Flying long-haul in 2026? These are the best (and worst) airlines to fly with, according to new analysis

When you’re hopping on an hour-long flight, it doesn’t really matter how good the food is or how comfy the seats are. All you want is to pay as little as possible and still arrive on time. When it comes to long-haul journeys, however, there’s a lot more to consider.

That’s where MoneySuperMarket comes in. The insurance comparison website has analysed data from several major studies to consolidate them into one single definitive list, ranking 19 different airlines in order from worst to best. Ten different criteria were used to rate the companies, each worth five points.

Figures on punctuality from UK consumer watchdog Which? were used, as were customer reviews from both Trustpilot and Tripadvisor. Ratings from industry experts at Skytrax and AirlineQuality were also considered.

After crunching all that data, Singapore Airlines took the crown for best long-haul provider. It received 39.95 points overall, doing particularly well in the value-for-money, in-flight experience and reliability categories.

In second place was Qatar Airways. The airline was named the best in the world by Skytrax last year, beating out Singapore, which took the silver. But they’ve swapped places in MoneySuperMarket’s ranking. Value for money pushed Qatar into second place, as it was rated only three out of five.

Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong flag carrier, came third. Four of the top five rated companies were based in either Asia or the Middle East, with German brand TUI, which came fourth, being the only exception. Clearly, when it comes to long-haul travel, the West just can’t keep up.

In fact, British and American airlines did particularly poorly in the study, taking all of the bottom three spots on the list. In dead last was American Airlines, scoring a disappointing 25.7 out of 50. United Airlines and British Airways followed.

The best long-haul airlines, ranked

Here’s every airline included in the MoneySuperMarket study, ranked in order from best to worst.

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Qatar Airways
3. Cathay Pacific
4. TUI
5. Emirates
6. Qantas
7. Malaysia Airlines
8. Virgin Atlantic
9. Delta Air Lines
10. Air France
11. Etihad
12. Turkish Airlines
13. KLM
14. Air Canada
15. Aer Lingus
16. Lufthansa
17. British Airways
18. United Airlines
19. American Airlines

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