Flying: not good.
While there are probably a million things anyone would rather do than board a plane (arriving at an awesome destination aside), some airlines are doing their part to make air travel a little more bearable.
Skytrax’s World Airlines Awards were created to shine a light on those airlines. The Oscars of the aviation industry, if you will.
“The focus of the survey is for customers to make their own, personal choices as to which airline they consider to be the best, underlining the brand as the Passenger’s Choice Awards,” reads an explanation of the Awards’ methodology. More than 20 million eligible survey entries were counted, with 335 airlines included in the survey results.
So, without further ado: the best airline in the world is Singapore Airlines. Qatar Airlines claimed the runner-up spot, while All Nippon Airways (ANA) rounds out the top three. Singapore Airlines was also awarded for having the World’s Best First Class and offering the Best First Class Seat.
As you can see, a pattern is starting to emerge. The next three airlines are Emirates, EVA Air (Taiwan), and Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong). The first non-Asian airline to make an appearance on the list is Lufthansa (Germany). Three more Asian airlines complete the top 10.
Canada’s strongest representative on the list is Air Canada, which doesn’t rank until the 30 spot. WestJet, meanwhile, scored 54th, while Porter finished at a surprisingly low 62nd.
Air Canada’s top 30 finish makes it the best-rated airline in North America, which is one hell of a participation ribbon. In the past nine years, Air Canada has won the North American category seven times.
Thank you for voting us the Best Airline in North America for the second year in a row, and 7th time in 9 years!
Huge thanks to our 30,000 hard-working and passionate employees, who continuously allow us to enhance your travel experience and achieve new heights. #FlyTheFlag pic.twitter.com/3wkme7UES2
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) July 17, 2018
In the budget category, AirAsia was awarded the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 10th successive year. Norwegian finished in second, followed by EasyJet. WestJet, which somehow sidled its way into the low-cost group, was ranked a very respectable 6th.