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You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who genuinely enjoys a long-haul flight (unless you’re stretched out in first class with a Champagne in hand). But for most of us, the jet lag chaos, swollen feet, dry cabin air and questionable plane food are a small price to pay for the chance to explore new corners of the globe. And you can make your journey as comfy as possible by flying with one of the world’s best airlines for long-haul flights, as revealed by new data. The good news is that the majority of them fly out of Australia – and one top-performer is proudly Aussie-born and bred.
To compile the ranking, insurance comparison website MoneySuperMarket compiled data for the world’s biggest airlines across ten criteria, including timeliness, reliability, value, seat comfort, Skytrax score, in-flight entertainment, service and food. Each factor was scored out of five, adding up to a total rating out of 50.
Interestingly, Asian and Middle Eastern airlines dominate the ranking, claiming four of the world’s five highest-rated spots. Singapore Airlines soared into first place with an overall score of 36.95, performing particularly well for value for money, in-flight experience and reliability.
Despite being named the world’s best airline by Skytrax in 2025, Qatar Airways came in second place with a score of 36.24 – largely missing out on the top spot due to its lower value-for-money rating. Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific followed in third (33.41), with all three top long-haul airlines operating flights out of Australia. Winning!
Qantas was the only Australian airline to make the list, earning sixth place globally. The Flying Kangaroo received an overall score of 31.66, performing particularly well for reliability, pilot trust, seat comfort and staff service. And honestly, how good are Tim Tams and a little Aussie humour at 35,000 feet?!
At the other end of the spectrum, British and American airlines fared poorly, occupying all of the bottom three spots – so now you know who not to fly with on your next long-haul trip. You can see the full ranking below.
The best (and worst) long-haul airlines in the world
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- TUI Airways
- Emirates
- Qantas
- Malaysia Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Delta Air Lines
- Air France
- Etihad
- Turkish Airlines
- KLM
- Air Canada
- Aer Lingus
- Lufthansa
- British Airways
- United Airlines
- American Airlines