best Airlines 2011

[GoreTex]

WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS™ | the Passengers Choice Awards (http://www.worldairlineawards.com/)

THE WORLD'S BEST AIRLINES : 2011

1
Qatar Airways

2
Singapore Airlines

3
Asiana Airlines

4
Cathay Pacific Airways

5
Thai Airways International

6
Etihad Airways

7
Air New Zealand

8
Qantas Airways

9
Turkish Airlines

10
Emirates

[GoreTex]

adding a few stripes to the EK CC uniform didn't do the job

[flaphandlemover]

Now where is the beancounter that took away the FG1, so we safe money... I guess he will take full responsibility and he pays back his award :ugh::ugh::ugh:

Well done EK... nr 10 in the ranking... and continuing to fall....
Next year we woun't even be seen in the first 10 rankings...

But i am sure we will win the award of the cleanest floor of a cargo aircraft... and the cleanest toilets on a B777F.

[Brian Cohen]

It's a very honorable result for all the QR Crew in particular for the Cabin Crew. They offer the best service in the world! Thank you and keep up with the excellent job!

[EK Snorkel]

What a joke. QR is one of the worst airlines in the market. Except for their newish equipment. Horrible service on the ground and in the air.

Rude staff, an airport that reminds me of military baracks and cabin crew who could not care less (some are cute though)....

QR remains a poor copy of EK :p

Taking cover :}

[jackx123]

How did this little sand dune in the sea end up hosting the world cup in football?????

I thought so :cool:

[FlyingEagle21]

let me guess, was this a freebie when they bought the world cup?

[GoreTex]

Khalid, I dont hate Qatar just idiots like you who think they can run their country without expats

[z.khalid]

GoreTex,

I dont disagree with you.
Expats need us just as much as we need them though.
If you have any problems, or anything negative to say about Qatar, we can find other expats who appreciate being given an opportunity to work in the Gulf.
Working in Qatar is not a given right to you, or any other expat, or even to me.

I never said anything about thinking we can run the country without expats.

[Luke SkyToddler]

Hey khalid I wonder if the airline would have won world airline of the year if any Qataris were actually working in the cabin service ... :mad:

It's a great credit to the cabin crew of QR that they provide such great service and have won this award for "your" airline despite the fact that you people treat them worse than dogs, and make them subject to one of the most god-awful regimes of fear and micro-control of every aspect of their lives of any "employer" in the world.

A little bit of humility and gratitude from you people wouldn't be so hard would it. But no, you just come on here and bad mouth your own employees, even though they do the jobs you are too lazy to do yourselves

[Schnowzer]

It piqued my interest

Feedback page for the World Airline Awards (http://www.worldairlineawards.com/main/Feedback.htm)

Emirates get best IFE
Asiana get best cabin crew

How do you get best Airline? Best CEO?

[jimmyjetdriver]

Just my 2BD, but going commercial on most of the Gulf Airlines, I personally always book EK to fly home during personal leave. A lot has been said of declining service on EK, but the IFE, seat arrangements and legroom keep me coming back. As most CC are now E. Asian, I don't see a difference in service or pedigree in any Gulf airline. They are all better than any of my employers, and always go the extra mile for me. As a matter of fact, my impression of Cathay was not all that positive in comparison to EK, EY, or QR. I would give the award for most appealing CC to Royal Jordanian, hands down the best looking of the group.

[Nearly Man]

Long live Saddam :E

[Jet II]

Interesting that no European or North American airline makes it into the top 10 (Turkish could be called European I suppose) - do Skytrax not test those airlines?

[sheikmyarse]

Being Qatari is fortunate??? Ah ah ah what a laugh!!!
Money can buy a lot of ( mainly useless) stuff but someothers are,fortunately,not for sale !

[A320 pilot]

sheikmyarse :hmm: that's funny
if you don't care about money why you live in country you hate ???? :confused:

[cerbus]

In the west there is ONE set of laws for everyone. That includes locals, visitors, and even illegals. If you had such a bad time in the civilized part of the world it must have been your own doing.
In the sand there is two sets of laws, one for the locals and one for the infidels.
I would much rather be a Arab in the west than an ex-pat in the middle east. In the west I know I have the laws to protect me.

