Singapore Airlines and Thai Smile topped the Asian rankings in TripAdvisor’s first ever Travellers’ Choice awards for airlines, while Emirates was the world’s highest-rated carrier.
In total, 50 airlines were listed in the global ratings, divided into four regions and an overall world table. The top airlines were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality their TripAdvisor reviews and ratings over a 12-month period.
Singapore Airlines was named the best “major airline” in the Asia Pacific region, followed by Air New Zealand and Korean Air. Thai Smile, the subsidiary of Thai Airways, was named the region’s top “regional or low-cost carrier”, ahead of Bangkok Airways and IndiGo.
“We are proud to announce the inaugural Travellers’ Choice awards for airlines, to help travellers make the most well-informed air travel decisions, based on the experiences of the global TripAdvisor community,” said Bryan Saltzburg, senior vice president & general manager for TripAdvisor Flights.
“The airline industry is investing billions of dollars in new aircraft and service enhancements to differentiate the flying experience and these awards recognise the carriers offering the very best experiences and value to the traveling public.”
On a global level, Emirates was named as the world’s highest-rated airline, followed by SIA and Brazil’s Azul. JetBlue, the US-based low-cost carrier, was fourth, ahead of Air New Zealand in fifth. The top 10 was completed by Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Thai Smile, Alaska Airlines and Garuda Indonesia. This means that Asia Pacific’s airlines took six of the top 10 places.
Top Major Airlines (Asia Pacific)
1) Singapore Airlines
2) Air New Zealand
3) Korean Air
Top Regional/Low-Cost Airlines (Asia Pacific)
1) Thai Smile
2) Bangkok Airways
3) IndiGo
