This story is featured in the May/June 2025 issue of ESSENCE.
Whether you’re jet-setting for business, embarking on a long-awaited vacation, or simply trying to get from point A to point B without losing your sanity, the airline you choose can make or break your entire travel experience.
In a post-pandemic world where air travel has become increasingly unpredictable—think flight delays, overcrowded airports, and service that sometimes feels like an afterthought—finding carriers that consistently deliver excellence feels like striking gold (literally).
This year, we’ve scoured the skies to identify the airlines that are truly setting themselves apart, from luxury carriers redefining first-class service to budget-friendly options that prove you don’t have to break the bank for a decent flight experience.
Best overall: Qatar Airways
Known for its luxury in the sky and also on the ground—if you’ve been to Qatar Lounge in Doha, then you absolutely know this to be a fact—Qatar Airways has earned its Oscar-worthy reputation as the best of the best in the aviation industry. It’s the carrier travelers can’t stop raving about, with good reason. Beyond its premium offerings, the airline delivers remarkable customer care and comfort across both business and economy cabins. What sets Qatar apart, in an industry where surprises often mean headaches, is consistency in service and an unwavering reliability.
Best domestic business class: JetBlue
In July 2022, when JetBlue and Spirit Airlines signed a merger agreement (which was later blocked), many thought it would mean the decline of the airline overall. But—no shade to Spirit!—boy were they wrong. -JetBlue’s Mint service has transformed the domestic business class landscape, with fully lie-flat seats that put some -international offerings to shame. The private suites on select routes give travelers the comfort they crave after hectic airport experiences. Their thoughtful dining -program features seasonal ingredients and regionally-inspired dishes that seem more like meals from upscale restaurants than airplane food.
Best international business class: Singapore Airlines
There’s business class, and then there’s a floating hotel in the sky. Singapore Airlines would be considered the latter, as it has perfected the art of business-class travel. With spacious seats that effortlessly convert to fully flat beds, thoughtful storage solutions and the carrier’s renowned service, Singapore more than exceeds the hype. Flight attendants even anticipate your needs before you realize them yourself. Their culture of consistent excellence has earned the airline a cabinet full of industry awards that other carriers can only dream of.
Best company-wide commitment to diversity: Delta Air Lines
In the second Trump era, during which some companies have quietly retreated from diversity initiatives in the face of political pressure, Delta has stood firm in its commitments. Their 2024 annual report makes their position crystal clear: They maintain “merit-based” hiring practices while emphasizing that diversity, equity and inclusion remain fundamental to effective human capital management. Beyond the corporate lingo, Delta’s actions speak volumes—through maintained leadership- development programs for underrepresented groups and continued support of employee resource groups.
Best lavish amenity kit: Cathay Pacific
For many, it’s not what you experience in-flight but the high-quality gift that you can use and take with you that makes the difference. Cathay Pacific offers a vegan-leather amenity pouch done right. And passengers in first and business class on its long-haul flights will walk away with skin care products from U.K. luxury brand Bamford, as well as signature products such as a dental kit, earplugs, a cooling body gel and a sleep mask.
Best budget airline: Frontier Airlines
Frontier proves that “budget” and “quality” aren’t mutually exclusive—especially when they’re both needed in this economy. The carrier delivers reliable transportation without nickel-and-diming passengers at every turn, and its customer service representatives actually seem to care about resolving issues. Frontier recently shifted its policies in favor of its passengers (when other lower-cost carriers were doing the opposite), to allow flight flexibility without the punitive fees—and free bags. Now that’s what you call “balling on a budget.”
Best in sustainability: Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines has established itself as an environmental leader, through actions rather than greenwashing. The carrier was among the first to eliminate single-use plastic straws and stir sticks fleet-wide, preventing millions of tons of plastics from entering landfills annually. Their investment in fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX aircraft has also reduced per-passenger carbon emissions on key routes. Beyond industry-standard carbon-offset programs, Alaska has implemented innovative changes—like optimizing flight paths and reducing auxiliary power usage for planes on the ground.
Best in punctuality: Aeromexico
Getting there is half the battle, and in 2025, airlines aren’t making it any -easier to arrive at your destination on time. Thankfully, Aeromexico is doing its part to help. It claimed the punctuality crown in 2024 with, according to industry data, an impressive 86.7 percent of flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. This remarkable achievement stems from an operational overhaul that prioritizes efficient ground handling and realistic scheduling.
Best main cabin comfort: Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines understands what economy passengers truly want: A tolerable experience that doesn’t leave you counting down the minutes till you land. Their newer aircraft, particularly the Airbus A220 and A321neo fleets, offer noticeably wider seats (18.6 and 18 inches, respectively) compared with the industry’s typical 17-inch squeeze. Their improved in-flight entertainment systems work consistently—unlike those of some competitors, whose screen failures seem routine.
Best premium economy class: EVA Air
EVA Air’s Premium Economy offering sits comfortably in that sweet spot between economy pain and business class prices. The Taiwanese carrier delivers substantially wider seats and genuinely usable legroom that lets even taller travelers stretch out. Their meal service feels deliberately designed, rather than just being economy food on nicer plates—a distinction that matters. Flight attendants working premium economy cabins seem to be allocated in numbers that allow for attentive service, without the hovering sometimes found in business class.
Best connectivity: Emirates
Please sign us up for anything that has the word “free” in it—well, at least most things. Emirates has revolutionized in-flight connectivity by offering free high-speed WiFi (emphasis on high-speed) that actually deserves the recognition. Unlike competitors for whom “Internet access” means occasionally loading text emails if you’re lucky, Emirates delivers bandwidth sufficient for chat services such as WhatsApp and Messenger—and streaming across its modern fleet.
Best in-flight food: Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines transforms the typically dreaded airplane meal into something passengers can look forward to (because let’s face it, some dishes they are serving us up there don’t actually seem edible). And for us, consistency will always be rewarded—which is why this airline is our winner in this category two years in a row. Their commitment to quality is evident in the presence of dedicated onboard chefs, who prepare meals for premium cabins—real chefs in actual chef’s whites, not flight attendants with a different title. Seasonal menu rotations prevent the monotony frequent flyers dread, while consistently fresh ingredients elevate even the simplest dishes.
Best in customer satisfaction: Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines has mastered the delicate balance between operational efficiency and genuine hospitality that many larger carriers struggle to achieve. Their distinctive brand of island-inspired service begins the moment you board, with a warm welcome that feels sincere rather than scripted. The carrier consistently ranks near the top in Department of Transportation customer-satisfaction metrics, with complaint rates significantly below industry averages. Perhaps most telling, gate agents and flight attendants seem genuinely happy to work there—a rarity in today’s aviation industry—and that translates directly to positive passenger experiences.
Best in safety: Air New Zealand
In a time when many of us have (fair) concerns about flying (thanks to a certain commander-in-chief and his new policies), Air New Zealand has, in 2025, secured the world’s safest airline title for the second consecutive year, according to airlineratings.com’s comprehensive assessment. We thank them for their uncompromising approach to a culture of safety; it permeates every aspect of operations, from maintenance protocols to crew training. The carrier’s fleet-modernization program has accelerated the retirement of older aircraft in favor of fuel-efficient models with enhanced safety features. Their safety videos effectively communicate critical information, in a memorable and entertaining format that passengers actually watch.