Two weeks in the Air: My Best and Worst Airlines

a sculpture of a globe and a red and white pole with a body of water in the background

Last year, I spent almost two weeks of the 366 days in the air with 29 different airlines. My 99 flights covered 124,000 miles (ca. 200,000 km), taking me to 65 airports across 28 countries. Some trips were memorable for their exceptional service that was so good, I (almost) didn’t want to get off the plane. Others highlighted air travel “challenges”. In my life, I have now logged 3.8 million kilometres in the air (2.4 million miles) with 128 airlines.

As I have logged everything, including a rating of every airline, flight, and aircraft I have been on, I have assembled a rich set of data that I use with consumer ratings sites (including Skytrax and Airline Ratings) to determine which airlines provide excellent, good, bad or terrible service. This data-driven approach has allowed me to evaluate and compare the quality of the service across multiple airlines, offering a comprehensive and unbiased view of the airline industry.

My New Airlines

Out of the 28 airlines I flew, last year, eight were for the first time. : Aeromexico, Air Panama, Aegean, Austrian, Avianca, Croatian, Olympic, and Peach.

I thoroughly enjoyed Aegean and Aeromexico. This reflects the public opinion of the airlines. Aegean is known for its punctuality; I enjoyed its lounges and was very impressed with its warm service. Aeromexico impresses me with its strong service on international routes, which I have experienced. Boarding was amazingly well organised, staff friendly and very proactive.

a blue and white beverage can and a cup on a tray

On the other hand, Croatian and Peach, which I enjoyed, received mixed reviews from other reviewers. Croatian’s service is considered solid, but delays and customer service are viewed negatively. My experience was that Peach, affiliated with ANA, was efficient and affordabie but lacks the amenities of full-service carriers. That worked for me. I felt welcome and safe.

My experiences with Air Panama and Avianca were notably disappointing, and the public sentiment largely mirrors this.

Avianca, in particular, has received significant criticism for its inconsistent service and frequent delays, which aligns with my underwhelming experience. I had one positive flight experience, but the rest were terrible. The airline suffered from chaotic boarding and inconsistent service. The airline repeatedly could not add my Star Alliance Gold level Turkish Airways Frequent Flier number. Each lounge visit almost turned into a struggle to get them to recognise my eligibility. There was no free catering—not even water, which many passengers found surprising. I was also stunned at how poor some of their cabin safety protocols were. For example, there were no visual seat belt checks and a piece of baggage was allowed to sit unsecured on one of my flights, blocking passengers’ egress.

My 2024 Naughty List

These were the airlines in 2024,m I found particularly bad. Based on my criteria, any airline rating below 75% for 2024 would be considered underperforming relative to all the airlines I flew this year. These airlines below satisfied that. They carry a reputation for underperformance, both in my case and among broader travel feedback.

Copa Airlines 74% -was consistent with my experiences last year, with disorganised boarding, passive staff, and poor customer service. For example, I still can’t believe they closed their flagship lounge in Panama before any of the last flights for the evening had been called., kicking a whole stack of us out to wait for an hour in an empty terminal!
Avianca 70% – As mentioned above.
Jetstar 66% – My experiences with Jetstar have been consistently unreliable, with frequent issues that leave passengers stranded when things go wrong. . I’ve flown with them many times because the flights were cheaper, and I had the benefit of lounge access through Qantas. It was also a more affordable way for me to accumulate Qantas status and points. However, those earning benefits have now been slashed, making it a much less appealing option. Despite the initial savings, the declining service and lost perks have made me reconsider flying with them in the future. Last year, I nominated them as my worst airline of 2023.
United Airlines 64%– I have friends who swear by this carrier. Still, my experience over a decade now has been one of seeing rude, unhappy staff giving poor customer service. And I think they have got even worse in 2024. I was actually in First Class on paid tickets and there was nothing memorable about the flights! The views were excellent and the flights smooth and the lounge in Denver excellent, but the catering on board, like the staff attention, sub par. The airline gives off a vibe that customers are just inconveniences that need to be cleaned out of all their dollars. The “friendly way” is long gone.
American Airlines 62%- I thought American was slightly better in 2024, but it says something that I rate them worse than an Australian low-cost carrier that I trash. I now only fly American for One World perks!
Air Panama 60% – They are considered a basic airline that offers adequate but unremarkable service, which fits my view. Their staff were unhelpful, and they gave no help at any airport.

a man taking a selfie in front of an airplane

My 2024 Nice List

These carriers shone, provided good service, and helped during a problem or crisis. I detail others below in my regional reviews that are good or acceptable, but these listed here were excellent for me in 2024 and, to be fair, have been consistently outstanding, year after year.

