Post-pandemic travel has left everyone with horror stories. Delayed or canceled flights, lousy customer service, lost luggage, and more are all reasons travelers may have lost their cool over the last two years. As airline travel resurges, some airlines have heard their customer’s complaints and suggestions and are making significant changes or upholding high service standards.
Whether it is Air New Zealand introducing lie-flat seating in economy, Singapore Airlines’ first-class seats measuring the size of an office cubicle, or Qatar Airways offering five-star inflight dining options – some airlines are working hard to make flying enjoyable again.
To give the good guys some recognition, Australia-based aviation safety and product rating agency AirlineRatings.com conducts an annual list of the best airlines. AirlineRatings.com produces its rankings by considering several key factors. The outlet evaluates significant safety and government audits, the airline fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product offerings and staff relations.
Editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas told CNN that since the awards launched in 2014, the scoring and categories have morphed “to reflect the ever changing dynamics of the industry and customer expectations.” He confirmed that this year’s grading scale was slightly skewed because all airlines saw a “decline in passenger approval” due to things out of their control.
However, Thomas and his team acknowledged some airlines that have made strides this year in categories such as Best Business Class, Best Catering and Excellence in Long Haul Travel in the Middle East. Other judging sectors included Best Cabin Crew and Best Low-Cost Airline.
The top 25 include airlines that have hit the marks amongst several of the “best of” categories and are going above and beyond to make a positive impact on airline travel.
AirlineRatings.com’s Top 25 Airlines for 2022
Air New Zealand
Qatar Airways
Etihad Airways
Korean Air
Singapore Airlines
Qantas
Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
EVA Air
Cathay Pacific Airways
Emirates
Lufthansa / Swiss
SAS
TAP Portugal
All Nippon Airways
Delta Air Lines
Air Canada
British Airways
Jet Blue
JAL
Vietnam Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Hawaiian
KLM
Alaska Airlines
United Airlines
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at [email protected].
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