Skytrax - Best Airline Awards 2010

[CheshireTom]

This year's Skytrax Passenger Rankings have been released. As usual, the list is dominated by US and Euro airlines ....

 

Hats off to AirAsia for topping the low-cost category. They have their detractors, but for me and millions of others they have completely opened up affordable travel opportunities in the region.

 

The final top 10 ranking in the awards were:

 

Best Airline

 

1. Asiana Airlines

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Qatar Airways

4. Cathay Pacific

5. Air New Zealand

6. Etihad Airways

7. Qantas Airways

8. Emirates

9. Thai Airways

10. Malaysia Airlines

 

Other awards announced included:

 

Best Low-Cost Airline Worldwide

AirAsia

 

Most Improved Airline

Garuda Indonesia

 

Best Cabin Staff

Singapore Airlines

 

Best Inflight Entertainment

Emirates

 

Best Airport Services

Thai Airways

 

Best Economy Class

Malaysia Airlines

 

Best Premium Economy Class

Qantas

 

Best Business Class

Qatar Airways

 

Best First Class

Etihad Airways

 

Best Airline: Transatlantic

Virgin Atlantic

 

Best Airline: Transpacific

Cathay Pacific

 

Best Airline: Australia/Pacific

Air New Zealand

 

Best Airline: Europe

Lufthansa

 

Best Airline: India/Central Asia

Kingfisher Airlines

 

Best Airline: Middle East

Qatar Airways

 

Best Airline: North America

Air Canada

 

Best Airline: South East Asia

Singapore Airlines

 

Best Airline Lounge - Business Class

Virgin Atlantic

 

Best Airline Lounge - First Class

Thai Airways

 

Best Airline Seat - Business Class

Singapore Airlines

 

Best Airline Seat - Economy Class

Kingfisher Airlines

 

Best Airline Seat - First Class

Etihad Airways

 

Best Airline Seat - Premium Economy Class

Qantas Airways

 

Best Low-Cost Airline Australia/Pacific

Virgin Blue

 

Best Onboard Catering - Business Class

Qatar Airways

 

Best Onboard Catering - Economy Class

Turkish Airlines

 

Best Onboard Catering - First Class

Etihad Airways

Edited May 21, 2010 by CheshireTom

[Fireman Sam]

Good to see BA getting the recognition they deserve !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Best Regards

Fireman Sam

[ozijeff]

Yep using Singapore (longhaul) and Air-Asia have made flying in SE Asia affordable and pleasant ..... mostly.

[GlynRhedyn]

I'm using Kingfisher in July so good to see them picking up two awards.

Glyn.

[jacko]

Yep using Singapore (longhaul) and Air-Asia have made flying in SE Asia affordable and pleasant ..... mostly.

Well if you put the two adjectives in a diffeerent order to match the carriers yes.

SQ are not particularly cheap.....

Edited May 22, 2010 by jacko

[too_mutt]

SQ are not particularly cheap.....

Yes, SQ (F and J) is way "not cheap"...

[midlifecrisis]

Interesting but relative to what is available for your port of departure.

 

EVA is the only premium economy out of SFO to my knowledge and certainly the only bird that gets me to Thailand before noon (midnight + one day).

 

I am getting too old to suffer economy if i can avoid it and wish I could afford business class every trip.

[Samsonite]

....EVA is the only premium economy out of SFO to my knowledge and certainly the only bird that gets me to Thailand before noon (midnight + one day)....

From SFO Cathay Pacific usually arrives in BKK at 10:30 a.m., China Air at 12:30 p.m., and Singapore Air at 3:30 p.m., but I doubt any of them offer "premium economy."

Cathay Pacific makes a stop in Hong Kong, China Air in Taipei, and Singapore Air in either Hong Kong or Seoul and then Singapore before finally taking you to Bangkok.

[too_mutt]

Cathay Pacific makes a stop in Hong Kong, China Air in Taipei, and Singapore Air in either Hong Kong or Seoul and then Singapore before finally taking you to Bangkok.

That is the problem with SQ from the West coast, the long way to get to LOS from SFO. I would love to use SQ otherwise.

[midlifecrisis]

From SFO Cathay Pacific usually arrives in BKK at 10:30 a.m., China Air at 12:30 p.m., and Singapore Air at 3:30 p.m., but I doubt any of them offer "premium economy."

Cathay Pacific makes a stop in Hong Kong, China Air in Taipei, and Singapore Air in either Hong Kong or Seoul and then Singapore before finally taking you to Bangkok.

thus my continuing dilemma as I continue to fly EVA

 

I could fly to LAX and fly Thai Air but they do not have premium economy

[Tahoe_Bill]

Thai has Premium Economy (PE) LAX – BKK although it usually costs more that EVA PE.

 

Thai flies an A345 LAX-BKK with 42 PE seats with seat pitch @ 42" and width @ 19".

 

EVA flies a B77W SFO/LAX-TPE with 63 PE seats with seat pitch @ 38" and width @ 18", TPE - BKK on a 77W or 744 with the same PE dimensions.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Tahoe_Bill

[Samsonite]

That is the problem with SQ from the West coast, the long way to get to LOS from SFO. I would love to use SQ otherwise.