#	Airline	My %	Comments
1	All Nippon (ANA)	100	Exceptional service and reliability.
1	Qatar	100	Provide top-tier service in all classes, not just in business.
3	Emirates	99	High-quality in-flight service & entertainment. Great choice for long-haul
4	Air New Zealand	98	Renowned for friendly service and comfort, especially on long-haul flights.
5	Aegean Airlines	97	Known for punctuality and exceptional service, with a strong reputation
6	Cathay Pacific	96	Solid service, comfort, and reliability on long-haul routes.
6	Singapore Airlines	96	A reputation for high short- and long-haul flight standards.
8	KLM	94	Known for good service and punctuality, though occasional mixed reviews.
8	Lufthansa	94	Passengers often appreciate their service, but delays and inconsistency affect reputation.
10	Qantas Airways	92	Solid overall, they had a little of criticism in 2022 and 2023. I thought they performed solidly in 2024. Their domestic offerings are world-leading.
10	TAP Air Portugal	92	Good service, but there’s mixed feedback regarding punctuality and customer care. Lisbon can be a very busy and crowded transit point.

Regional Airline Performance and Comparison

Having flown so extensively, I feel I have enough data to objectively compare the performance of airlines by region. I averaged the scores I gave to the airlines that I flew in each part of the world. This comparison will provide insight into how airlines perform in different regions. Note that Africa and the Pacific are omitted; I have flown only a few carriers a few times.

Asia-Overall Average: 84%

Full-service average: 89% and Low-cost average: 78%
Asia is a vast region, home to over 4.8 billion people across 48 countries, representing about 30% of the Earth’s surface. With almost ten billion passengers expected to travel in 2025 on 76 airlines, Asia’s aviation market is one of the most important in the world.
I have flown with 27 of those 76 carriers. I will reiterate what I have above: ANA, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines offer exceptional service across all flight classes. Thai Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, and Japan Airlines are solid. I greatly enjoy Philippines Airlines, but they come with the awful Manila airport, which is a significant strike against them. Their business class is an affordable delight. Malaysia Airlines are still underperforming.
I have still not flown Garuda. Nok Air, Scoot and Viet Jet provide adequate, efficient, low-cost alternatives. I have upgraded my opinion of Air Asia and removed them from my do-not-fly list. Lion air remains on it. Citilink and Cebu Pacific for short flights only. I won’t fly China Southern and accept China Eastern for what it is – a cheap, efficient, soul-less airline.

Australia-Overall average: 83%

Full-service average: 90% and Low-cost average: 68%
I believe airline performance down under is strong, with Qantas leading the way (despite public scepticism and relentless media attacks). Virgin Australia follows with their Hybrid model, which includes business-class offerings and a no-frills basic economy. Their new Frequent Flier program is a significant downgrade. It will be interesting to see the impact on Virgin and how Qantas will respond. , . The failures of Bonza and Rex have cleared the market of competition at a cost to many communities across the country. Jetstar, see above and stay away!

Central and South America –Overall average: 79%

There are no significant low-cost contenders in this region. The variability in service quality across this region among full “service” carriers is something travellers should consider when choosing an airline. Aeromexico appears to be the overall market leader. I would fly with them again based on my limited experience and the reviews. Copa Airlines and LATAM seem at par, providing a just standard service.Avianca offers quite a disappointing service, as I have stated repeatedly in this post!

Europe-Overall average: 79%

Full-service average: 85% and Low-cost average: 66%
A few years ago, a friend and I agreed that there would be only three major European airlines one day, with maybe half a dozen smaller regionals. We’re almost in that position with the significant consolidations as BA’s IAG, KLM-Air France and the Lufthansa Group control most of the Euro market. . Most European airlines do international travel well, while their intra-European flights, are quite basic, apart from their excellent lounges. I trust and enjoy Aegean, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS, Turkish, and TAP. Austrian and Air France are good (not great), although the Macarons in the Air France lounges come highly recommended! British Airways, Iberia, and SAS are at the bottom of the heap for customer service.

