The surge in Covid-19 cases this fall has put several European governments on their guard, with many tightening their health measures. And that was before the emergence of the new Omicron variant, with some cases already being reported in Europe. Reliable scientific data is still being collected so, as with previous waves of Covid-19 infections, a lot of uncertainty remains for travelers, especially with the holiday season around the corner. But for those who do manage to travel, it could be useful to find out which airlines are going out of their way to offer good quality of service.
The travel site Bounce has analyzed not only the experiences of passengers, but also airlines’ punctuality and maximum luggage allowance for both US-based and international airlines. The airlines were ranked according to the results, a summary of which is shown here below.
1.Best International Airlines
1.1. All Nippon Airways, ANA
9.6/10 – Airline Index Score
Based in Tokyo, ANA is the largest airline in Japan by both revenue and passenger numbers. It ranks the highest in customer-rated staff service, the only airline in our list to score full marks in our airline index for this factor. It also has a relatively low number of complaints at 34.
1.2. Singapore Airlines
9.5/10 – Airline Index Score
Operating since 1972, Singapore Airlines ranks number two due to its high baggage allowance of 30 kilos, a low number of complaints (23), and high seat comfort, having won awards for their aircraft seating. Singapore Airlines scores four out of five for every category in our index, so it’s no surprise this carrier comes second in our ranking as the best international carrier.
1.3. Korean Air
9.2/10 – Airline Index Score
Serving 120 cities in 43 countries, Korean Air carried 3,576,000 passengers in 2020. The airline scored four out of five for each customer satisfaction category in our index and ranked lower in the number of complaints than Singapore Airlines (21). Due to its lower baggage allowance of 23 kilos, it was ranked third after Singapore Airlines.
Top 10 best international airlines
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Korean Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Eva Airways
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- La Compagnie
2. Best US airlines
2.1. Delta
8.9/10 – Airline Index Score
Delta has the second-highest percentage of arrivals on time (86.7%) and a relatively low number of complaints, 494 from January to June of 2021. This is owed to CEO Ed Bastain’s dedication to improving customer satisfaction, which is no easy feat as Delta Airlines serves more than 300 destinations in 50 countries.
2.2. Hawaiian Airlines
8.5/10 – Airline Index Score
Based in Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines is the tenth-largest commercial airline in the US. Despite coming second overall, it is the most punctual airline with 87.7% of flights leaving on time. However, it is let down by the lack of inflight entertainment, only scoring two out of five.
2.3. Horizon Air
8.4/10 – Airline Index Score
This regional airline serving the West Coast of the US and Canada ranks third, despite having the lowest number of complaints at just 17. Added to this, the airline also tops the list for service, scoring four out of five. Its poorly rated inflight entertainment penalized its otherwise high score
Top 10 US airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Horizon Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- JetBlue
- Southwest Airlines
- SkyWest Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
3. Worst International Airlines
3.1. Viva Colombia
3.4/10 – Airline Index Score
This low-cost airline has carried 22.55 million passengers in the last seven years and operates around 40,000 flights a year. This carrier scores one out of five in our index for meals, seat comfort, and inflight entertainment due to the fact that few amenities are offered to customers free of charge.
3.2. Viva Aerobus
3.6/10 – Airline Index Score
Based at Monterrey International Airport in Mexico, this budget airline carries passengers internally as well as operates international flights to cities in the US. It scores one out of five in our index for both inflight entertainment and meals and two out of five for staff service. This could be due to its buy-on-board program where food and drink have to be purchased.
3.3. Volaris
4/10 – Airline Index Score
This low-cost airline based in Mexico City is one of the few airlines that is expected to make a profit for 2021 despite the impact of Covid, due to its focus on leisure and visiting friends and relatives markets. Due to the airline discontinuing inflight entertainment in 2019, it has one of the lowest scores in our index, and with a low maximum baggage weight allowance of 10 kilos, this carrier ranks as the third-worst airline.
