What airline gives the best service? Depends. Depends where you want to fly, what class of ticket you’re looking at and, above all, what services you value.
If it’s overall service you’re interested in, then the top places in this year’s Skytrax Airline of the Year survey – based on the views of more than 10 million passengers – went to Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Thai Airways.
But for the average punter who flies economy class, those airlines aren’t necessarily the best.
Some of their high ratings were the result of superb first and business class arrangements of little relevance to most travellers.
The best economy class overall, according to this year’s survey, was provided by Emirates.
Its economy class rates four stars, as do several other airlines that fly this way, including Air New Zealand, Singapore, Thai, Malaysia and Air Tahiti Nui.
But Qantas and Cathay Pacific, as well as Virgin Blue (which flies here as Pacific Blue), Polynesian, Air Pacific, LanChile and Korean, receive only three stars for their economy service.
So, if it’s a trip in steerage you’re looking at, Emirates and the rest of the four-star generals could be the way to go.
Of course most of us fly either Air NZ or Qantas, so what does the Skytrax survey have to say about them?
Overall, Qantas rates better for first and business class, and Air NZ rates better for economy class.
According to Skytrax, Qantas is seen as offering better service when it comes to checking in, inflight entertainment and passenger amenities, while Air NZ does a bit better with its lounges.
Qantas has much better seating for first and business class passengers, but Air NZ has more comfortable seating in economy class.
Catering is pretty much the same in both airlines, but Air NZ scores for its friendlier and more efficient cabin staff in economy class.
It sounds like Air NZ is the best option for ordinary travellers, and Qantas is better for those who can afford a little luxury, (or have someone else to pay the bill).
If you’re able to travel in the posh seats, you really can’t go past Cathay Pacific, which won this year’s award for the best first class service.
Or, if you’re a corporate traveller, British Airways was judged as offering the best business class.
The best low-cost airline in this year’s survey was JetBlue, just ahead of Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue.
Of course people have different priorities when they are flying. If you’re planning to take the kids with you, Emirates has to be the choice because it rated five stars for assisting parents with children.
Air NZ, Qantas, Virgin Blue, Air Pacific, Cathay, Thai, Malaysia, Tahiti Nui and Singapore all did well enough to collect four stars.
If it’s fine food you’re looking for, then the best bet looks like Singapore, which scores five stars for its first class long haul catering and four stars elsewhere.
Close behind is Emirates which gets four stars all the way.
Cathay Pacific also gets five stars for its first class long haul catering but falls down with only three stars for short haul economy.
Best cabin service for the third year in a row goes to Malaysia.
If it’s comfortable seating that matters most, then the choice rather depends on what class you’ll be flying
Qantas, Singapore and Cathay Pacific all get five stars for their first and business class seating.
But Malaysia stands alone among the airlines flying here to score a marvellous five stars for its economy class long haul seating.
By: 4 engines good - 26th August 2004 at 17:59
VS seem pretty good to me across all class cabins. I can only speak from experience about economy but my boss flies upper class with them all the time and says he much prefers them to any other airline.
BA are very good with business and first class passengers, and usually adequate service to economy pax in my experience. I should add that I’ve never flown first class, and only Club Europe.
By: MANAIRPORTMAD - 26th August 2004 at 14:49
Well, Ive only flown Ryanair and First choice and they were both good, but First choice will have to win this one as their cabin crew, well most of them, are down to earth and I looovveee their uniform!!
By: Skymonster - 26th August 2004 at 13:38
Short haul, intra-Europe, Duo were the best of the best. Now they’re gone 🙁
Andy
By: Comet - 26th August 2004 at 11:30
Air New Zealand – friendly and efficient cabin staff in economy? Hahaha, don’t make me laugh. I have had loads of flights with them, and only had one crew which I could desrcibe as friendly. So bad is not a one off with them, but good is! I’m still waiting for them to answer a call button which I pressed back in April 1998 – yes, that’s how friendly and efficient they are! They ignored all call buttons on that flight.