[scorpio]

SO I GUESS ITS BETTER TO GO BACK THATS THE LOGICAL THING TO DO ,RIGHT:ok:

[Brian Cohen]

Qatar Airways to transport Tour de France peloton. Very good
And for the next year we will see Qatar Airways logo on the Manchester United jersey! That's jolly good indeed!

[jimmyjetdriver]

No offense to the locals in "The Persian Gulf" but although the people have quite an interesting history, it is very difficult to relate to the way they treat their guest workers, and their women. It is their land, but I just can't deal with it anymore, no matter the money. Dignity, and basic human rights gotta mean something in the 21st Century.

[fullforward]

go figure...travel on some of them and you'll have the answer
:}

[Panama Jack]

I have flown with 5 of the 10 listed airlines over the last few years and thought the results fair and indicative. As far as I know, Skytrax results are based on surveys so while the order of some of the airlines may be questionable, all 10 on the list probably deserve to me there.

While I don't like what I hear about the working environment at Qatar Airways, as a passenger I honestly cannot rate their service quality as anything less than excellent. While I question whether they are anywhere close to running a commercially sustainable airline model and whether the Qataris are simply running anything more than the ultimate in model railroad hobby sets (as opposed to a "real" and logical business), lets give some credit where credit is due here-- namely to the front-line employees who work very hard (beit under the threat of carrot or stick) to provide a top quality product.

Because of this, as a passenger and all things being equal, I would prefer travel on QR over a number of other choices.

P.S. Turkish is also on a good path towards 5-star status. Really good quality product and network. And of course, me love Thai Airways long time. _/\_

[thunderbird-1]

ewok69, why such a hate of QR? and why telling lies?
150 applicants from QR to EK per week, it is not even realistic.
The business model is far from being poor, their strategy is probably one of the best, look at Qatar Airways' Al Baker on Growth Outlook, IPO - Video - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/video/71138332/)
No profit in 15 years?? again that's not true, QR made huge profit for at least the last 2 years and will go IPO soon, check UPDATE 2-Qatar Airways may go public in 2011 | Reuters (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/06/14/qatarairways-ipo-idUKLDE75D0KK20110614)
The worst employer as you said just gave a 20% pay rise 20%!!! And when QR won the best airline of the year award, Mr AAB doesn't forgot to thanks his staff: “It is extremely gratifying to be recognised as “Airline of the Year”, which takes into account the outstanding efforts and hard work of all our employees, as we continuously aim to exceed the expectations of our customers". (from Qatar Airways website). I'd like to hear the same from FR CEO!
Expand, expand, expand, so do QR and it has not affected his top quality service.

Anyway, shall EK pilot be jealous of QR for the awards, the pay rise, and just for seeing an other airline catching up their own? No, you should see it this way, if QR T&Cs go up it will force EK T&Cs to go up and vice versa! And at the end of the day, we (the pilots) will benefit of this competition.

We all know that QR is not perfect and EK is the best career airline for pilots in the Middle East.
I am sad to see pprune drifting more and more in hate, criticism and even racism some time.
We have all been through those tough interview where the assessors are looking for open minded, honest and respectful candidates. Why do we loose all those quality when we log onto pprune?
Let's give the good info, help each other and try to improve the T&Cs for the pilot community.

United we stand :ok:
thunderbird

[BlueSkye]

Apologies for the thread creep back to the topic. Had the distinct pleasure of experiencing Singapore Airlines and Changi airport last week. Sorry to say but SIA and Changi make ETD/UAE/QTR look like Greyhound.

[Panama Jack]

thunderbird-1

I have my serious doubts whether Qatar Airways, or even Emirates is profitable and commercially sustainable.

Sure, you can post your Profits (or Losses), as does Emirates, but as one business professor pointed out "Profit/Loss is a matter of opinion. Cash Flow is a matter of fact." I have not heard of Cash Flow statements being published for any of these airlines and I think there is a good reason why they don't want to do that. Of course, I would love to be dazzled with their business and financial prowess and eat my words on that. But besides the 100% backing of oil-rich governments, who seemingly don't know what to do with their windfalls, I don't think they have the proverbial "silver bullet" on how to run a commercially successful airline.

