The Best Airlines in the World: 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards

The top brands that keep delivering high standards of service and launching exciting new routes.UnsplashTrends come and go, but here at Condé Nast Traveler, one thing never changes: your insatiable appetite for seeing the world. This year our readers cast an almighty 798,867 votes in our 39th Readers’ Choice Awards to tell us about the planet’s best travel experiences: You fell hard for palace hotels in Morocco, cruised down the Amazon, and got swept up in New York City’s exhilarating energy. Now, read on to find out where your favorites fall among the winners—and get inspired for where to go next, whether it's to a top-rated hotel or resort, or centered around a worthy cruise, spa, or island. These are the best international airlines as voted by you, our readers.View the Readers' Choice Award winners for best airlines in the United States here.Courtesy Virgin Atlantic15. Virgin AtlanticEver since Richard Branson founded Virgin Atlantic 42 years ago, the maverick carrier has been wooing travelers with perks like in-flight manicures and cocktail lounges, along with cutting-edge seat-back entertainment. Readers also praise its premium economy section, which has pleasing touches like hot towels and a welcome drink, and its iconic Upper Class that boasts fully flat beds. The airline is also now more visible in the states: It recently launched new direct routes between London and Austin, and its close relationship with Delta gives it access to a vast network of domestic cities.Mika Baumeister/Unsplash14. KLMKLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, is based out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of the best-connected airports in the world, offering flights to 156 destinations. The joint venture partnership between KLM, Air France, Delta Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic first launched in 2020 makes booking interchangeably between the four airlines a breeze, and Flying Blue, the Air France-KLM loyalty rewards program is considered one of the best in the world. This summer, KLM launched service on its first Airbus A321neo aircraft, kicking off a long-term plan to replace its older Boeing 737s with the larger and more fuel-efficient planes. Together with the airline’s new lie-flat World Business Class seats introduced in the past couple of years, the legacy carrier (one of the oldest in the world) is revamping its customer experience.Getty13. Air FranceIt must be the French flair, but in a decade where flying seems to be getting increasingly stripped-back and uncomfortable, Air France has managed to keep its je ne sais quoi intact. Its efforts have been recognized, earning honors like World’s Best First Class Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. The win follows the debut of the airline's completely redesigned version of its exclusive La Première cabin in spring 2025. American passengers are in luck as Air France has been ramping up their connections to the US this year with expanded service including but not limited to doubled daily service to and from Paris to Newark and a new direct route to Paris from Las Vegas.SCM Jeans/Getty12. QantasAs the flagship carrier for Australia—one of the world’s hardest-to-reach, and well-traveled, countries—Qantas knows a thing or two about creating a comfortable long-haul experience. That’s a good thing for an airline with ambitions to fly the world’s longest route, Project Sunrise, which will connect Sydney to New York in 20 hours. A Oneworld alliance member, Qantas flies to over 100 international and domestic destinations and takes its motto “Australia in the sky” seriously—especially when it comes to in-flight dining. The airline has partnered with powerhouse Australian chef Neil Perry for decades to curate menus that spotlight Australia’s local dishes and wines (you can read our review of their business class experience here). Starting from September 25, 2025, Qantas’ next-gen A321XLR aircraft—featuring a spacious widebody cabin with in-flight Wi-Fi and more legroom and carry-on storage—has begun flying between Sydney and Melbourne, and Sydney and Perth.Courtesy EVA Air11. EVATied for largest airline in Taiwan with China Airlines, EVA gets points more than anything for its impeccable service. It starts with booking your seat—premium economy comes cheaper than at most other airlines, while EVA's business class trumps what you'll find in its competitors' first. But it's really the people that make the planes shine, with flight attendants praised for their warmth and efficiency. In a world where these two qualities seems to have become mutually exclusive, the frequency of their concurrent use is not something to be discounted.Getty10. La CompagnieOnce a niche secret for in-the-know travelers, this all-business class airline celebrated its 10th anniversary this year—and the world is finally catching up to how great it is. The French boutique airline based out of Paris's Orly Airport offers daily flights between Newark and Paris, and flies between Newark and Milan an average of six times per week (it also operates seasonal flights to Nice from April through September). The small fleet’s two Airbus A321neo aircraft feature 76 lie-flat seats in a 2-2 configuration, advertised at rates 30 to 50% less expensive than business class on major carriers. La Compagnie also stands out for its unique inflight programming, which have included champagne tastings and book signings. With free unlimited WiFi, Michelin-starred meals, airport lounge access, and TSA PreCheck eligibility just added last March, the small carrier offers big value for travelers who want to fly in style for less.David Maunsell/Unsplash9. Air New ZealandWith 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 even offer a "Skycouch" in several rows of coach, which can be booked by families, couples, or solo travelers who simply want extra room to stretch out. 