Qatar Reigns in SkyTrax Airline Rankings, Delta Falls Out of Top 20

Qatar Airways is back on top of the annual SkyTrax Airline Rankings released Monday morning, reclaiming its place on the top of the podium after ceding the #1 spot to Singapore Airlines last year. 

The two airlines have been playing musical chairs for the world's best airline for years. Singapore overtook Qatar last year only to swap again in 2024, putting Singapore in the second spot behind Qatar. 

While there are plenty of reasons to question Skytrax's rankings, Qatar's spot atop this list gets no qualms from us. The Doha-based carrier is tough to beat with its unbeatable Qsuites business class, its lovely economy class cabin, typically excellent onboard service, and an incredibly modern and efficient airport in Doha (DOH) with numerous swanky lounges, too. 

U.S. airlines were put in their (rightful) place outside of the top 20 worldwide. Delta was the highest-rated U.S. airline, coming in at number 21. And only United joined Delta in the top 50 (at#42), showing just how far ahead the rest of the world is when it comes to air travel. 

While airlines celebrate and publicize these SkyTrax rankings, you should take them with a grain of salt. The company doesn't provide much detail on its methodology for picking winners – plus, it's a major consulting firm for the same airlines it ranks, leading to concern that its high-paying clients get a boost in the final results.

That said, the Thrifty Traveler team has flown every airline in the top 10 and we think this year's list is up to snuff. 

Top 10 Airlines in the World

Here's how the top 10 shook out in the 2024 SkyTrax rankings:

1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates
4. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
5. Cathay Pacific
6. Japan Airlines
7. Turkish Airlines
8. EVA Air
9. Air France
10. SWISS International Air Lines

Delta Named in North America … Yet Outside World Top 20

Delta Air Lines was once again the top rated carrier in North America in 2024 … but it finished far from the top overall.

Here are the top 10 North American Airlines for 2024, according to SkyTrax:

1. Delta Air Lines
2. Air Canada
3. United Airlines
4. Porter Airlines
5. Air Transat
6. Alaska Airlines
7. WestJet
8. JetBlue Airlines
9. American Airlines
10. Allegiant Air

But let's consider some context with these rankings, because not one of these North American carriers finishes inside the top 20 globally. 

Here's how all of these airlines rank in the top 100 worldwide, according to SkyTrax:

• 21. Delta Air Lines
• 29. Air Canada
• 42. United Airlines
• 57. Porter Airlines
• 59. Air Transat
• 60. Alaska Airlines
• 64. WestJet
• 65. JetBlue Airlines
• 78. American Airlines
• 82. Allegiant Airlines

Allegiant Named Best Low-Cost Carrier in North America

After Sun Country won the distinction in 2023, the Minneapolis-based airline slid to number two to make way for Allegiant Air. The ultra-low cost carrier flies point-to-point all over the United States, focusing on small-to-medium sized cities. 

Other popular low-cost carriers like Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier also jumped into the top 10 among North American low-cost carriers.

Here are the rankings of low-cost carriers North America for 2024: 

1. Allegiant Air
2. Sun Country Airlines
3. Southwest Airlines
4. Air Canada rouge
5. Avelo Airlines
6. Spirit Airlines
7. Frontier Airlines
8. Flair Airlines
9. Volaris
10. VivaAerobus

Among low-cost carriers wolrwide, Allegiant came in at number 18 and Sun Country just cracked the top 20 in the 20th spot. 

World's Best By Cabin: Economy Through First

Different airlines perform differently based on the class of service, so SkyTrax ranks each airline's individual cabins, too. 

World's Best Economy Class

There's a new winner in the economy cabin after Japan Airlines dominated the category for years – and for good reason. This year, Cathay Pacific took the title. 

1. Cathay Pacific
2. Qatar Airways
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Japan Airlines
5. EVA Air
6. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
7. Emirates
8. Hainan Airlines
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Saudia

Our team agrees that the likes of Qatar and Japan Airlines deserve mention in this top 10 list. 

