Among the seven carriers receiving the maximum number of stars, there is not a single European or American carrier. Six of the distinguished carriers are from Asia and the seventh from the Middle East. Some of them have recently enjoyed a sad reputation Malaysian airlines, as well as airlines ANA All Nippon Airways from Japan, Asiana Airlines from South Korea, Cathay Pacific Airways from Hong Kong, Hainan Airlines from China, Qatar Airways of Qatar and Singapore Airlines of Singapore.

For comparison: our native Lot has three stars. Lufthansa doesn’t do much better and deserves one more star. The Dutch KLM and the Finnish Finnair have the same number. The flight is not alone, many European carriers have three stars, starting with the Greek company Olympic Air, via the Luxembourg Luxair, up to WOW Air from Iceland.

However, some carriers in Europe only received two stars. These include the Ukrainian airline Ukraine Int’l Airlines, Czech SmartWings, Irish Ryanair, Bulgaria Air and Air Italy.

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What are these laurels for?

Skytrax awards points to carriers both for the quality of products offered by airlines and for ground and in-flight service. Interestingly, amenities aren’t just important to first-class guests.

Airlines offering long-haul flights, for example, must have fully reclining seats. Naturally, in both classes. The company explains that the largest group of carrier customers are people traveling in economy class seats. These are customers, writes Skytrax, who do not benefit from special treatment when entering the airport, do not benefit from an expedited procedure during passport procedures and are not invited to enjoy a glass of champagne while waiting for their flight. However, they are the majority and their travel experience, enjoyment and comfort are decisive in determining whether an airline is rated five stars.

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The factors that matter for evaluation are sometimes surprising

It is interesting to note that the requirements of the company preparing the ranking were influenced by the general public. wave of obesity, although Skytrax called it much nicer. The company admits that seat space in 5-star economy class typically measures 32 to 33 inches. However, for some reason “current thin line” This is an issue that Skytrax is discussing with airlines to establish a certain standard for the personal space a passenger will have on top airlines. Cabin length, decor and seat configuration also matter.

Airlines must also provide the ability to watch movies (called AVOD), minimal amenities such as blankets, pillows and at least a minimal selection of catering. In addition to comfort during the flight, how the passenger is treated on the ground is also important. Airlines are rated for all services related to the stay at the airport on departure, arrival and transfer.

5 stars, while unattainable for most airlines worldwide, is too low a challenge for some investors. Skytrax is currently working on 6 and 7 star requirements, which would correspond to the luxury available on private jets.

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