The world's best (and worst) airlines, according to you
Did Jet2.com keep hold of its short-haul title? Has British Airways arrested its slide down the rankings? Will Wizz Air or Ryanair claim the dreaded wooden spoon? Read on to find out.
The best short-haul airlines
Top 10 (and change since 2023) – see the table below for the full rankings
Jet2.com (=)
Finnair (new entry)
Turkish Airlines (new entry)
Aegean Airlines (+1)
Swiss (–3)
Icelandair (–2)
Loganair (+1)
Austrian Airlines (+3)
Norwegian (–3)
LOT Polish Airlines (new entry)
Having weathered the storm of the pandemic years, airlines have lately – it seems – been seeking to cash in. Telegraph Travel recently revealed how low-cost carriers have been hiking their baggage fees, with Ryanair raising its charges by up to 88 per cent in four years. Readers responded by voting it the worst short-haul airline, an 'honour' Wizz Air denied it in our last awards, held in 2023 (not that Wizz has much cause for celebration then – it still finished second from bottom).
British Airways, which annoyed many frequent flyers by overhauling its loyalty scheme this year, continued to tumble down the rankings, coming 20th (out of 28), down from 12th (out of 23) in 2023. Low-cost giant easyJet was ranked two places higher.
At the business end of the table, Jet2.com reigns supreme for the third awards in a row, with its combination of reasonable fares and reliably good customer service continuing to impress readers. It's all change on the rest of the podium, however, with Finnair and Turkish Airlines supplanting Swiss and Aurigny Air, which fell to 5th and 16th, respectively.
At a glance
Jet2 has retained the number-one spot it seized from Swiss in 2019. British Airways – now 20th – was voted best short-haul airline in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015/16.
Four of your 10 favourite airlines in 2014 (Swiss, Icelandair, Jet2, Austrian Airlines) remain in the top 10 more than a decade later.
Rising up the rankings were Austrian Airlines (+3 places), Aegean Airlines (+1), Loganair (+1) and KM Malta Airlines (+1).
The biggest fallers were Aurigny Air (–13 places), British Airways (–8), EasyJet (–8), Vueling (–8), Ryanair (–6), Air France (–5) and Aer Lingus (–5).
The best long-haul airlines
Top 10 (and change since 2023) – see the table below for the full rankings
Emirates (=)
All Nippon Airways (new entry)
Singapore Airlines (=)
Qatar Airways (–2)
Japan Airlines (–1)
Virgin Atlantic (–1)
Cathay Pacific (+2)
EVA Air (–2)
Air New Zealand (–2)
Etihad (+2)
British Airways has faced criticism from passengers for cutting costs and attempting to compete with its low-cost rivals, but nobody would accuse your favourite long-haul carrier of such methods, with one of its more recent innovations being the introduction of unlimited caviar for first-class flyers. Emirates topped this year's poll, retaining its title ahead of All Nippon Airways, a new entry in the rankings, and Singapore Airlines, the winner in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Virgin Atlantic slipped one place to sixth, but remains – by a mile – your favourite UK-based long-haul option, combining a tried-and-tested route map (mostly featuring Caribbean and US destinations) with its stylish Clubhouse lounge at Heathrow, plus onboard bars (which it will, alas, soon scrap) and always upbeat service.
BA plummeted in the rankings from 23rd to 36th – its worst ever performance in the long-haul category. And the bottom of the class? That would be American Airlines, which came last out of 48 eligible carriers and, with its $35 (£26) checked luggage charges, is little more than another low-cost airline, critics say.
At a glance
Emirates, this year's winner, has never ranked lower than second place in any of the past seven Telegraph Travel Awards, going back to 2014.
All Nippon Airways, which did not receive enough votes in 2023 to qualify, rocketed back to second place, meaning two Japanese airlines made the top five.
Several of the West's legacy carriers have experienced a dramatic fall from grace, with British Airways falling from fourth in 2014 to 36th, Lufthansa from 19th to 39th and Air Canada from 17th to 29th.
The biggest risers in the rankings this year were Turkish Airlines, Qantas and SAS – all up four places.
In its first appearance in the rankings, plucky low-cost long-haul carrier Norse Atlantic finished a creditable 14th place.
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