Al Baker sure loves the media lime-light, though, and it is always nice to meet a colleague from another airline who is enthusiastic about his employer and company.

[GoreTex]

emirates managers are useless, if they would work in a real environment with taxes, normal wages (3000 euros instead of 1000AED for a cleaner) they could never survive.

[jackx123]

spot on GT.


In a recent article in Forbes the average ticket (incl 1st class) LAX - LGA was $506 and the costs:

Fuel: 98
Labour:95
A/c ownership: 25
Non-A/c ownership: 17
Non-emploee labour: 32
Partners & merchants: 54
Interest: 12
other airline exp: 27
Taxes: 75
Misc: 37
Profit: 34

[shemaid]

...the fact is that Chief is outstanding, from a little airline in the Middle East he created the Oryx (which BTW was in the path of extinction, saved and reintroduced to nature by Qatar)
Today the Oryx gallops in front of every body, I am proud of him and proud of it.
Thank you Chief http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gifhello Habibi! I'll see you in the 9th floor. I queue up as well to report & kiss his a**. :p

[Schibulsky]

Hi Kijangnim, before you start to build a statue of your beloved "chief" in your garden, get the facts right:

"The Phoenix Zoo and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of London (now Fauna & Flora International), with financial help from the World Wildlife Fund, are credited with saving the Arabian Oryx from extinction. In 1962, these groups started the first captive-breeding herd in any zoo, at the Phoenix Zoo, sometimes referred to as "Operation Oryx."
Because all wild Arabian Oryx were killed for meat or just for fun by 1972,
all present animals are from this herd.

Now keep on licking....:yuk::yuk::yuk:

[surely not]

Isn't it amazing how pilots who like to project an image of themselves as well educated and better than most can turn a thread on awards into a pi$$ing contest with stupid arguments about which culture is best!!

Some of you are adolescent to an extreme.

Back to the airline awards. There is a reason that no European or American airline is in the list and that is........................ they are not as consistently good.

In the Arabian Gulf region I don't think there is much to choose between the big 3 of EY, EK and QR. Different crew, different day, different vote. I have had mainly very good travel with all of them.

[fliion]

The criteria used to achieve results has a heavy leaning towards certain factors.

A huge one is 10 abreast seating - 777. This is a non-starter fro Skytrax hence EK's and QR's divergence.

Obviously the workload on the EK cabin crew has had an affect on service - this one issue alone explains a lot.

Additionally the new service delivery in business starting in July will not help EK. Part of the wow factor in Biz was the dessert/cheese/cognac trolley after the main course - this will be no longer.

Pity.

As to QR, no disrespect to all Flt Dk & CC over there - but it is common knowledge that its the next stop on the list for those who were not suitable for EK

f.

[White Knight]

couldnt agree more, unfortunately there is always a need from pilots to Insult others just because they dont share the same view.




Schib is NOT a pilot!!!!!! Don't listen to his ground-gripping bollocks!!!! He WISHES he is a pilot but falls into the 'wannabe' category!!!!!!


Tell me it 'ain't true Schibbybaby:ugh::ugh::ugh: before you try and influence REAL aviators LOL :ok::}:E:ok::E

[Brian Cohen]

There aren't a lot western young ladies willing to live in Doha! But hopefully the situations will change also because of the Skytrax award.

[I.R.PIRATE]

EK has become the taxi service for the unwashed masses. No control aboard and pretty much a free for all. Its a mess, and very far from the professional, neat and dare I say 'classy' outfit it was ten years ago.

On the way down and out - soon to be found listed among Ariana, Bangladesh and Kish....albeit with shiny new airframes.

[White Knight]

=IR PirateEK has become the taxi service for the unwashed masses. No control aboard and pretty much a free for all. Its a mess, and very far from the professional, neat and dare I say 'classy' outfit it was ten years ago.

On the way down and out - soon to be found listed among Ariana, Bangladesh and Kish....albeit with shiny new airframes.

I don't think so son:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh: And I wish it was free:E:E

[jackx123]

surely not:

you must belong to the group you just described. If you take the "typical" flight that I stated in #38, and make a few assumptions adjusted to local conditions give and take.

