2021 Latest Ranking of Top 10 Global Airlines Released, Three Chinese Airlines Enter Top 10, Ninth Place Surprising

I used to travel a third of the year, spending countless hours at airports and on planes. Although flight delays were daunting and the cramped cabin left me with backaches, most of my time onboard was enjoyable. I miss the magical moments watching sunrises and sunsets from the plane, the dreamlike feeling of flying through clouds, binge-watching the latest movies all night, and savoring both delicious and terrible airline meals.

After over a year of hardship, many airlines were pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, including some with excellent service, as countries closed borders and tourist numbers plummeted. Following this major test, the global airline industry welcomed its "Oscars"—the Skytrax World Airline Awards, organized by the international air transport rating organization Skytrax and voted by travelers worldwide. The 2021 ranking of the world's best airlines is: 1. Qatar Airways, 2. Singapore Airlines, 3. ANA All Nippon Airways, 4. Emirates, 5. Japan Airlines, 6. Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong), 7. EVA Air (Taiwan), 8. Qantas Airways, 9. Hainan Airlines, 10. Air France.

I have flown on eight of these top ten airlines, some multiple times. From my personal experience, the rankings are well-deserved. What surprised me most, however, is that three airlines—Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong, EVA Air of Taiwan, and Hainan Airlines—made the top ten. Especially Hainan Airlines, which, despite facing restructuring due to its parent group's bankruptcy, managed to secure ninth place—a remarkable achievement. Let me share my stories with these airlines to give you a personal sense of them.

**First Place: Qatar Airways**

The world's best airline and the first in aviation history to win this top honor six times. I've read news about their business class introducing "QSuite," where opening a partition reveals a double bed "suite" that can even be expanded into a four-person room, functioning as a business meeting or a card game space for friends and family. Whenever I see a group of elegant flight attendants in high-end uniforms at the airport, they're always from Qatar Airways. Although I've never flown with them, I've heard few negative comments from friends. Their business class frequently wins awards too; next time I travel, I must try it.

**Second Place: Singapore Airlines**

Singapore Airlines is also a multiple award winner. I once flew with them from Hong Kong to Colombo, Sri Lanka, transiting at Changi Airport. On a flight lasting over ten hours, my feet would have swollen if I kept my shoes on the whole time. It was my first experience of Singapore Airlines' thoughtful service—they gave me a pair of disposable socks. I took off my shoes, put the disposable socks over my own, and found long-haul flights much more comfortable. Also, their meals are excellent. On a long flight with time zone changes, I had four meals without any repetition, and the quality was consistently good.

**Third Place: ANA All Nippon Airways**

When traveling to Japan, I often fly ANA. They also have direct flights from Shenzhen to Tokyo, among other routes. ANA won four awards, including "World's Cleanest Aircraft Cabin." I find ANA's flight attendants have a classic Eastern beauty. A friend told me that on his first ANA first-class flight, the attendant helped him change into slippers, which made him feel both honored and uneasy. I've never flown first class, but what impressed me most was ANA's economy class meals, which are very cute. I once saw a child's meal next to me—just ordinary rice, beans, carrots, eggs, potatoes, etc.—but presented in fun cartoon shapes. Kids find it fun and eat it. I've heard that some adults even request children's meals just to take photos.

**Fourth Place: Emirates**

Not long ago, I saw a news story about the tallest advertisement ever: a female skydiving instructor wearing an Emirates flight attendant uniform stood atop the 828-meter Burj Khalifa to celebrate Emirates resuming flights to the UK. Emirates is the second airline I haven't flown on, but I often encounter their flight attendants at airports. Their uniforms are distinctive: red hats with white scarves on the sides. Although their attire is quite conservative, it can't hide the beautiful, mysterious eyes of the attendants.

**Fifth Place: Japan Airlines**

Japan Airlines is Japan's first airline. Like ANA, their service is delicate and dignified—not obsequious, but natural. However, what impressed me most about Japan Airlines isn't the service but its punctuality. Claimed to be the world's most punctual airline, many people choose JAL for this reason. I've flown on them several times and never experienced a delay.

**Sixth Place: Cathay Pacific Airways**

Cathay Pacific is one of the airlines I've flown the most, as flights from Hong Kong overseas are often affordable, and I often fly from Shenzhen to Hong Kong Airport. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific used to have high punctuality, good service, and decent meals. One memorable experience: on an international flight back to Hong Kong, seeing mostly Chinese passengers felt like coming home. When ordering, I instinctively spoke Mandarin, and a young flight attendant immediately replied in Mandarin, albeit haltingly. It felt warm—she could speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

**Seventh Place: EVA Air**

On a backpacking trip around Taiwan, I flew from Hong Kong to Taipei Taoyuan Airport on EVA Air. The cabin of my flight wasn't luxurious; my first impression was of an ordinary airline, but the service was meticulous and never sloppy, and the meals were good. What stands out is EVA Air's green livery—rare globally. Most distinctive are its Hello Kitty-themed painted aircraft; many people chase after them for photos. I didn't manage to get one of the plane, but in the Taoyuan Airport lounge, everything was pink Hello Kitty—my family took lots of photos there.

**Eighth Place: Qantas Airways**

During an 18-day trip in Australia, I booked flights on the fly with my backpack and flew Qantas several times. The most eye-catching features were the kangaroo logo on the planes and liveries inspired by ancient Australian Aboriginal patterns. I remember once cooking at a youth hostel, not liking butter, so I bought a small bottle of Chinese sesame oil. I couldn't bear to throw it away when it was half full, so I carried it onto a Qantas flight. I also managed to take a lighter onboard—though that might have been due to lax airport security, but I remember it in connection with Qantas. Another impression: buying a Qantas ticket at the airport on the same day is very expensive, but booking online in advance is much cheaper.

**Ninth Place: Hainan Airlines**

In the late 1990s, I once flew Hainan Airlines, and they had a live raffle on board. A traveling companion filled out a ticket for me. To my surprise, I was the only winner on the plane—a first-class ticket. I used that ticket to fly to Haikou, spent a few days there, then moved to Shenzhen to settle and work. I still have a Hainan Airlines Silver Card, and whenever possible, I choose Hainan Airlines. Looking back at those tough times, I can never forget that ticket. The restructuring of the HNA Group has been a heavy burden for Hainan Airlines, yet despite such adversity, they managed to enter the global top ten based on excellent service—a truly admirable and unexpected achievement.

**Tenth Place: Air France**

When I took my children to Morocco, direct flights were too expensive, so we flew from Hong Kong to Paris, then took Air France to Casablanca. On the return, we flew Air France from Marrakech back to Paris. My first impression of Air France was a small plane—I thought it might be a low-cost carrier. But once inside the cabin, the flight attendants were neither obsequious nor condescending—just proper and serious. The meals were unexpectedly good. I had heard that Air France's meals rank among the top ten globally, and indeed they were both rich and distinctive, changing my view of the airline.

Not long ago, ANA auctioned first-class seats and aircraft windows online for the first time, and Hainan Airlines began its restructuring. As 2021 comes to a close, I believe that in 2022, countries around the world will gradually reopen for tourism, and airlines will surely overcome their current difficulties. I hope these excellent airlines can hold on. We will choose our favorite airlines to travel and support them with our actions. If you're unsure how to choose an airline for your flight, save this list—it can help you travel comfortably and joyfully to destinations worldwide.

PS: Original images from Skytrax and the official websites of the top ten airlines. The @行者老湖 logo indicates that images have been edited and processed.