Since my original Airline Tier List in January 2023 I’ve had the chance to fly a few more airlines, so have some big updates to make. Notably, British Airways after a terrible flight from Hong Kong to London are out of the Best Long Haul category. Whilst new entrants like Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines are in. I’ll include link to my full review for all of the below airlines where possible. I’ll probably be updating this list every 6 months or so depending on how many flights I take.

4. Singapore Airlines – They were just rated the best airline in the world by Skytrax. Whilst I don’t think their economy is quite the best it is certainly good. With one of the best seats and tv screens in the sky. My only negative is that the food was below average.

3. Malaysia Airlines – I didn’t have very high expectations for my flight from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur that I reviewed back in June. But I was pleasantly surprised. The seat and service in economy are good. And the food especially was fantastic, some of the best economy class food I’ve had after Japan Airlines. Best of all the price is pretty low, you can find a return flight from London to Malaysia for only £550 or so. The only downside is that Malaysia Airlines have a pretty limited long haul route network. In fact, London, Australia and New Zealand are pretty much the only long haul destinations they serve.

2. Oman Air – This small Middle Eastern carrier is often overshadowed by the likes of Emirates and Qatar, but I think they are highly underated. Great seats (for economy), generous amenities kits and tasty Omanian food make this a great choice if you’re connecting through the Middle East. It is a relatively small airline though so they don’t offer a very diverse route network. They’re also due to join the Oneworld Alliance soon.

1. Japan Airlines (JAL) – For hands down the best economy experience I’ve ever had. I flew on a Boeing 787 on a 12h 30m flight from London to Tokyo. Staff and service were first class, food was great for economy and most importantly, JAL’s 787s have a very special feature. It may seem small but the economy cabin is in a 2-4-2 configuration instead of the typical 3-3-3 on many other airlines. Especially for people who always sit by the window this is a god send as you only have to climb over 1 person when getting up.

3. British Airways – In the past British Airways business class has been nothing special, but in recent years I think it’s really improved. Their new Club Suites are some of the best business seats on the market. And in my experience service and food has always been good. I’ve only flown on their older seats though which were a bit tatty, hence why I haven’t put them higher on this list.

2. Virgin Atlantic – Virgin Atlantic are similar to British Airways but with a slightly quirkier twist. Their Upper Class is very good in my opinion. Starting on the ground they have some brilliant lounges. In the air the service is incredibly friendly, seats and food are good, not great. They even have lounge areas on the planes if you fancy a drink in the sky. If only they flew to more destinations.

1. Cathay Pacific – I had the opportunity to fly on one of Cathay’s Airbus A350s in business class from London to Hong Kong and back. I really can’t think of anything bad to say about the entire experience. Even at the airport they have brilliant lounges with a la carte menus and showers, which is a god send on a long layover. Most impressively, throughout the flight they would refer to me by name (without me telling it to them). And cabin crew were incredibly attentive, without being annoying. This level of attention to detail is something I haven’t experienced on any other airline.

4. Vietnam Airlines – I reviewed Vietnam Airlines on a 1.5 hour flight from Hanoi to Da Nang here and it was just a refreshing experience. Their Airbus A321 was a bit dated, but the seat is amazingly comfy and spacious with a cool design. They have a superb safety video, and serve bubble tea on board. Just a good quirky airline, pretty cheap too.

3. Norwegian Air Shuttle – I think Norwegian is the best budget airline in Europe. Comfy seats, free wifi, often on time and reasonable prices. Check out my full review here.

2. Cathay Pacific – I recently took the 4 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong on an Airbus A330-300 and the level of service was better than a lot of Long Haul flights I’ve been on. The seat is comfy and spacious, a full meal was served and they even hand out pillows and blankets on such a short flight. Not to mention they have one of the best inflight entertainment systems of any airline. Literally the only complaint I have about them is they tend to be the most expensive option on each route. However, I think that’s justified given how high the quality is.

1. Singapore Airlines – I reviewed their regional Airbus A350-900 from Singapore to Hanoi and it was incredible. The seat is the same as they use on their Long Haul A380 and is super comfy. The food and service were top notch. They really raise the bar, even providing a blanket, pillow, and amenity kit on request on a short 3 hour flight. Like Cathay Pacific though, Singapore Airlines do tend to be pretty expensive. But short haul flights with them can be much cheaper if booked as part of a connecting flight. And Singapore Changi Airport is really just a pleasure to visit so connecting there isn’t an issue.

3. British Airways – For Europe you’ll struggle to find a better business product, especially when it comes to food. I recently reviewed a British Airways Club Europe flight from Geneva to London Heathrow and besides a short delay it was pretty great. They do use standard economy seats but considering this is the norm in Europe I won’t deduct points because of that. However, it does mean that it can’t compare to the likes of Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines who offer proper lay flat seats on their equivalent short haul flights.

2. Cathay Pacific – Much like their fabulous long haul offering, Cathay Pacific also have a very solid short haul business class product. I flew one of their Airbus A330s from Hong Kong to Tokyo, which you can see in this review from Point Hacks here. Whilst inferior to long haul routes, it is still miles ahead than pretty much any European short haul business seat. As I’ve come to expect with Cathay Pacific, service and food were excellent. It would be nice to see a fully lay flat seat of course and a bit more privacy but for a 3 hour flight I don’t think it’s necessary.

1. Singapore Airlines – I was pretty blown away on a recent flight I took from Saigon to Singapore in their Boeing 787-10 Business Class. The flight was delayed by 45 min but it was otherwise perfect. The crew were great, the food was great and the seat felt like a throne. It’s becoming a recurring theme now when I leave Europe but I’m constantly blown away by the service that many Asian airlines provide. Within Europe Business Class seats are almost always the same as Economy. But Singapore Airlines basically give you a whole suite to yourself.

5. Scoot – As far as budget airlines go Scoot aren’t really that bad (but still not good). The issue arises though with the fact that every Scoot flight will be passing through Singapore. That means most flights with them you probably also have the choice of Singapore Airlines too, which are just objectively better in every respect. Really I would avoid them at any cost if you’re flying through Singapore. Read my review here to find out more.

4. Vietjet Air – Vietjet Air are the first privately owned airline in Vietnam and had a huge part in boosting the country’s aviation Industry. That being said, they’re about as budget as things get. I reviewed Vietjet Air on a short flight from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City and it was pretty shocking.

3. TAP Portugal – Essentially a budget airline charging full service prices, for short haul at least. My main issue with them lies with how they lost my bag once. I wrote about it here in my list of best travel accessories. Basically, they took my bag off me before boarding saying it would have to go in the hold and to collect from baggage reclaim. Instead, without telling me, they put it back on the plane. I waited at baggage reclaim, but it never showed. In the end a flight attendant must have dumped it in a corner of the reclaim hall. If not for my AirTag pointing me towards it I never would have found it.

2. Iberia – My only experience flying Iberia has been in business class, and it was very substandard. Obviously any form of business class is a privilege, but compared to competitors, Iberia are shoddy at best. Slow & innatentive service, worn-out feeling seats and bad food make for a very outdated business class product. I reviewed their A350 business class and was not impressed. They also have a no filming on board policy, which made reviewing them difficult.

1. easyJet – I recently had a pretty poor experience with easyJet (review here). But that’s not the only reason I don’t recommend them. I’ve found prices to be noticeably more expensive than Ryanair and Wizzair for essentially the same experience. I’ve also found the planes to be dirty and service to be unfriendly.