TripAdvisor^®, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its Travellers’ Choice^® awards for airlines, identifying travellers’ favourite carriers around the globe.

Qantas was recognised as the best airline in Australia whilst Air New Zealand emerged as the best airline in the South Pacific. Singapore Airlines was named the number one airline in the world.

“We’re thrilled to recognise the global TripAdvisor community’s favourite 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 Travellers’ Choice awards for airlines recognise the carriers that exceed passenger expectations and receive top marks from travellers.”

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says listening to feedback and keeping customers at the core has helped the airline to continually improve its customer experience.

“We’ve invested significantly in technologies like our AI chatbot Oscar, our Airband for unaccompanied minors and our mobile app, innovative inflight products and aircraft interiors, modern fleet, and new and refreshed lounge spaces to ensure a high quality and seamless customer experience from planning right through to post flight. While many of these elements can be replicated, our people and the uniquely Kiwi service we provide each day can’t be copied. It’s great to see our efforts have paid off – with customer reviews and feedback a true measure of how we are doing” says Mr Luxon.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of airline reviews and ratings submitted by travellers worldwide, over a 12-month period on TripAdvisor Flights.  

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Travellers’ Choice awards for airlines, the 2018 award categories expanded to honour 69 airlines that provide exceptional value and service across the world.   In addition to the world list, the Traveller’s Choice awards recognise the best airlines in seven regions including Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, South Pacific & Oceania, Africa & Indian Ocean, and the Middle East.  The awards also recognise the top airlines in four distinct service classes: International First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy.  The hallmarks of Travellers’ Choice award winners are outstanding service, quality and value.

Top 10 Airlines in the World:

Recognising airlines around the world that deliver consistently exceptional experiences to the global traveller

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 travelled 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 travelled 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.”  

Award-winning Airlines in South Pacific:

Recognising airlines in the South Pacific that deliver consistently exceptional experiences to the regional traveller

• Air New Zealand, New Zealand - Best
• Qantas, Australia - Winner
• Virgin Australia, Australia - Winner

Class of Service Global Winners:

Recognising 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

For the complete list of winners from the 2018 Travellers’ Choice awards for airlines, visit  www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Airlines. Travellers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #TravelersChoice.

To find great airfares and traveller 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.