Fuel: 98 - assume same
Labour:95 - assume 40
A/c ownership: 25 - maybe same but with government guarantees on lease probably 20
Non-A/c ownership: 17 - terminals etc assume discounted usage 10
Non-emploee labour: 32 - handling agents etc assume 15
Partners & merchants: 54 - assume same but probably less
Interest: 12 - assume same
other airline exp: 27 - assume 20
Taxes: 75 - assume 0
Misc: 37 - assume 30
Profit: 34 - interestingly this comes to 195 almost 6 times better margin.

With such a cost advantage over western airlines there is no doubt that any GCC airline (GF? not) will be competitive even under the most difficult conditions. Even with pi$$ poor management.

However, if you look east there is competition from CX, SQ etc, but again they also have hefty tax breaks and subsidies, but not as generous as GCC.

[I.R.PIRATE]

So, Mr. White Knight, what is going to stop it?

Flown in the back recently?

FAs couldnt care less about seatbacks during take off and landing, especially if the occupant is a dishdashing fellow...could it be a cultural thing?

Pax do pretty much what they want, when they want - total lack of order aboard. FAs couldn't care a toss. The service ethic has died - and I would probably ascribe that to the class level of a large portion of the pax using EK these days, but...and its a big but - your airline is reflected in its service levels.

The aircraft are dirty, nay filthy inside - its like the DXB airport-toilet-chic is catching...its about time for foreign airports to require yellow fever and the rest of the vaccination list for any passenger disembarking off an EK aircraft. Being quite a filthy chap myself at times - even I cringe at touching any part of the superstructure around my seat - including the IFE control that is always covered in some unspecified, somewhat liquidy mucousy entity. Guess some dripped off the screen - but for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. Tastes pretty awful too.

Its not up to the flight deck crew to fix that situation - I know what their job description is, and I have sympathy in many cases:E, but the cabin is a pigsty. The last flight I took, if it werent for the logos and colours, I would not have been able to differentiate between an EK cabin and the last time I flew in the DRC.

Been flying EK for nearly two decades now, and slide is so apparent its not even funny. Sad.

Flying with four FAs now who have recently come from EK, and they say exactly the same thing.


So Mr.White Knight....you gonna keep :ugh::ugh::ugh: or are you going to fetch me my Shrubbery?

[Schibulsky]

Hi white boy, I was already flying jets when you were still wetting your pants! ;)
As a pilot, ATC controller, flight dispatcher, operations controller, aviation trainer and consultant I would call myself rather an real aviator than somebody limited to living his boyhood dream and never progressed beyond that.
Anyway, I am happy to watch this declining industry as a frequent flying spectator, it's time for you to realize that you are just an inconvenient cost factor nowadays. The times for knights strutting through the airport with people watching in awe are over for good... :p
Today lots of pilots are sad subservient individuals like Kijangnim who are praising their masters for treating them like crap while handing out some crumbs...pathetic indeed :yuk:

[Rule3]

Flown with all but Asiana and ANZ. To me Singapore and Thai are the best, Turkish was a nightmare on the ground and in the air on two legs and Qantas service is non existant.

[Schibulsky]

Ooops Watson, you really got me :D
Now I have to apologize for insinuating the Knight was wetting his pants at the age of 10 :}
Anyway, cute to assume everybody posts his real age :p

As you can see from my posts I was never afraid to reveal the position I had at EK, so if you pop in at the OCC they could confirm the CV, even in the mentioned sequence...:ok:

[Dubaian]

OT - it was Oman which first reintroduced the Arabian White Oryx to the wild. I helped build the facility into which the animals were flown from San Diego Zoo. In '79 or '80 I think. Qatar followed much later.

On my hops up and down the Gulf, I have to say that QR CC give the best service with very little time in which to do it. They easily beat EK & ER. Haven't used GF much recently.

Doha Airport however leaves much to be desired - mystery bus tours for EVERY movement to and from the aircraft. Yeah I know they're building a new one - but it's years late and at least a year away from opening. Meantime planes park in the middle of nowhere and in summer the A/Cs often struggle to keep the temperatures reasonable while boarding (doors open, steps, and buses - not a skybridge in sight). And what's with an airport that does sell duty free grog but has no bar:=