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6 minutes readContents
- What to Look for When Choosing the Best Airline
- 5 Best International Airlines Ranked
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- JetBlue
- Virgin Australia
What to Look for When Choosing the Best Airline
Every traveler has their own needs, whether you’re looking for cheap flights, a premium business class experience, or a comfortable economy seat for traveling with kids. You might even be planning to fly with your cat or looking for a first-class experience to kickstart your romantic getaway.
Photo: 4 PM production / Shutterstock.co
Airlines that rank highly in the United States, like Delta and United Airlines, often don’t provide the same amenities and service as international competitors on certain routes. While American Airlines remains the world’s largest airline by passenger number and fleet size, it’s usually Asian and Middle Eastern airlines that rank highest for customer satisfaction and service.
When shopping around for airlines, you’ll want to compare features like:
- On-board entertainment
- Carry-on and baggage allowances
- Cabin crew service ratings
- Availability of direct flights
- Seat size in economy
- In-flight meal options
- Business or first-class offerings
5 Best International Airlines Ranked
Not all airlines are made equal. Whether you’re flying economy or business class, you’ll receive a different product from each airline. It’s important to know what an airline markets themselves as.
While Emirates pitches itself as a luxury airline, other carriers like Jetstar market themselves as a low-cost airline for medium and long-haul travel from Asia. Although the 5 airlines on this list are not budget carriers, they offer some of the most extensive travel routes with a range of tick options, whether you’re a carry-on only flier or want extra comfort in premium economy.
1. Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines continually tops the list of best carriers in the world with hundreds of awards to their name. It flies to over 110+ destinations with a budget partner airline, Scoot. In-flight meals are curated by world-renowned chefs with 1,900+ in-flight entertainment options that are raved about by passengers with live TV, web-based gaming, and wellness audios. You can even use the airline’s ‘book the cook’ option to order a custom meal.
Photo: singaporeair.com
The airline uses KrisFlyer for its frequent flyer program, allowing you to earn air miles on other purchases, including when shopping online. If offers five classes of cabins: economy, premium economy, business, first-class, and suites available on its A380 fleet. Singapore has a seven-star safety rating and was ranked the 13thsafest airline in the world in 2024.
2. Emirates
Emirates operates a fleet of 260+ planes from its global base in Dubai, making it the largest international airline with routes to 158 destinations in 85 countries. It’s the largest operator of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 planes, claiming to have “one of the youngest fleets”. The airline offers five four cabin classes: economy, premium economy, business, and first-class with the top two options providing lie-flat beds.
It’s rated by passengers as one of the best airlines to fly with kids, providing priority boarding for families, dedicated children’s entertainment, healthy in-flight meals, and accessibility services for neurodivergent children.
Photo: emirates.com
Emirates operates its own “Skyward loyalty program”, in partnership with Flydubai. It offers in-flight WiFi on all planes with up to 6,500 entertainment options, including the latest Hollywood blockbuster movies. Emirates has a seven-star safety rating and is rated the 2nd safest airline in the world.
3. Qatar Airways
Based in Doha, Qatar Airways has a fleet of 200+ aircraft servicing over 150 routes with global coverage, including to Australia, Africa, and North America. Qatar is a member of the oneworld alliance, meaning that although it offers its own “Privilege Club”, you can collect air miles for other oneworld airlines instead.
The airline offers economy, comfort+, business, and first-class seats. The new business class “Qsuite” has won multiple awards for its innovative design as an enclosed suite, suitable for being adjusted to suit two passengers.
Photo: qatarairways.com
You can choose from over 8500+ in-flight entertainment options with destination-inspired meals across all cabins. Bassinets and infant food are available on Qatar flights but must be requested at the time of booking. It has a seven-star safety rating and ranks in the top 4 safest airlines.
4. JetBlue
JetBlue is the top American airline on our list as a New York-based carrier rapidly expanding its international offerings. While its routes are not as extensive as the airlines above, it’s making extensive upgrades to improve passenger comfort with new routes being added, including from Boston to London. It operates 280+ aircraft, primarily Airbus A321, Airbus A220, and Embraer 190s, to over 100+ destinations in Europe and the Americas with a seven-star safety rating.
Passenger reviews highly rate the airline’s free Wi-Fi, one of the fastest in the sky, with free live TV. If you’re taking a shorter flight, expect a complimentary snack and non-alcoholic drink with more spacious than average economy seating. Transatlantic routes include a main meal, a light bite, and free alcoholic beverages.
Photo: jetblue.com
JetBlue also offers its own loyalty program, “TrueBlue”, with points pooling that allows you to combine points with up to 7 friends and family members. The airline provides five fare options: blue basic, blue, blue plus, blue extra, and mint. If you’re a budget traveler, the blue basic option is an affordable way to fly internationally. The ‘Mint’ business cabin offers curated small plates, lie-flat seats, and private suites.
5. Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia – and the Virgin airline brand as a whole – rates among the best carriers in the world. While you’ll not receive a free blanket, pillow, or snacks, you can expect one of the best in-flight service experiences. Virgin Australia has been voted as having the world’s best cabin crew for seven consecutive years. It also offers its own loyalty program, “Velocity”, which is also partnered with airlines like United and Etihad.
The airline is popular for its premium economy option with its Virgin Australia carrier providing coverage of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific for over 35+ destinations. It operates almost 100 planes, primarily the Boeing 737, Fokker, and Embraer E190s aircraft.
Photo: virgin.com
If you’re flying with an infant, you can choose to swap your check-in pram or car seat for a 23kg checked bag, giving you valuable extra packing space for family vacations. The airline has a seven-star safety rating with an extensive in-flight entertainment offering and an in-flight menu, including purchasable extras.
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