AIR travel is now undoubtedly the most popular form of long-distance travel.
Disrupted flights and bad customer service can put a passenger off an airline, resulting in the loss of loyalty. Not many people like taking those risks, so one passenger compensation service has taken the liberty to help you differentiate the good from the not-so-great.
In this year’s AirHelp Score report, the company ranked 72 international airlines for which the company had statistically significant data.
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“At AirHelp, we want to ensure that airline carriers and airports take responsibility and join the journey toward improved customer experience. Together, we can focus on better passenger experiences and more seamless travel,” the company wrote. “This is precisely why we instituted our annual AirHelp Score.”
The overall rankings are based on three factors: quality of service (gleaned from public reviews on an array of reliable websites), claims processing (which reflects how a company handles customer complaints), on-time performance (departs or arrives no later than 15 minutes from its scheduled time), and overall social media sentiment.
This year, Qatar Airways claimed the number one spot. Unsurprisingly.
It was named 2017’s best airline by consumer aviation website Skytrax. Additionally, Qatar also took home the award for Best Business Class in the World and Best Airline in the Middle East.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar al-Baker poses with cabin crew in an Airbus A350-1000 at the Eurasia Airshow in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey April 25, 2018. Source: Reuters/Murad Sezer
In fact, the airline has won the top Skytrax honor four times since 2010. Last year, Qatar Airways unveiled its QSuite, a revolutionary take on its business class that allows the passenger to lower a partition to create a double bed.
Passengers can also configure the seats to create a larger private space to eat, to work, or to socialise – perfect for groups of friends or colleagues, or families.
The only other Asia Pacific airlines to make the AirHelp list is the UAE’s Etihad Airways at number three, Singapore Airlines at number four, and Australia’s Qantas Airways at number eight.
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Check out the best airlines of the year along with their on-time performance records:
- Qatar Airways (89 percent on-time performance)
- Lufthansa (76 percent)
- Etihad Airways (86 percent)
- Singapore Airlines (85 percent)
- South African Airways (85 percent)
- Austrian Airlines (80 percent)
- Aegean Airlines (90 percent)
- Qantas (89 percent)
- Air Malta (86 percent)
- Virgin Atlantic (82 percent )
“Irregularities in flights are going to happen,” AirHelp industry adviser Ashley Raiteri said. “What’s important is whether the airline has planned for that so they can make the experience less hellish for the consumer.”
A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Travel Wire Asia.
