TFCbest, here are the world's best airlines in 2024
The first post of 2025 could not help but be a summary of the best experiences I had during the year [...]
The first post of 2025 could not help but be a summary of the best experiences I had during the year just concluded.
In this article:
A 2024 that led me, unexpectedly to fly a lot more than I thought I would aboard many companies where I had never set foot before and at several airports unfamiliar to me. As always Will be a different TFC Best from last year's Because different companies I've flown on and I also remember that all my reviews are always (and only) paid tickets and not the result of merchandise exchange or commercial ventures.
The best first-class cabin is the one in Swiss
My 2024 in first class was not a boring year, among the different cabins I tried certainly on a product level I must say that Swiss did not disappoint me at all, on the contrary. The good fortune to fly on the A340 then was an interesting addition to this experience aboard a machine that made European aviation history.
Sure Is not comparable to Emirates' Gamechanger nor to the Singapore Airlines suite on the A380, but it is still a good product and although it is destined to be renewed (sooner or later) I must say that it still defends itself very well and Is definitely better than what Lufthansa offers. This year I also have flown first class with Kuwiat (and it was a real nightmare) and then aboard her majesty La Premiere, but the cabin is the only flaw in Air France's first class
The best first class service is that of Air France
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Here there is no match, indeed here Air France plays on a separate category. If there are carriers talking about Business Suite, then in AF they should be talking about Premium First Class. There are people who cannot afford to fly there even once in their lives, and I would be in this group if it were not for the fact that thanks to the points I was able to afford to fly, twice, into La Premiere.
From the time you set foot in the airport to the time you leave the final airport, you are taken by the hand and accompanied every step of the way. Just the fact of drive around Charles Des Gaulle Airport in a Cayenne and make a U-turn under the nose of a 777 is one of those things that an AVgeek like me will tell his grandchildren about. It's not that no one beats LP, just no one even comes close to what Air France guarantees to the "lucky" few who get to sit aboard what is the most exclusive cabin in the world, because at these levels AF is the only one carrying so few passengers and that is why the service is so unique.
Best business class cabin (wide fuselage): the new biz of Air France
A revolution has begun in skies around the world, so many companies have announced and unveiled new booths. Emirates has introduced the new chair on the 777, the same one that will also equip the first A350s to enter service. Cathay brought its Aria Suite in the air at the very end of 2024 and certainly Japan Airlines has launched a very unique product, But on the latter I have not yet flown and therefore cannot be the winner.
So the best seat I have flown in this year is Air France's new business class, particularly the seat in the front row. Here you have everything other passengers have, but in addition lots of legroom and more. A product found aboard the A350s and 777/200s and coming soon to the 777/300s as well. When the new cabin of La Premiere will also be unveiled to the world..
The best business class cabin (narrow fuselage) is that of ITA Airways' A321
There is no match, ITA Airways has built a little gem which has the only flaw of not being an LR, that is, not being able to fly nonstop from Italy to the U.S. Otherwise this would be the plane to take for every transatlantic under 10 hours.
The fact that this plane is used on domestic flights, I have flown from Linate to Fiumicino, on international flights and on routes in the Middle East and Africa area is a boast for us Italians, this is the best single-aisle machine on the market today. Better than JetBlue, which had triumphed. last year, light years better than TAP Portugal's A321 o of the first A321lxr delivered to Iberia and Icelandair. Try it to believe.
The best wifi on board is Delta's
The year 2024 will be remembered as the year of free wi-fi and the debut of Starlink. More and more carriers have decided to offer the free service to passengers, in some cases tying it to loyalty program membership and in other cases simply giving unlimited, free connectivity to all. American companies are light years ahead of European companies in this area.
Flying aboard a low-cost carrier like Southwest and having connectivity, live TV channels or on Jetblue or Delta is almost like being with your feet on solid ground. In Europe, only La Compagnie comes close to what the others offer, and I have not yet had a chance to try Qatar's 777s with Starlink connectivity.
The best IFE is that of Emirates
Here Emirates continues to be a step ahead of everyone or almost everyone, also and especially for consistency. The fact that a consistent product is offered across the entire fleet, with no obvious disparities between one machine and another, plays in favor of the Emirates carrier.
Sure if you travel in First you have the definitely bigger screen than when you fly in economy, but the content and options are the same for everyone, and here all passengers are first class.
The best premium economy is ITA Airways' A321.
I have not done many flights in premium economy this year, but among the experiences there is no doubt that the best product is the one offered by ITA Airways aboard its A321neo.
If ITA's A321 has won two awards, it is not out of pique, but on pure merit. Of course it is a delicate product and often some seats are INOP, but this is not the fault of the company but of the passengers and the manufacturers. Putting such a product in such a car was a gamble for the (old) management of ITA Airways, but a risk that certainly paid off in terms of image and attractiveness. You only have to see the faces of the passengers when they set foot on board, unbeknownst to them on this A321, to see what I mean.
The best economy class is Emirates' economy class on the A380
The question I am most often asked is "What is the best airline in the world?" and my answer is that there is no one carrier that wins over all others, but that if I have to choose a ticket I say economy on Emirates' A380 beats no one.
It's not that you fly badly on the 777, but that experience is comparable to that of many other carriers, instead EK's A380 wins with flying colors and I can't wait to try premium economy to see if it really is as special as I read around.
The 2024 merit notes
They did not win in any category, but I still want to highlight the good experiences I had during this 2024:
- I didn't have a bad time in premium economy with Scoot, Singapore Airlines' low-cost carrier. nor with Norse, especially if the price paid is cheap.
- Catering on board China Southern absolutely amazed me, but the absolute winner at the level of gastronomic proposal was the flight aboard the LOT, their bento is almost like flying with a Japanese carrier
In conclusion
As said I really flew a lot during 2024, these as always are my opinions as a paying traveler, now I am waiting for your comments to tell me what I should experience during 2025.
