Choosing the best airline for your upcoming trip can start your trip off on the right foot or if you choose incorrectly, it can cause a negative ripple effect throughout your entire vacation. But before you decide which airline from the following list is perfect for you, determine what aspects of flying you believe are the most important. Also, take into consideration that choosing an airline for an international versus a national flight can necessitate different priorities.

What Sets Airlines Apart:

Price

When choosing your flights, the price of your tickets can definitely persuade you to go with a certain airline. Because it is hard to compare different airlines purely on price, consider looking at how much per mile an airline might charge and always look at any additional fees for baggage, food, refunds, and altering the flight.

Convenience and Extras

The airlines below are well-established brands so their frequency of flights should not be an issue making them all quite convenient. What sets some of them apart are the extras that they offer. Some are known for the food served on the flight. Others are known to have larger seats and more space between them as well as offer GPS for fleet so your flight can be tracked while in the air. This is when you can list what your necessities are, whether they are wifi or a loyalty program, and then see if the wonderful airlines below offer them.

Safety

Obviously, safety is something you should probably consider when comparing airlines, but because of how safe flying is these days, it can be difficult to actually compare flights based on safety.

The Airlines Themselves:

Qatar Airways

This airline is known for exceptional customer service, putting their guests' needs first and foremost. Qatar Airways has won awards for its service while traveling to more than 140 international destinations.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa is considered the best airline in the world. This German airline travels internationally although it is mostly based in Europe. They are another award-winning airline but are known for their first-class offerings.

Southwest Airlines

Mostly based in the United States, this airline recently expanded to include flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. Southwest Airlines is a favorite among flyers because of its straightforward communications and lack of hidden fees. They are also known for how accommodating their flight attendants are.

ANA All Nippon Airways

If food is a priority for you, then ANA All Nippon Airways is for you. Considered the ultimate airline in Japan, it has received awards for how good its food is. It offers both domestic routes in Japan as well as international.

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines is considered to have the best rewards program out there. People who fly them are absurdly loyal and if you fly regularly, you are rewarded for that loyalty. The pilots are even known to meet some of the most stringent standards and their safety record reflects that. And if you are worried that you will pay for this high rating, don't because they are very fairly priced.

EVA Air

This airline is based in Taiwan and specializes in creating an amazing experience for its economy customers. In 2019, the airline received an award for "best economy-class catering."

Delta Airlines

This airline is huge and the prices are low. Even though they may have had issues in the past with delays and lost baggage, it boasts improvements through the years. The food is also considered to be better than most in the United States and the seats are extremely comfortable.

Hainan Airlines

If you are traveling in China, this is the airline to look into, but they also offer flights to and from Europe, the South Pacific, and America. If you prefer to fly business class, they have you covered and are known to offer fantastic amenities.