The world’s best airline? Numerous awards and surveys have sought to answer this question, but Telegraph Travel has applied a scientific approach to pin down the truth. We’ve examined the planet’s carriers across more than 30 criteria to come up with the most comprehensive guide to which airlines are hot and which are not. 

Having chosen the 90 carriers on which Britons are most likely to fly, we looked at everything from legroom to punctuality, baggage allowance to route network, quality of home airport to age of fleet, value of rewards programme to tastiness of in-flight meals. 

We also collated the results of several major global airline gongs and polls, including last year’s Telegraph Travel Awards, voted for by almost 30,000 readers (see “Methodology”, below, for full details). 

What did we find out? The Gulf airlines – Dubai-based Emirates, Doha-headquartered Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad – are leading the way, as is Singapore Airlines, long a favourite of UK travellers. Turkish Airlines ranks highly, thanks to the quality of its food and the staggering number of destinations to which one can fly from its new hub in Istanbul. Japan’s two major airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, are also flying high, helped by snazzy new premium-economy and business-class cabins. Air France and Korean Air also make it into our top 10. 

Among the lowest performers were budget carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air – no real surprise given their lack of frills. US airlines’ reputation for treating passengers as self-loading freight is confirmed, with no American carriers in the top 20 (Alaska and Delta are the closest at 23rd and 24th). US low-cost carriers fared better, however, with JetBlue and Southwest returning strong scores. 

Britain’s best performer was Virgin Atlantic, ranked 16th overall, just ahead of British Airways in 19th. 

The full rankings can be found below, but first of all, our top 10:

The Korean flag carrier may be the most surprising member of our top 10. But it does all the basics very well. Legroom in economy class is as generous as its East Asian rivals. Seoul Incheon, the airline’s hub, is among the best on the planet. Its in-flight cuisine is top notch, its on-time performance (OTP) is excellent, and its fleet is a mix of popular Airbus and Boeing jets. The wow factor? It gives passengers the chance to have one last dance on the iconic Queen of the Skies – the Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Korean flies the last passenger 747 ever ordered, from London to Seoul (a route BA axed post Covid). 

The Abu Dhabi-based United Arab Emirates flag carrier is a boutique operation compared with its local rivals Qatar Airways and Emirates. Think Virgin Atlantic to British Airways. “We want to do our own thing, to define a unique identity,” says its chief executive, Antonoaldo Neves. The cabins on many of its aircraft are a little dated but its stylish new A350s and refurbished Boeing 787s show the way ahead. It scored highly in our study for punctuality, legroom and in-flight cuisine. Its trump card, however, is its home airport, Zayed International, which opened last October. Facial recognition means you can check in and clear passport control just by showing your face. Liquids and laptops can stay in your hand luggage for the security check. The single terminal has an octopus-shape design with tentacles running off a central concourse, which means walking distances to the gate are very short. And the Etihad lounge is better than even Virgin’s Clubhouse at Heathrow Terminal 3 and Qantas in Sydney, with private rooms (for a crafty jetlag-busting snooze) and a spa. 

Despite recently scrapping free drinks and food on some short-haul flights (a move that lost it points in our rankings), the French flag carrier was the joint-oldest airline to make it into the top 10. It mostly flies Airbus jets, favoured by many customers over Boeing because they are roomier and quieter (this might help explain why it is also rated so highly by readers of Telegraph Travel). It scored big points for connectivity, serving around 200 destinations in 83 countries. It also has – along with sister airline KLM – the world’s best rewards programme. Its First Class, La Premiere, offers a porter and chauffeur as well as a private driver to get you to the plane. La Premiere passengers enjoy a personal introduction to the crew, including the captain, when they board. Being French, there is free champagne in economy on long-haul flights. 

JAL has one of the best premium-economy offerings in the world, coupled with the joint-largest legroom of any carrier in economy. Its premium economy cabin on its new Airbus A350s gives passengers a level of privacy not seen on other airlines, thanks to the introduction of large pull-out dividers between seats. JAL has the most generous baggage rules in our top 10, offering 46kg of free checked luggage for flights from London to Tokyo. It also got plenty of points for its OTP and lofty ranking (fourth-best long-haul airline) in the Telegraph Travel Awards. From London it offers two flights a day to the small and well-located hub it shares with ANA at Tokyo Haneda. The downside is that, other than on its newer A350s, its business-class product is comparatively outdated. 

