you-play instead of stuff-you-watch.

Claire Yubin Oh7h

Max Knoblauch4/9/26

American Airlines joins the flock, hiking bag fees amid higher jet fuel prices

American Airlines on Thursday announced that it, too, will be hiking the fees it charges customers to check luggage.

With the move, all four of the major US airlines, which together control about 80% of the US market, have now hiked their baggage fees in recent days amid surging jet fuel prices.

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

American Airlines updates bag fees and Basic Economy fares

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Max Knoblauch4/9/26

Less than a year after implementing them, Southwest is also hiking its bag fees

Southwest Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines opting to hike their bag fees amid sustained higher jet fuel costs.

Starting today, the first checked bag at the carrier — which implemented bag fees less than a year ago — will jump from $35 to $45, and the second from $45 to $55. Southwest quietly disclosed the change Tuesday.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.