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 can now be appreciated on even more routes to the United States, including a direct flight between JFK and Auckland that first debuted in 2022.Norikio Yamamoto/Unsplash8. ANA (All Nippon Airways)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 Tokyo. A member of Star Alliance, the largest in the world, the carrier is also known for a top-notch business class product in a staggered layout—alternating between front and rear-facing seats—that affords greater privacy. Fliers also appreciate their amenities at Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, like well-appointed lounges and sleep rooms near boarding gates.Unsplash7. JAL (Japan Airlines)With a long history as Japan’s official flag carrier, JAL recently upgraded its fleet with large orders of the cutting-edge Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350s, two passenger-pleasing planes with mood lighting and higher humidity (a jet lag antidote). JAL offers a traditional first and business class, and its premium economy class wins high marks for its above-average legroom and cuisine that honors both Japanese and western tastes. Traveling with children? JAL has made that notoriously stressful situation a bit easier thanks to special menus that include cute branded bibs and bottled baby food for infants and bento-style meals with adorable animal-shaped dishes for older kids.Courtesy Boeing6. Turkish AirlinesNow that it’s firmly ensconced in its flashy new airport hub in Istanbul, Turkey’s flagship airline 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, which offers fliers complimentary stays in four- or five-star hotels en route to hundreds of cities across multiple continents. Readers also rave about its excellent cuisine, comfortable seats, and attentive in-flight service. In the past five years, the airline has expanded to Newark, Dallas/Fort Worth, Seattle, Detroit and Denver.Anthony Wallace/Getty 5. Cathay PacificJust how detail-oriented is Hong Kong’s flag carrier? The airline actually concocted its own craft beer—a mandarin-orange-infused pale ale called Betsy, named after the carrier’s first plane—that’s specifically designed to taste better at 35,000 feet. That perfectionism extends to the spacious first class suites, which feature the widest fully flat beds in the industry, 600-thread-count organic linens from Bamford, and a relaxing pillow mist. But even travelers in economy will enjoy perks like a reimagined dinner service that places emphasis on intense flavors: Think soy-braised chicken with Chinese sausage, Hong Kong–style beef curry, or braised pork ribs with chu hou sauce. First class ups the ante with dishes like braised abalone, smoked duck, and caviar with blinis.Courtesy Emirates4. EmiratesEmirates's 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, Wi-Fi connectivity, and state-of-the-art seat-back entertainment system with up to 5,000 channels of TV, movies, music, and news, the Dubai-based airline gets kudos for service and amenities in all classes of service. And those classes recently expanded: In 2021, the carrier debuted its long-planned premium economy cabin, with an emphasis on the “premium” side of that hybrid class. Think dedicated check-in areas, luxurious leather seating, sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles, and linen napkins and china come mealtime.Kevin Ortiz/Unsplash3. Korean Air“It was remarkable, creative, and entertaining to have [South Korea's] most famous boy group, BTS, educate the customers with safety features on the plane,” writes one Condé Nast Traveler reader of their recent experience flying with Korean Air. Anyone familiar with the airline, renowned and beloved for its attention to detail, knows that such a choice is emblematic of a larger buoyancy of spirit that benefits not only the safety programming but also the service and cuisine (the bibimbap enjoys a few favorable mentions).Goh Rhy Yan/Unsplash2. Singapore AirlinesSingapore is known for setting records, from holding the number one spot on our Readers' Choice Awards for more than three decades, to winning the title for world’s longest flight, a 19-hour nonstop between New York and its Changi Airport hub via its fleet of all-premium Airbus A350s. Now that service has resumed on that and other super-long routes, fliers will again savor what makes this airline a perennial favorite: It’s an industry leader in seat comfort, in-flight service, and reliability. It also gets praise for continually upgrading its product in all classes, including a farm-to-plane catering concept and a wellness partnership with California’s Golden Door Spa that involves in-flight stretching, exercise, meditation, and sleep comfort programming.This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.Hannah Towey is the News Editor at Condé Nast Traveler, where she reports on the latest travel news, advice, and trends. She leads the magazine's Bright Ideas in Travel franchise, an annual list that spotlights innovative and sustainable projects that use travel as a force for good. She frequently appears as a ... Read More