NEEDHAM, Mass., April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice® awards for airlines, identifying travelers' favorite carriers around the globe. For 2018, Singapore Airlines was named the number one airline in the world and Southwest Airlines ranked as the best U.S. carrier. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of airline reviews and ratings submitted by travelers worldwide, over a 12-month period on TripAdvisor Flights.
Following the success of last year's inaugural Travelers' Choice awards for airlines, the 2018 award categories expanded to honor 69 airlines that provide exceptional value and service across the world. In addition to the world list, the Traveler's Choice awards recognize the best airlines in seven regions including Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, South Pacific & Oceana, Africa & Indian Ocean, and the Middle East. The awards also recognize the top airlines in four distinct service classes: International First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. The hallmarks of Travelers' Choice award winners are outstanding service, quality and value.
"We're thrilled to recognize the global TripAdvisor community's favorite airlines and shine a spotlight on the carriers around the world that provide the very best flying experiences," said Bryan Saltzburg, senior vice president and general manager for TripAdvisor Flights. "As the airline industry introduces new fare products and a widening array of in-flight offerings, consumers continue to seek out the carriers that deliver value and a quality experience. The Travelers' Choice awards for airlines recognize the carriers that exceed passenger expectations and receive top marks from travelers."
"We are honoured to be this year's recipient of the Best Airline in the World title in the prestigious TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards for Airlines 2018. The award is a validation of the hard work and dedication of our thousands of staff all around the world, who focus their attention every day on ensuring that Singapore Airlines remains competitive on a global level," said Singapore Airlines' CEO, Mr. Goh Choon Phong. "Our business model is based around three main pillars – product leadership, service excellence and network connectivity. We are continuing to invest heavily in all three areas to ensure we have industry-leading offerings that meet and exceed our customers' expectations, both on the ground and in the air."
"It's an honor to receive several TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards for Airlines including being the only U.S.-based carrier named a top ten airline in the world," said Ryan Green, Southwest Airlines vice president and chief marketing officer. "The real winners today are our more than 120 million customers who put their trust in Southwest to get them to where they need to be safely, on time, and with the world-renowned hospitality our 60,000 Southwest employees provide."
Asian Carriers Flying High
Among the global top 10, Asian carriers dominated with four airlines on the list (Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, EVA Air and Korean Air); followed by the Middle East with two airlines (Emirates and Qatar Airways).
Top 10 Airlines in the World:
Recognizing airlines around the world that deliver consistently exceptional experiences to the global traveler
1. Singapore Airlines, Singapore
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "I flew from Sydney to Singapore in business class. The food was the best I have had in the last ten years. Service was great and the staff actually wanted to be there. One of the best, if not the best airline."
2. Air New Zealand, New Zealand
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "The flight attendants are friendly, courteous, professional, and dedicated to customer service. The dinner was excellent, even in Economy class, and there was complimentary NZ red and white wine. Even the safety videos are entertaining. I wouldn't fly any other airline between the U.S. and New Zealand."
3. Emirates, United Arab Emirates
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "This airline is the essence of style, class and comfort. Everything I had expected was surpassed. From their presentation, to their service, which is professional, but does not override their personable approach to travellers. The Airbus is huge, but the atmosphere within is comfortable, seats are wider, windows are bigger."
4. Japan Airlines, Japan
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "This airline carrier is exquisite and features great on board meal service, drink service, and the entertainment is great. They provide excellent service with exceptional leg room. This airline is truly above most others and comes with outstanding crew members."
5. EVA Air, Taiwan
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "One of the things that separates EVA out from other airlines is in the little things. I was blown away by the novelty of the "Character" flight we took. Everything from the pillows to the meals - it was Hello Kitty cuteness overload. Kids' meals are excellent. These small personal touches made our entire flight experience so much nicer!"
6. Southwest Airlines, United States
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "We choose to fly Southwest whenever we can. Their flights are on time and the service is friendly and efficient. We don't mind not having assigned seats. Bags fly free, and we always check ours. Frequent Flier miles are easy to accumulate with their membership program."
7. Jet2.com, United Kingdom
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "We have just come back from Portugal and all I can say is what a fab service from jet 2. From start to finish, they made my holiday less stressful. I have never been with them before and can certainly say they're better than most other companies I have been with."
8. Qatar Airways, Qatar
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "I've traveled a lot in my life and Qatar is one of my favourite airlines to travel with. The bar in a380 (business class) is the best. The service regardless of class is fab. The treatment of frequent fliers is great... food very tasty for economy ... and very big portions… Entertainment is top notch. They are one of my favourite airlines for eco travel."
9. Azul, Brazil
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "Azul is a lovely airline, employing a fleet of Embraer regional jets offering 2 + 2 seating. Service is efficient and you always get a package of "aviõezinhos" (airplane shaped gummy bears) to chew on the short domestic hops."
10. Korean Air, South Korea
According to a TripAdvisor reviewer: "We traveled from Chicago to Hong Kong with our toddler, and could not have been more pleased with the experience. Basic economy on KA is basically economy plus on other (especially US-based) airlines. The flight staff actually made me like the experience, rather than detract from it. I'll be flying KA whenever possible in the future."
Class of Service Global Winners:
Recognizing airlines around the world that provide a consistently exceptional passenger experience in each cabin
Best First Class: Singapore Airlines, Singapore
Best Business Class: Qatar Airways, Qatar
Best Premium Economy: Air New Zealand, New Zealand
Best Economy: Singapore Airlines, Singapore
Award-winning Airlines in North America:
- Southwest Airlines, United States – Best
- Alaska Airlines, United States – Winner
- Delta Air Lines, United States – Winner
- Hawaiian Airlines, United States – Winner
- JetBlue, United States – Winner
- WestJet, Canada – Winner
Class of Service North American Winners:
Best Business Class: JetBlue, United States
Best Economy: Southwest Airlines, United States
For the complete list of winners from the 2018 Travelers' Choice awards for airlines, visit https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Airlines. Travelers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #TravelersChoice.
To find great airfares and traveler reviews covering hundreds of airlines worldwide, visit TripAdvisor's global Flight Search at www.tripadvisor.com/cheapflightshome.
Methodology
Winners were based on airline reviews submitted on TripAdvisor Flights or via one of TripAdvisor's review collection partners from February 2017 to February 2018.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, enables travelers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 600 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.5 million accommodations, airlines, attractions, and restaurants -- TripAdvisor provides travelers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travelers can find the lowest price on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel community of 455 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.
The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites under 20 other travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.
* Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, October 2017
** Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2017
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