At the low-cost end, I refuse to fly Ryanair and Wizz; I enjoy EasyJet (but I’m prepared for massive delays and severe cancellations), Jet2 and Vueling. airBaltic is a hybrid airline – not as bad as Ryanair or Wizz, but not fancy. They will weigh your hand luggage. They only fly Airbus 220s, which I love as an aircraft, so that gets them a thumbs up.

Middle East-Overall Average: 96%

I have not flown any low-cost carriers from this region.
Qatar Airways and Emirates are my standouts. They are known for their luxury, service excellence, and long-haul comfort, providing the best flying experiences across all classes. I find Etihad Airways strange. When they are good, they are exceptional. When they are poor, they are terrible. On the Board, service is entirely inconsistent. However, the new Abu Dhabi airport is superb, and I prefer it to Doha and Dubai. It also has an excellent Etihad First Class lounge that I have access to! Oman Air (which I have not flown) has built a strong reputation, and Saudia is catching up. Gulf Air and Royal Jordanian are solid regional carriers but don’t match the top tier with service.

USA-Overall average: 64%

Full-service average: 70% and Low-cost average: 46%
I find US flying unpleasant and stressful, with the worst domestic air market in the world. Service has vanished with the mega-mergers, the drive for the almighty dollar, and less and less care for employees.
Alaska Airlines (77%) remains my favourite US airline, and I have confidence in Delta, apart from its error-prone IT system. Their Premium Economy has been very enjoyable. I don’t think JetBlue has been as pleasant as it once was. I have already named and shamed American Airlines and United Airlines. While here, I will say I have little confidence in Air Canada. I now avoid Southwest, Frontier and Spirit.

Comparing the Regions

The Middle East has the highest overall score for full-service airlines, offering some of the best flying experiences globally, followed by Asia and Australian carriers. Asia has the strongest low-cost airlines.

In stark contrast, the USA remains the worst region for aviation. Domestic US carriers continue to lag behind their global counterparts in both service and overall passenger experience. As mentioned, I rated Jetstar, Australia’s low-cost carrier, as pretty awful, but it still outperforms the average full-service US carrier in my experience! This says a lot about the current state of US aviation.

Comparing the Alliances

Likewise, I crunched the data to determine the average quality of the alliances.

a plane with a group of people around it

One World-Average: 86%

Established in 1999, they carry over 500 million passengers on 13 member airlines, including American, British, Cathay and Qantas. ’ve flown every One World member. As one of their top 5% fliers, I hold One World Emerald and receive First Class Check-in and boarding, First Class lounge access and other benefits. The overall value of being a One World Emerald means it is my favourite Alliances. Skytrax customers also rate the alliance as one of the best,

Sky Team-Average: 82%

This alliance (founded in 2000) is the youngest and the one I’ve had the least connection to. Travelled with just 12 of their 19 member airlines, flown fewer times with those members, and travelled far less.I have Sky Team Elite+ status, equivalent to One World Emerald or Star Alliance Gold, with all those usual priority check-in and lounge access benefits. However, One World Emerald offers me more valuable benefits.

Last year, SAS ran a promotion where one could earn a million miles by flying with 15 SkyTeam airlines. Unfortunately, I couldn’t work it into my schedule, but it would have meant flying with almost the entire network.

Star Alliance- Average: 87%

Founded in 1997, the network has 26 member airlines carrying 700 million annually. I’ve flown with 18 of the 26 and held Star Alliance Gold for over five years. Again, I believe my One World membership is more practical, but note that Star’s network is more extensive, which can be a counterbalance.

In Conclusion

Overall, I loved my two weeks on planes. There were the exceptional offerings of Qatar, Cathay, and Singapore to the underwhelming Jetstar and United. The variability in airline experiences highlights the importance of choosing carefully, whether flying long-haul or short-haul. Price isn’t everything!

Moving forward, I dream that airlines will get better at customer satisfaction- not worse. I hope this detailed review serves as both a guide and a reminder that sometimes, our choices will significantly impact our travel experiences.