With the vacation season only a couple of months away, you might be interested in knowing the 10 best airlines to fly international economy. As we have entered the age of the shared economy, lodging has become more accessible, as has local transportation, and transportation probably accounts for the largest share of the overall cost of a vacation. According to Hopper, a company that operates a mobile app that provides flight booking services and suggestions on when to buy plane tickets, the average plane ticket from the U.S to international destinations ranges between $420 (to Mexico and Central America) to $880 (to Russia). At the same time, flights to Europe have become cheaper this year (by 16% to $741) due to lower fuel prices and a decline in demand due to the turmoil in the region. See what the best airlines to fly to Europe are.
The majority of travelers choose to fly economy in order to save money. However, since international trips are usually long, it’s important that the airplane seat be comfortable, that there is some sort of in-flight entertainment, and that the on-board products and services are high-quality.
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No matter how comfortable an airline claims its economy class is, in the end it’s highly unlikely that you will feel very comfortable, but it’s a trade-off since you get to spend less on an airline ticket, and, after all, it only takes a couple of hours and you get to have many great experiences in another country. In addition, there are many tips that can enhance the experience of flying economy, such as choosing your seat to make sure that you get one with enough leg room and avoid seats near emergency exits, which often don’t recline. You can also choose which airline to fly with in order to make sure that you will fly on a newer and better-equipped plane (such as a Boeing Dreamliner).
Having said that, let’s take a closer look at the 10 best airlines to fly international economy. The list is based on data compiled by Skytrax and which is part of its World Airline Awards. The company conducted a survey involving over 19 million customers and included 104 countries and 280 airlines. The survey took into account 41 key indicators, covering every part of the flying experience, from visiting the airline’s website, booking a flight and checking-in online, to the friendliness and hospitality of the staff. We will include some details about the airlines, such as the airplanes in the fleet, the seat pitch (distance between two rows of seats, which determines the leg room), and the availability of entertainment, such as Wi-Fi and TV.
Surprisingly or not, none of the American airlines ranked in the top 10 best airlines to fly international economy. This might be due to the fact that these airlines operate older fleets, or sometimes may sacrifice the customer’s satisfaction in order to boost their profits. It could also be because many of the airlines included in this list are subsidized by their local governments, and so have more money to upgrade their fleets and don’t care as much about turning a profit.
10. Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia has a 5-star rating from Skytrax, having earned four stars for the Food & Beverages, Inflight Entertainment, Seat Comfort, and Value for Money categories, and five stars for Staff Service. Most of Garuda’s airplanes offer a seat pitch of between 32 and 34 inches, which is higher than the average 31-32 inches. Also, on most airplanes there is on-demand TV and each seat has an outlet to power a laptop. Wi-Fi is also available on the majority of airplanes, except for the Boeing 747-400, which only has overhead TV and doesn’t provide an outlet.
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9. ANA All Nippon Airways
We are continuing our list of best airlines to fly international economy with ANA that has a wide range of Boeing airplanes, including seven Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which offer a luxurious 34-inch pitch seat in economy class. Also, many airplanes in its fleet have seatback TV, with others having on-demand TV. However, while most airplanes have AC power outlets, Wi-Fi is present only on a few planes.
8. Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways ranks 8th in our list of best airlines to fly international economy. It is known as one of the most luxurious airlines for first and business class travelers, but its economy class is not bad either. The leg room is decent, with seat pitches ranging from 31 to 33 inches, depending on the airplane (either Airbus or Boeing) and the seat width is around 17.5 inches, which is average. All seats in economy class have on-demand TV and power outlets, but Wi-Fi is not present on all airplanes.
7. Turkish Airlines
Next in line in the list of best airlines to fly international economy is Turkish Airlines, one of the best in Europe across all classes. Turkish Airlines has mostly Airbus A330s in its fleet and its economy seats have average or above-average measures. However, the airline provides a great service on board, with decent food for economy class, as well as blankets and pillows for long-haul flights.
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6. Thai Airways
Thai Airways’ economy class provides seats with pitches of between 31 and 34 inches. From its fleet of airplanes, which includes Airbus A33os, A340s, A350s, A380s, and Boeing 747s, 777s, and 787s, the most generous leg room (34 inches) is on the A340s, 747s, and 777s. All airplanes provide either on-demand TV or overhead TV, but Wi-Fi is available only on the A380s and A350s. Also, not all airplanes have power outlets for all seats, with some lacking them altogether.
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5. Emirates
Emirates’ first class suites are like luxurious hotel rooms, with fully flat beds, mini bars, and Bulgari amenity kits (check out Casey Neistat’s experience with Emirates’ first class). Its economy class is also quite comfortable, with seat pitches from 32 to 34 inches and seat widthes of 18 inches on Airbus A380s. Newer airplanes also have power outlets and Wi-Fi.
4. Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific ranks 4th in our list of best airlines to fly international economy. Its planes have seat pitches of 32 inches and decent seat widths of 17.5 to 18.5 inches (depending on the airplane). Most airplanes provide outlets to power a device, but Wi-Fi is not available on most of them.
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3. Singapore Airlines
We are continuing our list of best airlines to fly international economy with Singapore Airlines that operates mostly Boeing 777s, but also has several Airbus A380 planes. In economy class, Singapore offers seat pitches of 32 to 34 inches and on-demand TV is available on all airplanes. Power outlets are also available on most planes, as well as Wi-Fi. The airline also offers full meals and beverages, as well as snacks on long-haul flights.
2. Qatar Airways
In the economy class of Qatar Airways’ planes, its passengers can enjoy above-average leg room with seat pitches of 32 to 34 inches and with 4 to 6 inches of recline. Power outlets are available only on the company’s A380s, A350s, 777s and 787s. However, Wi-Fi is available only on the newer A380s and 787s. The airline offers a full meal and beverages, as well as snacks available throughout the entire flight.
1. Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines offers sufficient leg room on most of its airplanes, with seat pitches of 33 or 34 inches on 777s, A330s, A380s, and 747s. On long-haul flights the airline offers blankets and pillows, but also slippers, as well as serves full meals and beverages. Most airplanes offer on-demand TV, with some having seatback TV. Power is available on most airplanes, except the 777s.
These are the 10 best airlines to fly international economy. Despite the lack of some amenities like Wi-Fi or power outlets on some airplanes, these airlines are known to serve their customers well, offer decent seats for economy travel, as well as good meals and snacks. However, in the end, the best airline is the one that offers a flight from your hometown to your destination.
