October 12 (Condé Nast Traveler) – With 2021 expected to be the year of the comeback for long-distance international travel, your choice of airline will be more crucial than ever. The top global airlines on our list this year made the cut by getting it right, in everything from creature comforts to health and safety—all top of mind as we navigate the new rules of flying. Notably, more than two-thirds of these winners hail from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where airlines have long set the bar for luxury aloft, whether you’re flying a two-hour hop or a 14-hour marathon run. Want to know who readers applauded this year, in our 33rd annual Readers’ Choice Awards? Read on for their picks.
ANA gets high marks for friendly customer service, seat comfort, and an above average premium economy product on wide-body jetliners that ply transpacific routes out of Toyko. A member of the Star Alliance, the largest in the world, the carrier is also known for a top-class business class product in a staggered layout—alternating between front and rear-facing seats—that affords greater privacy. Fliers appreciate amenities at Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, like well-appointed lounges and “sleep rooms” near the boarding gate.
Virgin’s Aussie offshoot has long won raves from travelers for its premium economy class, its comfy business cabin, and classic Virgin touches like top-notch in-flight entertainment. While the outlook for a resumption of long-distance flying out of Australia is unclear, the carrier recently inked a rescue plan that ensures that it will be flying the skies over Oz for some time to come.
Austrian Airlines is part of the giant Lufthansa group of European carriers, but it still has a boutique airline feel; fliers appreciate the convenience of its Vienna airport hub, and its business class and premium economy seats get raves. Where it really shines is in the kitchen: its catering is handled by DO & CO, affiliated with a top Viennese restaurant, and the airline’s “chef on board” program, offered in long-distance business class, features a steward clad in the regulation white jacket and toque who introduces the menu to passengers and put the finishing touches on the meals.
Based in Taipei, EVA Air is known for outstanding service, friendly flight crews, and, perhaps most of all, its colorful Hello Kitty planes that are a popular sight at airports throughout the world. EVA wins praise for its affordable and spacious premium economy cabin—one of the first in the industry—and for the cozy lie-flat beds in business class. And wherever you sit, you won’t go hungry: Tasty in-flight cuisine inspired by Michelin-starred chefs is another plus cited by travelers.
With the opening of a flashy new mega-airport in Istanbul, Turkey’s flagship airline finally has the digs to match its ambitions: to become the connecting gateway of choice for transatlantic travelers. The carrier wins kudos for its popular stopover program in the capital, where fliers can take advantage of vouchers for four- or five-star hotels enroute to hundreds of cities in Europe and Asia. Readers also rave about its excellent cuisine, comfortable seats and attentive in-flight service.
In the past two decades, Aegean has grown from a local puddle-jumper to become Greece’s largest airline; from its main airports in Athens and Thessaloniki, it flies to dozens of destinations in the region, as well as to points in Europe and the Middle East, with a modern fleet of narrowbody Airbus planes. The carrier is known for its professional, courteous staff; through its membership in Star Alliance, it has a wider reach across the Atlantic and beyond.
With some of the longest flights in the world, the Kiwi carrier pays close attention to seat comfort; legroom is ample on its wide-body planes, and they have a “Skycouch” in several rows of coach, giving family fliers extra space. Business travelers on a budget can opt for a seat in the expanded premium economy section, and all classes get that famed New Zealand wine. Those perks will be even more appreciated when the airline restores service from Auckland to points in the U.S., including a recently introduced flight to Chicago, and, possibly, a new flight from Auckland to Newark, New Jersey, which would be its first-ever nonstop to the U.S. East Coast.
Qatar has one of the industry’s youngest fleets of ultra-long-haul wide-bodies: It flies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the newest Airbus counterpart, the Airbus A350-1000. Both jets’ composite structures allow lower cabin pressure and higher humidity, which can lessen the effects of jet lag, especially if you’re connecting through Qatar’s hub in Doha to points beyond. Its QSuite business class, which can be configured with double beds and four-person dining suites, has won rave reviews from fliers with pleasing touches like hot towels and a welcome drink.
Emirates’ posh perks for first and business class fliers—cocktail lounges, in-flight showers—may get all the attention, but that’s only one reason it scores so high among travelers. With its fleet of Airbus A380s, state-of-the-art seat-back entertainment system with 1,800 channels, and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Dubai-based airline gets kudos for service and amenities in all classes of service. And those classes are set to expand: The carrier is expected soon to debut its long-planned premium economy cabin, with an emphasis on the “premium” side of that hybrid class.
