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World Airline Awards has voted the Middle East-based Qatar Airways the best airline in the world. Qatar Airways was established in 1993 and has quickly grown into the best airline in the world and one with the largest reach. Qatar is an airline one can expect some of the best entertainment, the best food, and some of the best service of any large commercial airline.

Travelers can choose between booking with budget airlines (but then sacrificing the quality of service and comfort on board) and booking with the world's top airlines. Perhaps surprisingly, Qatar Airways can be very cost competitive. It can often be the cheapest flight option on many long-haul routes (people should learn about the hacks of booking cheap airfares).

Qatar Airways - The World's Best Airline

Qatar Airlines is based in Doha, Qatar, and flies all over the world. It flies to all continents in the world (except Antarctica).

Qatar Airlines has a hub and spoke model, with most of its flights channeling through Hamad International Airport. It has the second longest non-stop flight in the world - Doha, Qatar, to Auckland, New Zealand (it was the longest until the Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to New York City). There are a number of things to do in Qatar if one has a long layover and has time to leave the airport.

  • Base: Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
  • Destinations: Over 150 International Destinations
  • Continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania
  • Aircraft: Over 200 Aircraft
  • Countries: Over 90 countries (Including 11 Destinations in the USA)

Qatar Airways has a strong focus on customer service (it is also easy to speak to a real person when calling their customer service). They are known for its comfort, fine cuisine, the latest in-flight entertainment, modern aircraft, and more (although its employees have been said to be under pressure to perform well).

Qatar's aircraft is modern, being only, on average, five years old. While its rival, Emirates, only operates the large and long-distance Airbus A380 and Boeing's 777, Qatar operates a broad range of aircraft. Its aircraft include Airbus A320, A330, A350, and A380 (the A380 is the largest aircraft in the world). It also operates Boeing's 737, 777, and the state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Related: What One Can Expect On Emirates Business Class (Complete With A Bar And A Shower)

The World Airline Awards - The Oscars Of The Aviation Industry

They voted Qatar Airways the World's Best Airline for a record seventh time in 2022. It was awarded in the 2022 World Airline Awards (which is regarded as the Oscars of the aviation industry). Some 350 airlines around the world were surveyed.

The runners-up to Qatar Airways are:

  • Singapore Airlines: Based In Singapore
  • Emirates: Based in The UAE
  • ANA All Nippon Airways: Based In Japan
  • Qantas Airways: Based In Australia

Qatar Airways was also the largest airline to have continued to have flown consistently all through the Covid-19 pandemic. Its network never fell under 30 destinations. Qatar has now managed to collect a large number of awards and has become a very prestigious airline.

Related: Here Are A Couple Life Hacks On How To Book Cheap Air Tickets

The Other Top 20 Airlines Of 2022

In case Qatar is not an option, then consider booking a flight with one of the other top 20 airlines in 2022. Note that China remains effectively closed due to its zero Covid policy. Their borders remain effectively closed.

The top twenty airlines in descending order are Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Nippon Airways, Qantas Airways, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Korean Air, Swiss International Air Lines, British Airways, Etihad Airways, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, KLM, EVA Air, Virgin Atlantic, and Vistara.

The best airlines are concentrated in the Middle East, Europe, and East & Southeast Asia. None of the top twenty airlines are based in North America (or South America and Africa). It seems that Americans are used to traveling with sub-par airlines.

  • Delta Air Lines: Top USA Airline - 24th Globally
  • Southwest Airlines: Second Ranked USA Airlines - 35th Globally

Delta Air Lines is the top-ranked American airline coming in at 24th, and the next is Southwest Airlines at 35th, and other American airlines are further down the list.

In the future, supersonic flights may be making a comeback (while they may not be top-rated, United Airlines is planning to bring back supersonic flights by 2029).