Connectivity is the key for Turkish Airlines. Its young fleet (which also boosted its final score) flies to 130 countries, the most of any airline, from its Istanbul hub. The airline’s business-class lounge here, complete with a racing-car simulator and a Champions League museum, is on the bucket list of many international travellers. Turkish has some of the finest food in the skies – the best of any of our top 10 – and is one of the few carriers that still offers free hot meals and drinks to all passengers on short-haul flights. For business-class passengers, the 1GB of free Wi-Fi is also welcome. Two snags: it has scrapped its premium economy offering entirely, and Istanbul Airport has room for improvement – it is a vast shopping mall with distances to the gate so long you set off in spring and board in autumn. 

While our survey shows all of ANA’s four classes are among the best in the skies, its new “The Room” business class really helps propel it up our list. As its name suggests, it gives passengers great privacy, with a tall door and direct aisle access in every seat. ANA intelligently uses the space at the back of its jets, too. It has launched a couch seat, by combining four economy-class seats. The success of Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch suggests this will be a hit with passengers who want comfort, but not at business-class prices. ANA also scores very well for legroom and in-flight dining, and is also the most reliable carrier – in terms of delays and cancellations – in the top 10, in spite of its relatively old fleet. 

The Hong Kong-based carrier has had a torrid time in recent years due to the strict Covid lockdown in China but is now back on form. Its new Aria business-class suite, which features a sliding door, a privacy partition between centre seats, a 24-inch 4K IFE monitor, personalised lighting, wireless charging and bluetooth, has just been launched, and the airline will be further boosted by refreshes of its economy and premium-economy cabins. Premium economy will boast 15.6-inch TV screens, a winged headrest, and personal reading light. The carrier’s economy seats on some aircraft now feature a ledge which folds down to hold drinks and personal devices. Our survey shows that Cathay’s in-flight entertainment is one of the best in the skies, second only to Emirates. It also bagged points for its excellent first-class lounge and good economy-class legroom. 

Asia’s best carrier offers the finest first class in the sky. On the upper deck of its A380s, Suites are mini apartments complete with a leather chair and separate bed, a 32in HD touchscreen monitor paired with Bang & Olufsen noise-cancelling headphones, and Lalique-branded bedding and toiletries – even a candle (not to be lit on board, please! Take it to your hotel). Its business-class suite is cleverly designed to enable travellers to stow all but the biggest pieces of carry-on luggage under the footrest. Premium economy is a little spartan compared with Emirates, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, but economy class has generous legroom and there is always chicken rice – Singapore’s national dish – on the menu. Singapore Airlines operates the most Airbus A350s, the biggest, quietest most luxurious single-decker long-haul jet. This helps it to earn the honour of having the youngest fleet in our top 10. For many, however, the airline’s trump card is Changi Airport – with its waterfall and butterfly garden – where hi-tech facial recognition technology makes arrivals and departures quick and easy. 

The flying oryx is popular with British travellers because it is a partner airline of British Airways, which means travellers earn Avios and BA tier points on its flights. Thanks to its snazzy new Q Suite, it has the best business class in the sky and will soon launch a new first class that it claims will set a fresh benchmark. It has the biggest bar of any airline on its A380 superjumbo. There are perks for economy-class fliers, too, notably a small, 56-seat economy-class cabin on the upper deck of the double decker, which is the best way to fly long-haul economy. Its stylish, airy hub, Hamad International, earns it plenty of points. It has some of the best airport shopping in the world with boutiques that sell clothes, not just handbags and watches. There’s a swimming pool, too. The main drawback is that Qatar Airways does not offer premium economy. 

