Skytrax Announces World Airline Awards 2018

Today, Skytrax announced the top airlines in the world, in addition to the best airlines in other categories. Skytrax is a website based in the United Kingdom which rates and ranks airlines. They have been giving out the World Airline Awards since 1999, ranking the best airlines in each category. Skytrax is well known world wide as one of the best airline ranking sites. While they do have some airline rankings that I do disagree with (“5 Star Airline” Lufthansa), they, for the most part, do a pretty good job at ranking airlines. In this article, I am listing the best airlines according to Skytrax, in multiple categories.

In addition, I am also listing the airline’s alliance, and give my personal ranking of what that airline deserves (in my opinion). 

Overall Best Airlines 

1. Singapore Airlines

Photo Courtesy of Skytrax

Alliance: Star Alliance 

Personal Ranking: 1

2. Qatar Airways

Alliance: Oneworld

Personal Ranking: 2

3. All Nippon Airways

Photo Courtesy of Skytrax

Personal Ranking: 3

Alliance: Star Alliance 

4. Emirates

Alliance: N/A

Personal Ranking: 5

5. EVA Air

Photo Courtesy of Skytrax

Alliance: Star Alliance

Personal Ranking: 6

6. Cathay Pacific

Alliance: Oneworld

Personal Ranking: 4

7. Lufthansa

Alliance: Star Alliance 

Personal Ranking: 200 (not really, but see here why Lufthansa is not a 5 star airline)

8. Hainan Airlines

Alliance: N/A

Personal Ranking: 10

9. Garuda Indonesia

Alliance: Skyteam

Personal Ranking: 9

10. Thai Airways

Alliance: Star Alliance

Personal Ranking: 14

Notes:

I was honestly surprised that Thai Airways made the list, because it does not even have flat beds on all of its long haul aircraft in business class. I guess Skytrax either overlooked that or thinks it has a phenomenal soft product. I was also surprised that JAL did not make the list, because it is not that much worse than ANA; JAL made spot number 13 while ANA was in spot number 3. Also surprising: Etihad made spot number 15. They deserve to be at least in the top 10, if not even the top 5 due to their business and first class hard products. That means that Skytrax thinks that mediocre Lufthansa is 8 spots better than Etihad! I was not surprised that Lufthansa was in spot 7 because Skytrax loves Lufthansa a lot. So much that they made them a 5 star airline. I don’t know if Skytrax actually thinks their soft product is the world’s best (which it is not), which it would have to be since its hard products are not that good, or if something else was involved. I would honestly give Lufthansa a spot in the low 20s, where it belongs. 

Spots 11-20

I generally think that spots 11-20 are well deserved, except for China Southern and Qantas; they deserve to be in the low 20s, in my opinion. I have flown Qantas twice, and personally I had a much superior experience on Virgin Australia (spot 22) compared to Qantas. China Southern also doesn’t have a very consistent hard product, which is why I think they deserve a spot in the 20s or 30s. 

Best Economy, Premium Economy Business and First Class: Top Ten

What About North America?

You may have noticed that in any category, no airline from North America made the list. So where on the list of the 100 best airlines did all of the airlines from North America make it? Find out below in the table where the airlines from the Untied States, Canada, and Mexico made it on the list.

You may have noticed that Delta is 51 spots above United. Really? Delta is a bit better than United, but is it really that much better? No way. Their products domestically are nearly identical, and while Delta has better international hard products, and maybe a marginally better soft product, Delta is not that much better. However, looking at the list in order, disregarding the numbers on the giant list, I can generally agree with it, but with United a couple spots higher, and with American Eagle and Air Transit a couple spots lower. 

In Conclusion

Although it has many problems in its rankings (Lufthansa), Skytrax has one of the most accurate airline comparing systems in the world. There will never be a perfect list of the best of best airlines. However, Skytrax does offer one of the best of them. 

Also, check out my airline profiles, which individually lists information about airlines and analyzes it. 

What do you think about Skytrax’s airline ratings?