It’s that time of year again when the world waits breathlessly to find out what airline scoops the top gong in the Skytrax World Airline Awards .
The infamous airline awards includes feedback from up to 18 million flyers in over 160 countries, with this years awards being held at the Paris Airshow. The Skytrax awards are seen as the worlds most noticed awards given its longevity and scope, though its method for selecting winners remains a bit of a grey area.
So who came up trumps this year? Emirates improved upon its eighth spot in 2012 by becoming the worlds best airline in 2013, booting out Qatar which was relegated to second position after two years in the top spot. Check out the rest of the winners below.
Winner: Emirates
Every man and his dog have heard of this behemoth carrier with its rise to fame taking the world by storm. But it’s not by accident – Emirates excels in its premium cabins with first class guests treated to luxuries such as onboard showers on its A380 aircraft. The A380 also sports a bar for its premium cabin guests. Emirates improves on its 8th position in last years awards, which is a stellar improvement by anyones measure.
Read our recent article on the stunning Emirates offering here .
Qatar’s national airline won both the 2011 and 2012 awards, but has dropped to second position in the 2013 awards. The airlines high ranking year after year comes as no surprise given its focus on the passenger experience. To find out why this airline is awesome, check out our Qatar run-down in our Airlines of the Middle East series.
No surprises with this one as Singapore Airlines retains third position on the leader board. Singapore Airlines has been airline royalty for like… ever… and you’d have to be be living under a rock to not know who these guys are and that they are the airline of choice. The first class ‘suite’ product on its A380 is the most amazing product in the skies and its long-haul business class offers one of the largest flatbeds around.
Singapore Airlines appeared in our ’7 Heavenly First Class Cabins’ story which can be found here .
ANA has continued its rise into the top 10 this year after coming in fifth last year, and 11th spot in 2011. The airline was the launch carrier for the Boeing 787 which have just recently come back into service. To check out the inside of ANA’s new bird, check out this article over at our friends at AusBT .
Asiana has dropped back in its ranking, from second spot last year (and third the year previously) but the airline has done well considering it is still a bit of a left wing airline for many. While the hard product looks a bit dated and dull, Asiana really performs in the customer service aspect which sets the carrier apart from the pack. Customers however have complained about the inconsistency in its onboard product, so perhaps this is why it has dropped in this years awards.
Not long ago, I travelled on Asiana in its business class cabin – read the reviews here on FlymeFunky: Sydney – Seoul and Seoul – London
Cathay Pacific dropped from fourth position last year to sixth this year. The airline is another quality staple from the pool of Asia’s finest carriers and it has been a hallmark of quality for years. The airline is thankfully correcting its awful economy ‘sliding seats’ and migrating away from the coffin herringbone configuration in its business class – it’s good to know the airline is listening to its customers.
Check out Cathay Pacific’s new inflight seats and cabins here .
Etihad is no stranger to a high position in the airline awards – its product is superb, especially in its premium cabins. The first class product offered on Etihad won last years best first class award – its business class cabins offers flat-beds and a ‘dine anytime’ service for passengers.
Etihad featured in our ‘Airlines of the Middle East’ series. To read about Etihad in more detail, click here .
Garuda has been a fairytale story – its rise in the Skytrax awards has been swift, with its eight spot coming as no surprise to industry watchers. With a strong leadership team at the helm, the airline has transformed itself into the world class airline it is today. Unfortunately it has a checkered safety record with some passengers refusing to fly on the airline (we’re sure these feelings will change with time as the airline proves its commitment to safety). Garuda will join global airline alliance Skyteam in 2014.
To see what Garuda has in store for first class and business class travellers, check out the pics at AusBT .
Turkish has dropped from seventh position last year to ninth this year. The airline offers a great product and easy connections with partner airlines due to its membership in Star Alliance. Turkish is known for its killer food and beverage offering in its business class.
Turkish also featured in our ‘Airlines of the Middle East’ series which can be read here .
Phew… that was a close one Qantas. Coming in tenth this year, the airline improves on its poor standing of 15th spot in last years awards. The airline has recently set-up shop with this years winner Emirates, and all connections from Australia to Europe now fly through Dubai. Qantas has a unique first class offering and a robust business class product, which you can read about in Fabian Brimfield’s awesome business class review found here . Its first class lounge in Sydney is also a sight to behold .
So there you have it! And if your interested, here are the remaining airlines to round out the top 20:
11. Lufthansa
12. EVA Air
13. Virgin Australia
14. Malaysia Airlines
15. Thai Airways
16. Swiss Int’l Air Lines
17. Korean Air
18. Air New Zealand
19. Hainan Airlines
20. Air Canada
12. EVA Air
13. Virgin Australia
14. Malaysia Airlines
15. Thai Airways
16. Swiss Int’l Air Lines
17. Korean Air
18. Air New Zealand
19. Hainan Airlines
20. Air Canada
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