Today, TripAdvisor announced the winners of its 2018 Travelers’ Choice awards for airlines, recognizing travelers’ favorite carriers around the world. This year, Singapore Airlines was named the number-one airline in the world and Southwest Airlines ranked as the best domestic carrier. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of airline reviews and ratings submitted by travelers worldwide over a one-year period on TripAdvisor flights. (Note: On the domestic front, TPG's list of best and worst airlines yielded similar results.)
The 2018 award categories expanded to honor 69 airlines that provide exceptional value and service across the world in four categories: the top airlines in the world, the top airlines by geographic region, the top airlines by country, and the best airlines by class of service (first, business, premium economy, economy). Winners were based on airline reviews submitted from February 2017 to February 2018. Among the global top-10, Asian carriers prevailed with four airlines on the list (Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, EVA Air and Korean Air) followed by the Middle East with two airlines (Emirates and Qatar Airways).
TripAdvisor's 2018 Top Airlines in the World:
According to TripAdvisor, these awards recognize airlines around the world that deliver consistently exceptional experiences to global travelers.
- Singapore Airlines, Singapore
- Air New Zealand, New Zealand
- Emirates, United Arab Emirates
- Japan Airlines, Japan
- EVA Air, Taiwan
- Southwest Airlines, United States
- Jet2.com, United Kingdom
- Qatar Airways, Qatar
- Azul, Brazil
- Korean Air, South Korea
The 2018 Class of Service (North America) winner is Southwest for Best Economy Class.
TripAdvisor's 2018 Top Airlines in North America:
Southwest Airlines, United States (Best)
Alaska Airlines, United States (Winner)
Delta Air Lines, United States (Winner)
Hawaiian Airlines, United States (Winner)
JetBlue, United States (Winner)
WestJet, Canada (Winner)
TripAdvisor's 2018 Winners for Class of Service (Globally):
According to TripAdvisor, this award recognizes 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
“We are honored to be this year’s recipient of the Best Airline in the World,” said Goh Choon Phong, CEO of Singapore Airlines. “The award is a validation of the hard work and dedication of our thousands of staff all around the world, who focus their attention every day on ensuring that Singapore Airlines remains competitive on a global level. Our business model is based around three main pillars: product leadership, service excellence and network connectivity. We are continuing to invest heavily in all three areas to ensure we have industry-leading offerings that meet and exceed our customers’ expectations, both on the ground and in the air.”
TripAdvisor's 2018 Winners for Class of Service (North America):
Best Business Class: JetBlue, United States
Best Economy: Southwest Airlines, United States
Said Ryan Green, vice president and chief marketing officer for Southwest Airlines: “The real winners today are our more than 120 million customers who put their trust in Southwest to get them to where they need to be safely, on time and with the world-renowned hospitality our 60,000 Southwest employees provide.”
For the complete list of winners from the 2018 Travelers’ Choice awards for airlines, head over to TripAdvisor.