The Dubai-based behemoth takes the top spot, ticking nearly every box, from baggage allowance to punctuality. It is the airline that operates the largest number of double-decker Airbus A380s, the jet that passengers love best – because it offers most space and legroom in all cabins, including economy. It has 116 of the superjumbos in service, compared with 12 for British Airways. Premium economy on its A380s is the best in the sky. Business class never disappoints and comes with a chauffeur to drive you to and from the airport, increasingly a rarity. First class has the finest wine list of any carrier – and showers. Its route network is also one of the biggest: 140 cities in 77 countries. It was voted the best long-haul carrier in the world by Telegraph Travel readers – what better endorsement is there than that? The only downside is that its home hub, Dubai International, the world’s biggest international airport, is so huge that it can feel impersonal and overwhelming. Nevertheless, Emirates is a worthy winner.

If you want lots of legroom, don’t travel on a European airline. Not a single one of the top 10 airlines for legroom in economy is European.

Jet2 is the best low-cost European airline, thanks in no small part to being voted best short-haul airline by Telegraph Travel readers last year, and its staggeringly good Trustpilot rating (4.4 out of 5) – a testament to its excellent customer service.

British Airways flies to the third-most international destinations of any airline (201) while Turkish flies to the most countries (120) and American Airlines to the most domestic destinations (226).

We doff our caps – and award points – to those low-cost airlines that still offer free tea and coffee: step forward America’s Southwest (45th overall) and JetBlue (40th).

Tight squeeze: Nine carriers lost points for possessing some seats less than 17in wide: Delta, United, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, China Southern, Philippine Airlines, Air Transat, Caribbean Airlines.

Bringing your dumbbells? Eleven carriers do not specify weight restrictions on hand luggage: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Delta, United, American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, WestJet, Spirit Airlines, Allegiant, Frontier Airlines.

Aurigny Air was the least reliable airline in our study, with an OTP of just 36.21 per cent in 2023, according to OAG, and 2.72 per cent of its flights cancelled.

The oldest fleet in the sky? That would be the Canadian airline WestJet. Its Boeing jets are 25.4 years old, on average.

The worst in-flight food belongs to Kenya Airways, according to MoneySuperMarket’s analysis of customer reviews.

Four airlines offer two free checked bags to all economy-class passengers: Japan Airlines, Air India, Kenya Airways and Southwest.

We chose 90 airlines based on the number of annual passengers they fly and their presence in the UK. We then awarded points based on each carrier’s performance across a range of criteria. 

For “reliability”, scores depended on the airline’s global OTP in 2023 (according to Cirium), and its OTP and cancellation rate for UK departures in 2023 (according to OAG). 

For “connectivity”, we awarded points based on the number of destinations and countries served (according to Flightconnections.com, as of September 2024). 

For “luggage rules”, points were based on each airline’s free checked luggage allowance and its hand luggage allowance (weight and dimensions), with points lost if airlines have introduced “basic” economy fares that don’t include checked luggage, as well as “super basic” fares that only include a small item of hand luggage. 

For “in-flight experience”, we awarded points depending on the amount of legroom offered in economy class (according to Thrifty Traveller), with deductions made for those carriers that have seats with a pitch below 29in and a width below 17in (according to SeatGuru); the quality of in-flight food (according to a MoneySuperMarket analysis of 27,000 passenger reviews, as well as the verdict of Food & Wine magazine); and whether the airline provided free tea or coffee, free hot food, and a free alcoholic beverage in economy (with points lost for those that only offer complimentary meals on long-haul flights). 

Beyond these four main categories, the other criteria were as follows:

• Average age of fleet (according to Airfleets.net)
• Quality of HQ airport (according to the 2024 World Airport Awards)
• Value of rewards programme (according to Point.me)
• Safety (according to Airlineratings.com)
• Heritage (i.e. year of first flight)
• Ranking in the Telegraph Travel Awards (voted for by almost 30,000 readers)
• Ranking in Which? Travel’s ‘Best airlines for 2024’ (voted for by Which? readers)
• Ranking in the Skytrax World Airline Awards (overall category, as well as best low-cost carrier, best business class and best in-flight entertainment)
• TrustPilot score (minimum 100 reviews)
• Airline Ratings score and passenger rating
• Apex rating (with points given to four and five-star airlines)
• Quality of first-class lounge (according to OneMileAtATime.com)

Where data was not available for an airline – for example, Oman Air’s rewards programme does not feature in Point.me’s ranking – it was assigned a median score.