Here Are the Top International Airlines for 2024, According to T+L Readers

Following a major upheaval last year, which saw a long-time leader replaced by a newcomer, the rankings have stabilized. The veteran has reclaimed its top position, but the former challenger remains close behind. Additionally, the list is populated with renowned Asian and Middle Eastern airlines that consistently make the cut year after year.

Understanding the Voting Process

Each year for the World's Best Awards survey, T+L invites readers to provide feedback on global travel experiences—sharing their views on the best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. In 2024, over 186,000 T+L readers participated, casting more than 700,000 votes across 8,700+ properties.

Airlines were specifically evaluated based on the following criteria:

Cabin Comfort
In-Flight Service
Customer Support
Value for Money

For each attribute, participants could select a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores represent the average of these ratings.

Highlights from Reader Feedback

Is it any wonder that long-haul travelers desire a great experience? Overall, our readers prioritized comfort, friendly service, and tasty meals—qualities that every airline on this list provides to its passengers.

In our top five, we saw a bit of movement compared to last year. Most notably, Singapore Airlines has reclaimed its title as our champion, narrowly surpassing last year's winner (and this year's runner-up), the French boutique airline La Compagnie. The difference was just one one-hundredth of a point.

One of the key differences between Singapore Airlines (a WBA Hall of Fame inductee) and La Compagnie is the pricing. 'Not the cheapest choice, but excellent flights with outstanding service,' remarked one voter about Singapore Airlines. In contrast, La Compagnie—offering all business-class seating—had a voter praising its 'great value, superb service, and fantastic food.'

The other three airlines were on last year's list, but their rankings have changed. In 2024, Emirates (also a WBA Hall of Fame inductee) is at No. 3, followed by All Nippon Airways (ANA) at No. 4, and Qatar Airways (another WBA Hall of Fame inductee) at No. 5.

Interestingly, it’s not just the in-flight experience that matters to our readers. 'Exceptional service both in-flight and on the ground,' wrote one voter. 'I even booked an extended (10-hour) layover just to enjoy the Doha Al Mourjan lounge.'

If you’re interested in which other airlines our readers favored, you can find the full list below. And before you leave, here’s a fun fact: Each of the 15 international airlines on this list scored higher than nine of the top 10 domestic airlines.

The Champion

Singapore Airlines

Image courtesy of Singapore Airlines

After facing pandemic-related challenges, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has made a remarkable comeback. 'I was amazed by how exceptional the experience was. I wish I could fly this airline everywhere,' shared one voter. Thankfully, SIA operates flights to over 70 destinations globally. Our readers applauded the airline's outstanding service, highlighting the onboard cuisine and the cleanliness of each aircraft. 'They pay attention to detail,' one voter remarked. This is crucial when operating the world's largest commercial aircraft (the A380) and flying the longest route (just under 19 hours, from New York to Singapore).