oneworld named World’s Best Airline Alliance by Skytrax

The oneworld Alliance has won the World’s Best Airline Alliance title in the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2021, in recognition of the alliance’s popularity among customers.

oneworld was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance following a 23-month-long customer survey from September 2019 to July 2021, representing a mix of travel periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the fourth time that oneworld has been named World’s Best Airline Alliance in the Skytrax World Airline Awards, known as the Oscars of the aviation industry.

Several oneworld member airlines emerged as winners in the Skytrax World Airline Awards this year. Qatar Airways took home the Airline of the Year award for a record sixth time. It also won five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East.

Other oneworld member airlines that received top honours in the Skytrax World Airline Awards include:

• British Airways (Best Airline Staff in Europe; Best Premium Economy Onboard Catering; Best Airline in the United Kingdom)
• Cathay Pacific (Best Business Class Lounge in Asia)
• Finnair (Best Airline in Northern Europe)
• Iberia (Best Airline in Spain)
• Japan Airlines (World’s Best Economy Class; Best Economy Class Airline Seat; Best Economy Class in Asia)
• Qantas (Best Airline in Australia / Pacific; Best Airline Staff in Australia / Pacific)
• Royal Air Maroc (Best Regional Airline in Africa)
• S7 Airlines (Best Regional Airline in Russia)

oneworld Governing Board Chairman and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are extremely proud to be named World’s Best Airline Alliance in the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards. This award is a further recognition of the superior customer service we continue to deliver as an alliance to our frequent global travellers, despite the challenges currently faced by our industry.”

oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said: “Being named World’s Best Airline Alliance in the Skytrax World Airline Awards is an incredible honour and we want to thank our loyal customers for their vote of confidence in us. This accolade would not have been possible without our member airlines and the hard work their employees have put in to continue delivering outstanding customer service.”

The Skytrax award is the latest win for oneworld following several other awards in the recent year that reinforced its status as the preferred alliance among international travellers.

It was previously named Best Airline Alliance in Global Traveler magazine’s GT Tested Reader Survey awards; Best Airline Alliance in Business Traveler USA magazine’s Best in Business Travel Awards; and Best Airline Alliance in the Business Traveller Awards in the UK.

oneworld brings together 14 world-class airlines – Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and SriLankan Airlines, and more than 20 of their affiliates. 

Fiji Airways is a oneworld connect partner. oneworld member airlines work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience, with special privileges and rewards for frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network. Top-tier cardholders (Emerald and Sapphire) enjoy access to airport lounges and are offered extra baggage allowances. The most regular travelers (Emerald) can also use fast track security lanes at select airports.