Airlineratings.com has announced its top ten airlines for 2017, with Air New Zealand taking out the top gong for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
Cathay Pacific, Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Etihad Airways, All Nippon Airways, Eva Air and Lufthansa made up the rest of the top ten list.
In order to be named in the top ten by Airlineratings.com – the world’s best one-stop airline safety and product rating review website – airlines must have a seven-star safety rating and demonstrate leadership in innovation for passenger comfort. The online review website developed its unique seven-star ratings system after two years of evaluation and the system is now endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
“We are looking for leadership and airlines that innovate to make a real difference to the passenger experience particularly in economy class.”
Geoffrey Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, Airlineratings.com
Source: http://pointmetotheplane.boardingarea.com
The annual ranking is fantastic news for Aussie airlines, with both Qantas and Virgin Australia moving up two spots compared to last year: Qantas from 4th to 2nd, and Virgin Australia from 7th to 5th.
Qantas’ placing at number two reflects its impressive financial turnaround in 2016 and the fact that it will soon take delivery of its first Boeing 787s in the new year. According to Airlineratings.com, Qantas’ customer approval rating is also running at an all-time high, and it continues to innovate with lie-flat beds on all its A330s that operate domestic and regional international flights.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia‘s jump reflects the airline’s transition from a low-cost carrier to a full service airline, made most evident with its new business class offerings.
Source: www.staralliance.com
But it was Air New Zealand that continues to dominate the aviation industry after bagging the top spot for the fourth year in a row, a feat that Editor-in-Chief of Airlineratings.com, Geoffrey Thomas, described as “exceptional.”
The Kiwi carrier was also voted the best premium economy class for the third time after continued investments in a streamlined and refurbished fleet, a multi-million dollar lounge redevelopment and three new international routes.
Air New Zealand was recently recognised at the prestigious Air Passenger Experience (APEX) Awards for its innovation, winning Best Inflight Entertainment Innovation for its inflight entertainment system, and Best Personalisation Innovation for personalising the experience for Airpoints™ loyalty members onboard.
