In this post, I’d like to share a list of my favorite airline brands in the world. I think this is a fun topic, and I’m curious to hear how my preferences compare to those of fellow aviation geeks.
What makes a great airline brand?
Perception of brands (and brand loyalty overall) is highly subjective, and some might even argue irrational.
In separate posts I’ve ranked the world’s best first class products, the world’s best first class lounges, the world’s best business class products, the world’s best business class lounges, etc. My ranking of airline brands is a bit different (by design), as it’s more about the intangible things that we love about airlines overall.
Let me be clear — I’m not suggesting that these are the world’s best airlines, but rather that these are the airline brands that get me most excited. This can be for a variety of reasons, including:
- Because they offer a great passenger experience, including a good hard product, excellent service, etc.
- Because they are based in cool places, and connect awesome parts of the world
- Because they do a great job with their marketing and overall brand presence
- Because they’re super global, and whenever I fly with them I feel a sense of excitement and wanderlust
- Because they are airlines I have special memories on, either because of the onboard experience, or because of where I traveled on them
As you can see, I’m truly all over the place here with regards to how an airline can land on my list. You can expect that if someone asked me what my favorite airline in the world is, it would probably be an airline on the list.
My 10 favorite airline brands in the world
With the above out of the way, let’s get into the rankings. I apologize in advance for the lack of geographic diversity, as most airlines are based in Asia. Perhaps I should make a separate list with my favorite airline brand from each continent. Below are my favorite airline brands in the world, in no particular order.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is an incredibly elegant and sophisticated airline. Qatar Airways revolutionized business class with its Qsuites, and there’s not another airline that offers such an impressive business class experience. From the amazing seats, to the great entertainment, to the phenomenal catering and dining, Qatar Airways puts most other airlines to shame.
Doha’s Hamad International Airport is also one of my favorite airports in the world, and Qatar Airways’ premium lounges there are phenomenal, from the Al Safwa First Lounge, to the Al Mourjan Garden Business Lounge.
I am also a sucker for Qatar Airways’ marketing. Don’t ask me how much time I spend listening to Qatar Airways’ boarding music while not on a plane, because it’s a lot. It’s probably my favorite boarding music in the world.
Singapore Airlines
I’d say Singapore Airlines is one of the two most instantly recognizable airlines in the world, along with Emirates. Singapore Airlines has been considered to be one of the best airlines in the world for many decades, and the airline has done a remarkable job maintaining its position.
The Singapore Airlines inflight experience is industry-leading in all cabins, and on top of that, Singapore Changi is arguably the best airport in the world. Most of all, I’d say Singapore Airlines staff are the most consistently professional of just about any airline out there. Whether you’re flying in long haul first class or short haul business class, Singapore Airlines nails it.
Emirates Airline
Truth be told, Emirates is style over substance to some extent. The airline gets quite a halo effect from its first class and A380s, while the airline has a subpar business class product on many of its 777s, which are the backbone of the fleet (not to mention that economy isn’t particularly spacious either).
Still, Emirates is pretty darn cool. The airline has changed global aviation, and has put the Middle East on the map as a global transit hub. There’s also not an airline in the world that’s as instantly recognizable to people as Emirates, no matter where you are.
Oh, and while there may be some style over substance, the A380 onboard shower, minibars, and onboard bar, are still mighty cool, if you ask me. 😉 Emirates knows how to create a halo effect!
Cathay Pacific
I love Cathay Pacific both because of the airline as such, and because of my love for Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the first city in Asia I ever visited, and to this day it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. Every time I fly Cathay Pacific, I know I’m at least connecting in Hong Kong, and that gets me excited in a way I can’t put into words. It’s the airport I get most excited to transit to, simply because I know I’m in Hong Kong.
And then there’s the Cathay Pacific experience as such — Cathay Pacific has a phenomenal first class, a great new business class, generally excellent service, and amazing lounges at Hong Kong International Airport, which is also an awesome transit hub.
