Last week I wrote about the best airports in the world. But if you want to get to one of them, which airline should you take? Skytrax has that covered, too. Here’s a list of the top five airlines from 2011, followed by the winners in specific categories, all from World Airline Awards, “the most prestigious and coveted awards for the airline industry”:
- Qatar Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Asiana Airlines (South Korea)
- Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong)
- Thai Airways International
(Singapore is the only one of these I’ve had the pleasure of flying. Maybe I took Cathay once, but I can’t remember. Flying Singapore was great for our family of six, but that was several years ago. Too bad they’re so expensive now.)
Best cabin staff:
- Asiana Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
(Our family flew Malaysia once, too. In our estimation, it’s pretty close to Singapore overall. It’s hard to beat Asian hospitality.)
And best economy class meals:
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
(Any airline that served Dr. Pepper would get a vote from me.)
[photo: “Fabulous Flight Attendants,” by Carol Schafer, used under a Creative Commons license]