The world’s best this, the world’s best that. Everyone has an opinion. But those opinions only accrue real value when they’re aggregated with those of other people, and preferably other people with first-hand experience of the matter being judged.
Which is a long way of saying that when more than 200,000 Travel + Leisure readers weigh in on the world’s best airlines, the results warrant consideration.
Best Domestic Airlines
Travel + Leisure prefaces its Best Domestic Airlines report with this: “How a little friendly competition is making the skies a more pleasant place for travelers.” Competition? Pleasant skies?
But first the results, beginning with the best:
Virgin America JetBlue Hawaiian Airlines Alaska Airlines Southwest
It’s no surprise that Virgin America came out on top in T+L’s poll; it’s been in that position since 2008, and the airline is consistently among the best-rated in other consumer surveys as well. Strong arguments also can be made for the other contenders.
Related:Free PreCheck for JetBlue Elites
But for all its credibility as a travel publication, T+L stumbles badly in its rosy assessment of the state of the U.S. airline industry. Apparently buying the self-serving line advanced by the airlines and their lobbyists, air travel is deemed “incredibly competitive.” That at a time when more than 80 percent of the country’s domestic traffic is controlled by just four airlines. So, at the macro level, T+L has it exactly wrong.
The publication is equally misguided at the micro level, asserting that “Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin promises to please fans of both brands by expanding the network of routes and increasing opportunities to score miles. The merger is certain to encourage other airlines to step up their game.”
In fact, the merger of Alaska and Virgin America is likely to be a net negative for travelers. The overall effect will be a lessening of competition, as the number of competitors continues to decline. “Competition” and “consolidation” both start with a “c.” Let’s not confuse them.
Best International Airlines
For its review of the best international carriers, T+L prefaces its findings thusly: “These airlines are out to prove the glamour of flying isn’t a thing of the past.” No argument there. And not much to quibble about with the results, either.
Based on a combination of cabin comfort, in-flight service, customer service, and overall value, the top 10 were:
Singapore Emirates Qatar Etihad Virgin Atlantic Cathay Pacific Air New Zealand Eva Air Korean Porter Airlines
The story line here is the continued incursion by the Middle East carriers into the top ranks of luxe airlines, a category once almost exclusively dominated by carriers from the Asia-Pacific region.
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Chances are if you frequent airport lounges, you’re a Priority Pass member. Membership can be purchased outright or included as a complimentary benefit under specific credit cards and provides access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide, across 148 countries in over 600 cities. With Priority Pass membership, travelers can enter lounges in the portfolio on their flight date, regardless of airline or class flown, often with two guests.
OAG, which dubs itself an “air travel intelligence company,” has released its top-10 rankings of the most and least punctual airlines in 2016. The group analyzed 54 million flight records using full-year data from 2016 to compile the list, and for the purposes of the study defined “on-time” as “a flight that arrives or departs within 14 minutes and 59 seconds (under 15 minutes) of its scheduled arrival/departure time.”
Ever dreamed of packing up everything and moving to another country? Here are the most livable cities in the world, according to a study by The Economist.
Emirates has announced it will reduce service between Dubai and almost half its destinations in the U.S. Flights to Boston, Seattle, and Los Angeles will be reduced from two per day to one, and daily flights to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale will be reduced to five per week each. The total number of weekly flights cut comes to 25.
For the twelfth consecutive year, JetBlue tops the list of best airlines in North America. It ranks first among low-cost carriers in J.D. Power’s annual ranking of North American airline satisfaction. Alaska Airlines is ranked highest among traditional airlines for the ninth straight year. Southwest, which is grouped in the low-cost category, had the second-highest score overall.
Another day, another survey designed to put the airlines in rank order, from best to worst. And another win for Virgin America, which will soon be merged into Alaska Airlines.
I don’t suppose that most travelers choose their trip destinations based on a country’s happiness index. On the other hand, if they knew that Country A scored near the top of the happiness index and Country B scored near the bottom, it seems probable they’d be inclined to book their flights to Country A. Who wants to spend their vacation among unhappy people?
J.D. Power is out with its annual list of the best airlines for customer satisfaction, and the ranking is once again topped by familiar liveries. Alaska Airlines is the best airline for the eleventh consecutive year—yes, eleventh—and Southwest topped the low-cost category for the second straight year.
Recently, airlines are announcing longer and longer flights—each trying to claim the title of world’s longest flight, but typically hovering just below the 18-hour mark. Today, Singapore Airlines has topped them all with the announcement of the world’s newest, non-stop flight. However, it isn’t so new …
AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).
Skytrax is out with its annual list of the World’s Top 100 Airlines, perhaps the most recognized worldwide ranking of best airlines. As usual, and to the chagrin of travelers here in the states, most of the top performers are not U.S. airlines. Instead, the list is dominated by Asian, Middle Eastern, and, to a lesser extent, European carriers.
In the United States, the best airlines for families traveling together are JetBlue and Southwest. That’s according to a ranking by travel-industry blog the Points Guy, which weighed 11 individual factors of flying with family, from entertainment and food to seat size and complimentary seat selection, to create composite scores.