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines came in at number 13 in the top 20 economy cabins. No other North American carriers made the list. 

World's Best Premium Economy Class

Right in between economy and business class is premium economy, where you can find a little extra comfort at a price point most travelers find more palatable. But not all of these premium economies are created equal. 

Here's what SkyTrax ranked in the top 10 for premium economy worldwide:

1. Japan Airlines
2. Emirates
3. EVA Air
4. Singapore Airlines
5. Virgin Atlantic
6. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
7. Delta Air Lines
8. Cathay Pacific Airways
9. Air France
10. Qantas Airways

Among this list, our team has only flown Delta's Premium Select … and frankly, we're surprised it was rated so high in this year's list. The airline slashed its budget for catering in Premium Select at the start of the pandemic, yet the food and drinks in those seats are still far closer to the likes of a standard economy ticket.

United's premium economy was ranked 14th internationally, with its partner Air Canada joining them in the top 20 at number 17. 

World's Best Business Class

There are no surprises in the top business class seats on earth: The list closely mirrors the top 10 overall airlines.

And while we'd quibble with a few positions here and there, these rankings square with our experience flying business class on many of them.

1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
4. Emirates
5. Cathay Pacific Airways
6. Hainan Airlines
7. Air France
8. Delta Air Lines
9. EVA Air
10. Turkish Airlines

The likes of Qatar Airways QSuites, Singapore Airlines business class, ANA's The Room, Emirates business class, Air France's business class suites, Delta One Suites, EVA Air business class, and Turkish Airlines business class are some of our favorite ways to fly in the world and are all deserving of top 10 spots. 

Delta was the only U.S. airline to crack the top 10 in business class. And while its Delta One Suites are no doubt excellent, much of Delta's long-haul fleet features woefully outdated seats in business class.

United's Polaris business class helped the airline reach number 17 in the world. 

World's Best Business Class Lounge

Surprise, surprise: Qatar Airways' swanky set of business class lounges in Doha (DOH) took home the distinction of best business class lounges in the world in 2024, too. 

1. Qatar: Doha (DOH)
2. Singapore: Singapore (SIN)
3. Virgin Atlantic: Upper Class Lounge in London-Heathrow (LHR)
4. United Airlines: Washington-Dulles (IAD)
5. Air Canada: Toronto (YYZ)

In addition to its Al Mourjan Business Class lounge, Qatar further cemented its number one ranking with another business class lounge called “The Garden.” 

World's Best First Class

Many airlines have been ditching a true first class cabin in favor of expanding business class. But a few airlines stand out.

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Air France
3. Emirates
4. SWISS 
5. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
6. Lufthansa
7. Japan Airlines
8. Saudia
9. Cathay Pacific Airways
10. Etihad Airways

The Singapore Suites, Emirates Gamechanger Suites, ANA's the Suite, Lufthansa's famous first class, and the Etihad Apartment are all reason enough to be included in the top 10. 

Among U.S. airlines, only American Airlines still offers a true international first class cabin … for now. But that didn't crack the list.

About SkyTrax

SkyTrax’s rankings are one of many in the travel world, so they’re certainly not definitive.

The company says its rankings are the result of online customer satisfaction surveys collected over nine months (from September 2023 to May 2024). Read more about SkyTrax's scoring methodology here.

There’s plenty of reason to doubt aspects of the SkyTrax rankings – and many do. SkyTrax is a big airline consulting firm, and many (rightfully) question whether their clients get preferential treatment in their award classifications.

Bottom Line

Qatar Airways is back on top of the SkyTrax rankings as the #1 airline in the world, edging out Singapore Airlines by flipping spots with the Southeast Asian carrier. 

As for U.S.-based carriers, Delta remains #1 and for the first time, Allegiant Air took the top spot as the best low-cost carrier in North America. Check out the full list of award winners in the SkyTrax 2024 rankings!