travel The Best Airlines for International Travel  

Island Hopper Dan
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9.6k votes 944 voters 33.1k views 132 items

List Rules Vote up the most efficient, comfortable, and affordable airlines for international travel from or to the United States.

The top internatoinal airlines are known for their affordable tickets, plentiful and flexible flight times, top rate customer service, and many other perks. This is a list of the best airlines for international travel around the world, or to and from the US. Large airlines like KLM, Virgin, and Lufthansa have long ruled the skies, but smaller companies like El-Al and Aer Lingus have gained popularity in recent decades due to their cheaper tickets and more pleasant flight experiences. However, many smaller companies have limited options, flying to fewer or inconvenient airports, or they offer less frequent flights.

Vote on your favorite international airlines for travel around the world. If you see an airline missing, add it to the list - or click Rerank to customize a list of your own.

list ordered by

1
201 109
Singapore Airlines is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Singapore Airlines Singapore Changi Airport - Singapore

2
218 142
Emirates is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Emirates Dubai International Airport - United Arab Emirates

3
163 122
Lufthansa is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Lufthansa Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Munich Airport, London Heathrow Airport - Germany

4
171 130
Qantas is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Qantas Adelaide Airport, Melbourne Airport, Perth Airport - Australia

5
96 84
Virgin Atlantic is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
AdmiralCrunch added Virgin Atlantic London Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport

6
165 143
British Airways is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
British Airways London Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport - United Kingdom

7
125 79
Cathay Pacific is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Airport - China

8
98 69
KLM is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
KLM Amsterdam Airport Schiphol - Holland

9
68 71
Swiss International Air Lines is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Cabrio added Swiss International Air Lines Zurich Airport - Switzerland

10
65 49
Japan Airlines is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Japan Airlines Chūbu Centrair International Airport, Osaka International Airport, Kansai International Airport - Japan

11
24 12
Etihad Airways is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi International Airport

12
130 129
Qatar Airways is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Qatar Airways Doha International Airport - Qatar

13
138 141
Turkish Airlines is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Atatürk Airport - Turkey

14
71 76
Thai Airways is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Thai Airways Suvarnabhumi Airport - Thailand

The Best Countries to Travel To

15
76 58
Air New Zealand is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Air New Zealand Auckland Airport - New Zealand

16
47 43
All Nippon Airways is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
All Nippon Airways Osaka International Airport, Kansai International Airport, Haneda Airport - Japan

17
78 92
Korean Air is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Korean Air Gimpo International Airport, Incheon International Airport - South Korea

18
19 15
Air Serbia is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Air SERBIA Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport - Nikola TESLA Airport, BELGRADE

19
96 134
Malaysia Airlines is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport - Malaysia

20
52 73
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
gaeul added Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. Kahului Airport, Honolulu International Airport

21
15 19
Olympic Airlines is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
apollon-smyrnis added Olympic Airlines Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos"

The Best Countries to Meet Women

22
59 74
Air France is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Air France Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport - France

23
95 106
Air Canada is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Air Canada Calgary International Airport, Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport - Canada

24
11 8
Dragonair is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Dragonair Hong Kong International Airport

25
32 37
Icelandair is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
BrendanOConnor added Icelandair Keflavík International Airport

26
12 10
Hong Kong Airlines is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong International Airport

27
15 15
S7 Airlines is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added S7 Airlines Tolmachevo Airport, International Airport Irkutsk, Chelyabinsk Airport

28
14 20
Aegean Airlines is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
apollon-smyrnis added Aegean Airlines Thessaloniki International Airport, Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos"

The Best Airlines for Domestic Travel in the US

29
37 58
El Al is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
alexlips99 added El Al Ben Gurion Airport

30
5 7
South African Airways is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added South African Airways O. R. Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport

31
12 12
Wizz Air is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Wizz Air Sofia Airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, Boryspil International Airport

32
10 9
Porter Airlines is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Porter Airlines Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport

33
11 11
Firefly is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Firefly Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport

34
9 8
Air Niugini is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Air Niugini Jacksons International Airport

35
16 19
Rossiya is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Rossiya Vnukovo International Airport, Pulkovo International Airport

18 Dirty Facts About Flying Airlines Don't Want You to Know

36
5 7
Kenya Airways is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
alivedodos added Kenya Airways Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

37
8 7
Royal Brunei Airlines is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Royal Brunei Airlines Brunei International Airport

38
10 11
Nordwind Airlines is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Nordwind Airlines Sheremetyevo International Airport

39
3 1
Air Malta is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Air Malta Malta International Airport, Reggio Calabria Airport

40
4 7
Jetstar Asia Airways is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Jetstar Asia Airways Singapore Changi Airport

41
38 62
Norwegian Air Shuttle is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Norwegian Air Shuttle Sola Air Station, Trondheim Airport, Værnes - Norway

42
31 42
Scandinavian Airlines is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen Airport, Oslo Airport, Gardermoen - Norway

What First Class Looks Like on Different Airlines

43
8 8
Juneyao Airlines is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Juneyao Airlines Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport

44
8 8
Airwork is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Airwork

45
9 10
Air Transat is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Air Transat Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport

46
5 9
EasyJet is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Easyjet Edinburgh Airport, Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport, London Stansted Airport - UK

47
11 13
Aurora is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Aurora Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport

48
11 13
Xiamenair is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Xiamenair Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport

49
10 12
Tibet Airlines is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Tibet Airlines Lhasa Gonggar Airport

50
6 5
Fiji Airways is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Airlines for International Travel
Trenton Myers added Fiji Airways Nadi International Airport