Australia’s favourite airlines for 2026 have been named – here’s where Qantas and Jetstar rank

Complimentary booze, extra legroom, decent carry-on allowances or just a really cheap fare – every airline has its perks. But which ones do frequent flyers appreciate the most? The world’s favourite airlines for 2026 have just been named, revealing exactly how we feel about the likes of Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar.

Singapore Airlines took the crown as the overall favourite carrier in AirlineRatings.com’s 2026 Flyers’ Choice Awards. Unlike the site’s World’s Safest Airlines and World’s Best Airline awards – which are decided by experts using strict criteria – this result was based entirely on feedback from 40,000 everyday passengers.

Narrowing in on home turf, Qantas was voted the preferred airline for Australia and the Pacific, ahead of rivals Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia. Even better, the Flying Kangaroo finished second globally in the ‘Peace of Mind’ category, landing just behind Singapore Airlines. Given how heavily passenger trust weighed in this year’s rankings, this category featured a top seven instead of the usual top three. Etihad Airways, Emirates, Air New Zealand, airBaltic and Cathay Pacific also made the list.

AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen said: “The continued strength of brands like Singapore Airlines and Qantas in the Peace of Mind category is a real credit to the trust they have built with passengers over many years. Confidence in an airline is earned over time, and these results demonstrate the value of that consistency.”

Despite copping a lot of flak, Jetstar tied with easyJet for third place in the world’s favourite low-cost carrier category – missing out on second place by only one vote. Vietjet Air was named the most popular budget airline, followed by AirAsia. You can explore more winners here.

The preferred airlines in Australia and the Pacific:

1. Qantas
2. Air New Zealand
3. Virgin Australia

The world’s favourite airlines for ‘peace of mind’:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Qantas
3. Etihad Airways
4. Emirates
5. Air New Zealand
6. airBaltic
7. Cathay Pacific

The world’s favourite low-cost carriers:

1. Vietjet Air
2. AirAsia
3. Jetstar and easyJet

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