A survey of 21 million passengers has revealed the world’s best airlines, with three European carriers making the top 10.
Friendly service, snacks and a good selection of films: these little things make the hours spent on a plane a little more bearable. But the experience can vary greatly depending on the airline you choose.
Which airline should you choose to benefit from the best in-flight experience?
This week, the “Oscars of the Aviation Industry” revealed the best airlines of 2024.
Created by Skytrax, the UK-based airline rating organization, the World Airline Awards are based on surveys of more than 21 million passengers in 100 countries, who fly with more than 350 different airlines .
Three European airlines entered the top 10, but the winning spots were dominated by carriers from the Middle East and Asia.
What is the best airline to fly in 2024?
Qatar Airwaysis the 2024 Airline of the Year, narrowly dethroning Singapore Airlines from the top spot. This is the eighth time that Qatar’s national carrier has won the top spot in its 25 years of existence.
Passengers love the Middle Eastern airline for its comfort, tasty food, modern entertainment, friendly service and modern aircraft fleet.
The airline’s extensive reach, covering 341 airports across Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and South America, means flights are readily available to many global destinations.
In addition to the World Champion title, Qatar Airways was voted World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Lounge and Best Airline in the Middle East.
What are the best European airlines?
No European airlines appear in the top 5, which consists of Singapore Airlines in second place, followed by Emirates (United Arab Emirates), ANA All Nippon Airways (Japan) and Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), which also won the title of World’s Cleanest Airline (the cleanest airline in the world).
Airlines from East Asia and the Middle East also made the top 10, with Japan Airlines in sixth place and Taiwan’s EVA Air in eighth place.
Turkish Airlines ranked seventh, making it the best airline in Europe. The company, which serves more than 300 destinations, one of the largest in the world, was also rewarded for its cuisine with the award for best business class catering.
The Air France-KLM group took ninth place, making it one of the main European airport groups. Air France also won the awards for the best first class dining in the worldbest catering in first class lounges (at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport) and best airline in Western Europe.
Swiss International Air Lines rounded out the top 10, also securing second place for the world’s best first class lounge at the busy Zurich Airport.
Although no North American airline made the top 10, Delta Air Lines was declared the best airline in the region thanks to its caring staff.
What are the best low-cost airlines in 2024?
Looking for low prices and great service? Skytrax has also compiled a ranking of the best low cost airlines for 2024, with European carriers making up an impressive six of the top ten companies.
Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia came out on top for the 14th consecutive year, followed by Scoot (Singapore), Volotea (Spain), Flynas (Saudi Arabia) and Transavia (France).
The Indian IndiGo, theSpanishVueling, Latvia’s airBaltic, Spain’s Iberia Express and Ireland’s Ryanair also made the top 10, while eastJet narrowly missed out in 11th place.
