Jan 9, 2024
You may be about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey. A year spent remote working. A luxury honeymoon in an exotic location. Or maybe you’ve spent enough time in the air with bad airlines to know you’d like to avoid them in the future.
Whatever your reason for learning about the best airlines to fly, you’re about to find some answers!
There are several variables to consider when choosing the best airline for your needs as a traveller.
Affordability is usually a significant factor for many jetsetters. And flight schedules with convenient departures and arrivals, direct flights, and short layovers are always crowd-pleasers.
Then, onboard services — in-flight entertainment, overall comfort, and food quality — are also significant factors.
There are also loyalty programmes, baggage policies, safety records, quality of facilities, and increasingly — environmental responsibility to consider.
Keep reading to see which of the best airlines in the world are right for you.
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Singapore Airlines is the top choice for the best airline in the world for a number of reasons — namely, its luxury, comfort, reliability, and impressive safety record. Singapore Airlines has been crowned the Airline of the Year by SkyTrax (not their first time, nor likely their last) for its extensive network, top-tier customer service, and luxurious facilities.
If you want to jet off to an exotic location while feeling like royalty, you can’t beat Singapore Airlines. Frequent flyers rave about their ‘Book the Cook’ feature, which allows you to order a custom meal cooked by one of their top chefs.
As of writing, Singapore Airlines operates in 75 international destinations in 32 countries on 5 continents. It’s also been awarded Best Asian Airline and one of the World’s Best First Class Airlines (World Airline Awards 2023).
Notable connections:
Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok, Thailand)
Aéroport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle & Aéroport d’Orly (Paris, France)
Cape Town International Airport (Cape Town, South Africa)
O.R Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg, South Africa)
The leaderboard constantly changes as operators improve their services and launch new aircraft. So, to determine the best of the best, we looked at the SkyTrax rankings from the past 5 years.
The following companies are neck and neck (or wing and wing) for a consistently high-quality service, so you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Based on our analysis, the top 10 best airlines in the world at the beginning of 2024 are:
Due to a well-connected flight network, a modern fleet, luxurious amenities, and even award-winning food (not an oxymoron!), Turkish Airlines takes the top spot as the Best European Airline (World Airline Awards 2023). It’s also been voted the Best Economy Class Seat in Europe and the 6th Best Airline in the World (World Airline Awards 2023).
As of writing, Turkish Airlines flies to over 270 destinations in 129 countries across 5 continents. Turkish Airlines proudly proclaims itself to be the airline that flies to the most countries.
For this reason, its flagship airport in Istanbul is a major contender on the list of best airports in the world.
Istanbul Airport secured second place in a prestigious list of best airports (Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, 2023), losing out to Singapore Airline’s flagship airport, Singapore Changi International Airport. Istanbul Airport also gets top marks as an airport for layovers due to its clean, well-designed interiors, modern facilities, dazzling array of shopping and eating options, and a variety of airport sleeping options (including several hotels) on-site.
Notable connections:
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (Abuja, Nigeria)
Kotoka International Airport (Accra, Ghana)
Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan)
Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (Beirut, Lebanon)
Ethiopian Airlines has won the top spot for best airline in Africa for good reason. Already the largest carrier in Africa, it’s known for its diverse fleet of modern planes and a plentiful network of destinations across the continent and internationally.
Notable connections:
Kotoka International Airport (Accra, Ghana)
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi, Kenya)
Moi International Airport (Mombasa, Kenya)
King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Delta has taken the impressive position as one of the best airlines in the US because of its high-quality customer service and satisfaction and its unmatched attention to detail when it comes to seating and reservations.
It’s also known for its best-in-class in-flight amenities. If you’re a casual or frequent flyer, you can’t beat Delta for its balance of budget and comfort.
Delta also takes top marks for Best Business Class Airline in North America, Best Premium Economy Airline in North America, and Best Economy Class Airline in North America (World Airline Awards 2023). As of writing, Delta operates over 5,400 flights daily and serves 325 destinations in 52 countries on 6 continents.
Notable connections:
José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos, Nigeria)
Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (Berlin, Germany)
Cologne Bonn Airport (Cologne, Germany)
Düsseldorf International Airport (Düsseldorf, Germany)
Frankfurt International Airport (Frankfurt, Germany)
Munich Airport (Munich, Germany)
The world’s been made smaller thanks to air travel, but it’s still a big place with plenty of exotic sights.
To see them all, your best bet’s United Airlines, which can get you to 332 destinations across 74 countries and 6 continents. United Airlines was also awarded the top spot as the Best Business Class Airline with the best lounges in the United States (World Airline Awards 2023).
Whatever far-flung location you’re waiting to jet off to, you’ll be waiting in comfort.
Notable connections:
Brussels Airport – Zaventem (Brussels, Belgium)
Dubrovnik Airport (Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (Nice, France)
Faro Airport – Gago Coutinho (Faro, Portugal)
Lisbon Airport – Humberto Delgado (Lisbon, Portugal)
Porto Airport – Francisco Sá Carneiro (Porto, Portugal)
If you consider yourself something of an ecotourist or you want to find some common-sense ways to travel more responsibly, there’s a growing list of carriers that earn top marks for their attempts to make air travel more sustainable.
Several leading operators, including Delta, United, KLM, British Airways, and even RyanAir, have taken significant strides in adopting environmental sustainability initiatives.
These aviation companies have invested in modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, implemented rigorous fuel efficiency programmes, and explored the use of sustainable aviation fuels.
Consider these providers if you want to travel without feeling the eco-guilt.
Think business class if you’re looking for comfort beyond the usual high-level service of the best aviation companies.
Most top-rated airlines offer an excellent business-class experience virtually indistinguishable from first class.
Travellers can expect perks such as a private cabin, on-demand catering, impressive amenities, priority ground services, and excellent working conditions with multiple power sockets and high-speed Wi-Fi.
Some of the operators hailed for their business-class offering are:
First class is the epitome of air travel, where the journey becomes a destination in itself.
It’s worth noting that the distinctions between business class and first class vary among operators, and the privileges depend on the specific aircraft and route.
A first-class ticket commonly includes benefits like private suites with seats that convert into fully flat beds, lavish amenities like quality bedding and toiletries, a gourmet dining experience with a curated menu, and an extensive in-flight entertainment system.
Best-rated first-class airlines in the world include:
Premium economy falls between the affordable economy and the comfortable business class in terms of amenities, comfort, and price. Most top providers offer a premium economy or similar class.
Some of the best-rated premium economy airlines in the world are:
While our planet won’t run out of incredible places to visit, your budget may not share the same boundless possibilities.
The best budget airlines prove that it’s indeed possible to provide both cost-effective fares and a satisfactory level of service.
Based on various reviews, some of the best cheap airlines in Europe, the US, Asia, and beyond are:
While the best aviation companies and premium classes are excellent for international travel, some long-haul airlines are especially hailed for their comfort and attention to detail:
Even the best airline experience can be undone if it’s a nightmare getting to your final destination.
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