Ditto!

There seems to be enough of us in Greater Bay Area that we should arrange a meeting? Just a thought.

[Samsonite]

thus my continuing dilemma as I continue to fly EVA

 

I could fly to LAX and fly Thai Air but they do not have premium economy

Doesn't that non-stop out of LAX put you in BKK in the early morning hours, long before your

hotel room might be available? Wouldn't be a problem right now , but let us assume normal

occupancy rates.

[midlifecrisis]

Thai has Premium Economy (PE) LAX – BKK although it usually costs more that EVA PE.

 

Thai flies an A345 LAX-BKK with 42 PE seats with seat pitch @ 42" and width @ 19".

 

EVA flies a B77W SFO/LAX-TPE with 63 PE seats with seat pitch @ 38" and width @ 18", TPE - BKK on a 77W or 744 with the same PE dimensions.

Thanks Bill for the update!

 

Actually from San Jose to SFO with a door to door shuttle it is no more a hardship to get to LAX from our airport.

[midlifecrisis]

Ditto!

There seems to be enough of us in Greater Bay Area that we should arrange a meeting? Just a thought.

there is another board member (picoman) who I know for sure is in San Jose.

[mendobrew]

Only problem with Thai out of LAX is the late return and not being able to get a flight back north the same night. (MRY in my case)

 

I am a big fan of EVA elite, but they just cut back to 8 flights a week and the prices have

gone WAY up ($1500+). My favorite, #27 on Thursdays is gone…

 

SQ econ is my second choice, but they have also gone up. Looking at Korean for my next

trip and dealing with the 8 hour layover on the way back with a $35 six hour room at the

airport hotel in Seoul.

[too_mutt]

SQ econ is my second choice, but they have also gone up. Looking at Korean for my next

trip and dealing with the 8 hour layover on the way back with a $35 six hour room at the

airport hotel in Seoul.

Don't know if you would consider Cathay Pacific or not, but last I checked they have a dozen or so flights per week LAX->HKG.

Edited May 29, 2010 by too_mutt

[mendobrew]

Don't know if you would consider Cathay Pacific or not, but last I checked they have a dozen or so flights per week LAX->HKG.

They land at SFO @ 10:pm…. Last shuttle to Monterey leaves at 10:00. Great prices also...

 

I have read many good things about CX… but their econ seats that slide forward instead of reclining

scare me for a 12+ hour flight… have you used those seats?

Edited May 29, 2010 by mendobrew

[too_mutt]

I have read many good things about CX… but their econ seats that slide forward instead of reclining

scare me for a 12+ hour flight… have you used those seats?

Nope, but I have been reading many varying opinions on them. Seem to be slightly better than the traditional type overall. I did try their 777 econ seats and they are somewhat tight for me at 6'2. Also, CX in biz class is prohibitively expensive for me.

 

I may end up using either EVA or CX out of LAX I think. SFO is a better experience, but LAX is closer.

Edited May 29, 2010 by too_mutt

[Samsonite]

They land at SFO @ 10:pm…. Last shuttle to Monterey leaves at 10:00. Great prices also...

 

I have read many good things about CX… but their econ seats that slide forward instead of reclining

scare me for a 12+ hour flight… have you used those seats?

For chuckles I just checked SFO-BKK-SFO on Cathay Pacific, leaving 1 June and returning 14 June. Arrival time in SFO was 11:35 a.m.

[Hub]

They land at SFO @ 10:pm…. Last shuttle to Monterey leaves at 10:00. Great prices also...

 

I have read many good things about CX… but their econ seats that slide forward instead of reclining

scare me for a 12+ hour flight… have you used those seats?

 

I had no issues with them at 6'1". Always find the FA service and food to be good, as well as better IFE than EVA (been a few years though for EVA).

 

Save up those AA miles as can be used to get CX tickets.

[mendobrew]

For chuckles I just checked SFO-BKK-SFO on Cathay Pacific, leaving 1 June and returning 14 June. Arrival time in SFO was 11:35 a.m.

CX only has 2 flights a day HKG- SFO (HKG is the transfer for BKK) #'s 870 & 872. The shortest layover in HKG from BKK-SFO to get #870 (11:35 into SFO) is 14+ hours...Thanks, but no thanks.

[CheshireTom]

The shortest layover in HKG from BKK-SFO to get #870 (11:35 into SFO) is 14+ hours...Thanks, but no thanks.

 

 

You have a couple of choices with connections less than 2 hours.

 

 

 

[mendobrew]

 

You have a couple of choices with connections less than 2 hours.

 

 

Interesting, I saw that early flight offered on Kayak via Orbitz for Sunday Oct 17... but the CX site does not offer it... at least not from North America. Wonder why?

[CheshireTom]

Interesting, I saw that early flight offered on Kayak via Orbitz for Sunday Oct 17... but the CX site does not offer it... at least not from North America. Wonder why?

 

It's offering it now.