Take Flight Without the Inconveniences: 12 of the Best Airlines in the World

Best Luxury Airlines

Perhaps you’ve noticed a bit of an organizational leap in this article. After all, it began by listing worthy airlines according to geography, but now it has jumped to a topic after covering less than half of the world. There’s a reason for that: Asia and the Middle East contain some of the most posh airlines. Just look at…

Emirates Airline

In 2016, YouTube star Casey Neistat uploaded a video that documented his first-class trip from Dubai to New York on Emirates. As of press time, it has racked up more than 54 million views, and it’s not hard to see why: it allows plebs like me a glimpse into unimaginable mid-air luxury.

Pundits love to debate about which airline pampers passengers the most, yet Emirates consistently receives high marks. Why? First-class passengers know they’ll get treated like VIPs. Automated isolation doors. Private mini bars. A digital touch television bigger than any other on a plane. Caviar. An on-board shower (yes, you read that correctly). It’s an experience unlike any other.

Even economy seats come with special touches. Enjoy complimentary food and drinks (including beer and liquor), and the flight attendants can help accommodate any dietary restrictions. In-seat entertainment options include 3,500 movies and television channels. Children receive specialized services such as tailored activity packs.

Singapore Airlines

What do you end up with when you get a French designer of high-end yachts to design your first-class suites and throw $570 million at revamping your cabin service? The stellar experience of Singapore Airlines.

The tiny city-state of Singapore may only encompass about 275 square miles, but the airline that carries its name knows how to go big. Here’s an example of how: the carrier was the first to fly the Airbus A380-800, the world’s largest commercial plane. In fact, it’s so large that couples flying first-class on a long haul can shift the modular walls of their pods into one giant suite and combine their beds into a mattress that sleeps two.

Skytrax gave Singapore Airlines its coveted “Five-Star Airline” award, and do you know what’s the best part? Economy class ranked just as high as first-class.

Etihad Airways

When having a single room all to yourself sounds just too stifling, it’s time to book on Etihad Airways. Though Singapore may have been the first to fly the palatial A380, Etihad one upped them with its top fare. How? Allow me to introduce you to The Residence.

Etihad cleared enough space in the A380s it flies from Abu Dhabi to New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and Paris for the installation of a three-room suite. Forget the 30-minute time limit in an on-board shower that Emirates imposes. If you book a trip in The Residence, you get your own shower and living room — and butler.

Cathay Pacific Airways

Trust free-market-friendly Hong Kong to combine high-end comforts with practicality. Individual suites. Luxurious bedding. An office area. Menus crafted by Michelin-starred chefs. Automatic access to the carrier’s Hong Kong travelers lounge. A first-class fare grants you all this and more.

But Cathay Pacific also features a premium-economy class that Luxurylaunches’ Dhiram Shah called “the sweet spot between luxury and affordable.” The airline travels to five continents with multiple stops in mainland China. And it conducted the first trans-polar flight route from Hong Kong to New York.