Virgin Australia takes the crown from Qantas as best Australian airline
How Australia scored in the World Airline Awards 2017.
The Skytrax World Airline Awards have just been announced and while Qatar Airways proved its worth as the World's Best Airline, in a surprising turn of events, Virgin Australia has knocked Qantas off its pedestal as the best Australian airline.
On the list of World's Best Airlines, Virgin Australia ranked 13, with Qantas just slightly behind in 15th place. Last year, Qantas was our number one airline, ranking 9th in the world.
This year, Virgin Australia also won the award for the Best Airline and the Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific, with Qantas again eating its dust and placing second in both categories.
In terms of number of awards, however, Qantas cleaned out. It was placed in the top 10 for 14 categories, including Best Airline Premium Economy Class and Best Business Class Lounge.
Australia's budget airlines didn't do too badly this year either. Jetstar ranked third for Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific and was placed as the sixth best low-cost airline in the world.
Tigerair placed in the top 10 for Best Airline and Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific, but didn't rank in the top 10 for any of the World awards.
Here's what the winnings look like:
| Airline | Award |
|---|---|
| Qantas | #1 Best Airline Premium Economy Class #1 Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seats #2 Best Premium Economy Class Airline Catering #2 Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific #2 Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific #3 Best Business Class Airline Lounges #3 Best Business Class Lounge Dining #4 Best First Class Airline Lounges #5 Best First Class Lounge Dining #5 Best Business Class Comfort Amenities #7 Best In-flight Entertainment #7 Best First Class Airline Catering #9 Best Airport Services #10 Best Airline First Class |
| Virgin Australia | #1 Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific #1 Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific #10 Best Business Class Onboard Catering #7 Best Airline Premium Economy Class #9 Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seats #5 Best Premium Economy Class Airline Catering |
| Jetstar | #3 Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific #5 Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific #6 Best Low-Cost Airline |
| Tigerair Australia | #6 Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific #7 Best Airline Staff in the Asia/Pacific |
