International Airlines: the Best vs the Worst

Ranking criteria

There are two well-known airline rating companies that rank the best airlines - Skytrax and Airlineratings. But there is another index created by Bounce that ranks the worst international airlines as well as the best. The criteria that are considered when creating both leaderboards are vital to the passengers' flying journey. They are:

• Punctuality

• Flight cancellations

• In-flight meals

• In-flight entertainment

• Comfortable seating

• Friendliness of the staff

• Luggage allowance and associated costs

All three companies rank the airlines using a different method, so it's interesting to see where there are differences in the final leaderboards. Bounce creates its index by awarding points based on the categories above and then it was weighted by a jury of experts. Skytrax, on the otherhand, interview passengers to get their World Airline Awards leaderboard and Airlineratings has their editorial team award points to create their Airline Excellence Awards.

Don't be shocked if you don't see your favourite (or most hated) airline in either list though, because not all international airlines were taken into account. The companies only include the 50 with the most flights worldwide.

Worst airlines

Since this is the negative list, first place means the worst airline.

The Negative List, according to Bounce: Airline Index

1. Wings Air (Indonesia)

2. Lion Air (Indonesia)

3. Jetstar Airways (Australia)

4. Flydubai (UAE)

5. VivaAerobus (Mexico)

6. Wizz Air (Hungary)

7. Ryanair (Ireland)

8. WestJet (Canada)

9. Vueling Airlines (Spain)

10. Volaris (Mexico)

Not surprising that the list is almost entirely made up of so-called low-cost airlines, because usually, like the saying goes, you get what you pay for! 💸 But, when you get a return from London to Spain for £25 you can't really complain though... can you?

You'll have to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself, but we have to say, getting a flight for less than a large pizza can be extremely satisfying, even if the service is questionable.

🏴‍☠️ Pirate tip: it's possible to add hand luggage to your basic airfare ticket on Ryanair, without upgrading to a "regular" airfare. Simply choose the basic package all the way through and on the bags section, add a 10kg cabin bag. This will save you at least £10 each way!

Best airlines

So while only one company is brave enough to put out a leaderboard outing the worst airlines, at least three companies shout about the best international airlines. We'll start off with Bounce's ranking and then move onto the other two rankers.

The Positive List, according to Bounce: Airline Index

1. Japan Airlines (Japan)

2. Singapore Airlines (Singapore)

3. Qatar Airways (Qatar)

4. Korean Air (South Korea)

5. Vistara (India)

6. All Nippon Airways (Japan)

7. Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopia)

8. Air India (India)

9. Azul Airlines (Brazil)

10. Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam Airlines (Vietnam)

Again, not surprising at all to see the likes of Qatar, Emirates and Singapore Airlines on the list. They even feature on the other two lists too! See below for Skytrax and Airlineratings leaderboards:

Airlineratings.com: Airline Excellence Awards

1. Air New Zealand (New Zealand)

2. Qatar Airways (Qatar)

3. Etihad Airways (UAE)

4. Korean Air (South Korea)

5. Singapore Airlines (Singapore)

6. Qantas (Australia)

7. Virgin Australia (Australia)

8. EVA Air (Taiwan)

9. Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong)

10. Emirates (UAE)

Skytrax: World Airline Awards

1. Singapore Airlines (Singapore)

2. Qatar Airways (Qatar)

3. ANA All Nippon Airways (Japan)

4. Emirates (UAE)

5. Japan Airways (Japan)

6. Turkish Airlines (Türkiye)

7. Air France (France)

8. Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)

9. EVA Air (Taiwan)

10. Korean Air (South Korea)

So, at least now you know you're in safe hands if you go with any of these international airlines.