Please note this list is highly subjective and based on personal experience. For instance, British Airways is by far the airline I’ve flown on the most, but I find their service is just pretty poor. Having flown in all their classes except first I’ve never been especially impressed. Furthermore, 3 of the last 4 British Airways flights I’ve been on have been delayed over 45 minutes, one was delayed 4 hours. There are definitely noteworthy airlines I’ve left off the list. This is either because I haven’t flown on them (ANA, Lufthansa and Turkish to name a few). Or because I don’t support them for ethical reasons, namely Qatar Airways. So please read my article on the best airlines in the world… (according to me).
If you want to narrow down your choice of which airline to fly on, please read my guides below. If you choose a specific airline alliance or rewards program it can point you towards your desired airline:
1. Singapore Airlines – Best Overall
Singapore Airlines is regularly ranked as the best airline in the world in all aspects and classes. All this whilst being surprisingly good value. A return flight from London to Hanoi via Singapore only costs around £800. This is in contrast to other carriers such as Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Vietnam Airlines which all cost around 20% more. At least that’s what I was quoted when I was searching.
Singapore Airlines First Class is also one of, if not the best you can fly on. Their Suites are basically small hotel rooms. And on their A380 you can even have a two seat cabin with a double bed.
Overall I rank Singapore Airlines as the best airline in the world. Additionally, their hub Changi International Airport also has a whole indoor rainforest and waterfall. So you can’t beat that.
2. Japan Airlines – Best Economy Class
Japan Airlines (JAL) battles with All Nippon Airways (ANA) for the title of Japan’s best airline. JAL is regularly rated the best economy class in the world, according to their own website at least so take it with a pinch of salt. I wholeheartedly agree however. Having flown from London to Tokyo on their 787 I can say it’s the best economy experience I’ve had. The food was perfect and seats were spacious. Especially on the 787 which has a 2-4-2 seating configuration. This means you can sit by the window without feeling hemmed in.
I would actually rate JAL economy better than British Airways Premium Economy. The service onboard is fantastic and very polite in typical Japanese fashion. This even extends to the ground crew who wave and bow as the plane pushes back from the gate.
JAL and ANA are both exceedingly good airlines, but as I only have direct experience with JAL I’ve added them to this list. The one point I wilol
3. Virgin Atlantic
I felt like I had to include at least one UK airline on this list. Faced with the choice between the somewhat dire British Airways I felt I had to choose Virgin Atlantic. Virgin operate exclusively long haul routes with just 3 aircraft types. The Airbus A350, Airbus A330 and Boeing 787. Besides a few of their A330-300s this fleet is composed of very new aircraft. And with the older A330-300 being phased out in favour of the new A330-900neo, this is one of the youngest large airline fleets out there.
Service on Virgin is first class and thanks to their fun advertising and modern ethos I feel they have a more relaxed, casual vibe compared to other airlines on this list. Their Upper Class cabins even have a bar area where you can have a drink with other passengers mid flight. Additionally, the airline is one of the best in terms of diversity and sustainability, with their recent adoption of non-gendered uniforms being an example. Finally, my mum and dad highly rate Virgin Atlantic for flying to the Jamaica, so I’ve got to trust their astute judgement.
4. Cathay Pacific – Pretty Solid
For my next entry I’ll start off by saying that Cathay were hit very hard by the pandemic. They still haven’t recovered in any capacity and have reportedly cut their service quality quite drastically. I flew business class from London to Tokyo via Hong Kong with them in 2018. Back then they were top notch, but that may not be the case anymore. I briefly mention mt experience with them in this post on airline lounges.
That being said, I’ve included them on this list on the assumption that they are still their old quality self. I wouldn’t say Cathay Pacific is incredible in any one area unlike other airlines on this list. Rather I think they’re just very solid in all aspects. Service, Cabin, Food, different classes are all very good. They serve a lot of routes and have very good lounges at airports, especially at their Hong Kong hub.
5. Air France – Best Food
My final pick only really makes its way onto the list thanks to their exceptional food in first class. The French are famous for their world-class cuisine. So it stands to reason that the French flag carrier, Air France, has some of the best food in the air too. From all accounts their economy class is nothing to write home about. However, when it comes to business and first class, called La Premiere, their food is something else.
The menu is prepared by Michelin starred chefs such as Anne-Sophie Pic, Régis Marcon, Michel Roth, and Arnaud Donckele. You truly get a Michelin starred experience in the air. And with France’s very best wine and champagne you get the full dining experience. Sadly Air France don’t operate first on many routes, and those that do are eye-wateringly expensive. Trek Trendy did a good Youtube video to show what it’s like.
Air France, alongside British Airways, were the only 2 airlines to fly the Concorde. Whilst not really relevant today, I’ve given bonus points for the cool heritage factor. If you’re just flying economy or business I wouldn’t really rate Air France any higher than other western carriers such as British Airways or United. But if you have cash to splash, their La Premiere experience is a good choice.
Final Thoughts
That has been my top 6 airlines around the world. Really it all comes down to personal preference as all the top airlines have a pretty similar offering accross the board. Different airlines excel in different areas, but overall I think Singapore Airlines is the best. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think, and if you have a different favourite airline.
I will say that if I had to add another airline to this list it would probably be Emirates. Their sheer opulence is amazing. But I tend to avoid all the Middle Eastern airlines as I don’t want to connect through them so I don’t have any experience. Thanks for reading!
2 responses to “Best Airlines in the World… (according to me)”
I like Emirates. Transiting in Dubai I had to walk for too long, not a fan
Never been to Dubai, will have to go someday.