The best are VLM and SNBA, on my flight from BHX-BRU back in March I encountered the best airline steward I have ever come across on any airline, and that was with SNBA.
But of course the best airline ever for in flight service does not exist any more.
By: Skymonster - 26th August 2004 at 10:33
Likewise, I don’t rate Emirates in steerage at all – far more cramped than many others. Their business class product is good, however. Equally, I don’t rate Singapore in economy, but Raffles was excellent. Of the other Asian and the far east carriers, Air New Zealand was good (though it was a long while ago I used them), Qantas OK, and Cathay Pacific very good. I also flew Lufthansa to Tokyo last year, and their business class was excellent one way and average the other – go figure!
On the North Atlantic UK-US and v.v., in economy my choice in order of preference is: BMI (yup, another one!), United (better than BMI if you can wangle economy plus, but then I can usually get New Economy on BMI which puts them back on top), US Airways (A330 only though, mainly for their VOD), Virgin and British Airways (both much of a muchness), American. Others I haven’t tried, though I suspect Northwest’s old battle-bus DC-10s can’t be much fun. Business class wise the table flips, with BA probably best, followed by Virgin. The only other transatlantic business product I’ve tried is United, which isn’t so good as BA or VS. In five weeks time, I get to try BMI’s The Business, so things may change after that!
By: KabirT - 26th August 2004 at 09:39
Jet Airways, best eco. service till date.
By: purser - 26th August 2004 at 09:00
Agree with you Mongu, I flew Emirates (economy) to Male via Dubai back in Feb. All four sectors were a let down. Maybe I was expecting too much but I wasn’t impressed at all. Personal space around the seat was very poor, the cabin service was nothing special and the food was ok. Credit where it’s due though I thought the IFE was excellant.
By: mongu - 25th August 2004 at 21:20
I didn’t rate Emirates when I flew with them recently. The economy class was poor – less personal space than other airlines such as Qantas or BA. Business seats looked OK, but probably not as good as Qantas or BA (old fashioned seats). First Class looked very similar to business, hardly worth paying extra for from what I saw.
To be honest, all major airlines are very similar if you’re in economy.
By: Bmused55 - 25th August 2004 at 21:13
Now now u know they are good 😀
good they are. But not the best.
By: bmi-star - 25th August 2004 at 20:36
what a surprise :rolleyes:
Now now u know they are good 😀
By: Silver Snapper - 25th August 2004 at 19:06
Alaskan for me! They know how to treat their men. 😀 😀
By: Bmused55 - 25th August 2004 at 18:42
Has to be bmi for me, best service ever i’ve had long-haul to the US,and i’ve flown with 5 different carriers to the US!
Also good short haul
what a surprise :rolleyes:
By: bmi-star - 25th August 2004 at 18:32
Has to be bmi for me, best service ever i’ve had long-haul to the US,and i’ve flown with 5 different carriers to the US!
Also good short haul
By: 4 engines good - 25th August 2004 at 18:22
Ryanair.
😉
By: GLAsgow - 25th August 2004 at 17:00
Emirates or American airlines
By: seahawk - 25th August 2004 at 16:47
The last sentence makes Malaysia the winner form e. When travelling economy, I want the best and most comfortable seats available. I can go without food for 8-10 hours (something is always consumable), I can also live with being ingnored by the cabin crew for that period, but I want to sit as comfortable as possible during hte long hours.
By: Nasir - 25th August 2004 at 03:54
SIA would top the list for me for cabin service as well. Although I must agree with the nay-sayers when they say that the Singapore girl, though being quite gracious, is quite robotic and lacks the warmth that the Malaysia girl might have.
By: Whiskey Delta - 25th August 2004 at 03:16
No way, ExpressJe…….. aw screw it. 🙂
By: skycruiser - 25th August 2004 at 02:55
Easy, CATHAY PACIFIC. ha ha ha
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August 25, 2004 at 2:00 am