Air France
I love Air France — part of it is emotional, and part of it is rational, I think. For one, there’s no denying that the French excel at food, wine, fashion, and confidence, so there’s some halo effect that Air France benefits from there. I love Air France’s marketing, and even the safety video (especially the previous one) is oh-so-fun. Why should you not smoke on a plane? Well, because it’s not chic, of course!
But even beyond that, Air France has a lot going for it, and the airline gets better by the day. If you visit the Air France Lounge Toronto or fly an Air France A321, you probably won’t be impressed. But Air France has the world’s best first class lounge, one of the world’s best inflight first class product, and the airline keeps improving.
Air France has a top notch new business class with doors, the airline has been aggressively refreshing many of its lounges, Air France is refreshing its short haul fleet with A220s, and also recently introduced a new first class. If you ask me, Air France is the European (or perhaps Western) carrier that’s most headed in the right direction in terms of passenger experience.
Turkish Airlines
If you ask me, Turkish Airlines strikes such a special balance:
There’s just this special feeling I get when flying Turkish Airlines, knowing that in one stop I could fly just about anywhere in the world, from Bishkek to Ulaanbaatar (yes, the airline even used to operate a fifth freedom route between those two cities).
EVA Air
Taiwan is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to airlines. Despite the island’s small size, there are three world class airlines based there — China Airlines, EVA Air, and Starlux Airlines. As much as I love Starlux Airlines, EVA Air deserves credit for how long it has been offering an amazing experience.
EVA Air’s business class is among my favorite in the world, with incredible service, food, drinks, and amenities. The soft product almost feels more like what you’d expect in first class than business class. I love EVA Air as a brand in spite of finding much of the carrier’s design elements to be quite hideous, like the very green cabins, and the bizarrely designed lounges in Taipei.
Japan Airlines
I went back and forth about whether to include ANA or JAL on this list, as it really could have been either. The reality is that a Japanese airline has to be on the list simply because Japan is a one-of-a-kind place. There’s nothing like Japanese culture, and that’s reflected so well in both of Japan’s global airlines.
While both airlines have phenomenal products, I have to say that I think JAL has taken the edge in recent times. The airline has an amazing new first class and business class on its Airbus A350-1000s, the domestic Airbus A350-900s are beautiful, and JAL also has some excellent lounges.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic isn’t the biggest or most profitable airline in the world, but there’s no denying that the Virgin brand is very strong. From the distinctive red uniforms, to the cheeky marketing, to the solid passenger experience (including the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and Upper Class), I always enjoy my flights with Virgin Atlantic.
I also find that Virgin Atlantic has some of the most consistently friendly employees of any European airline. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad service experience at the airline, as it’s a company people seem to be proud to work for.
Delta Air Lines*
In the interest of being balanced, I should of course include Delta on this list, even if the airline doesn’t really “do it” for me. Like, I don’t love the carrier’s branding or feel some affinity toward the company, but I recognize the airline has done an amazing job in that regard (hence the asterisk in the heading).
There’s no denying that Delta has built an unbelievable brand, and that has contributed to it being the most profitable airline in the United States. Delta has a cult-like following, and basically considers itself to be a lifestyle brand, down to selling merch, in collaboration with some designers.
Delta is really, really good at branding. The way I see it, Delta is marginally better than the competition, but the airline manages to convince people that it’s way, way better than the competition. The airline does this both by telling people how great it is, and also by investing selectively in things that create a “wow” factor, from its Delta One Lounges, to its Missoni partnership.
Bottom line
Any sort of airline ranking is inherently subjective, since we’re all looking for different things. That’s even more true when we’re talking about perception of airline brands, which involves some intangible elements. As you can hopefully see, airlines made my list for a variety of reasons.
I do think the above are some really well rounded airlines, though I’m not suggesting you should necessarily think they’re the best in the world. Some airlines made my list because of the experience they offer, some made my list because of where they’re based, and some made my list because of special experiences I’ve had on the airline.
I’m curious to hear from OMAAT readers — what are your favorite airline brands?
