TFCbest. Here are the world's best airlines in 2025

As is the tradition here at TFC, the first day of the year, Let's rank the best experiences we had during the year just ended aboard an airplane.

The methodology

All of our TFCbest rankings are based solely and exclusively on experiences we did as paying passengers, no press trips, no merchandise exchanges, only and always paid tickets (cash or points).

It is not possible to win in two categories, in the same year.

Best of all: The Residence Etihad

Etihad's The Residence can't be beaten by anyone, simply because there is nothing that can remotely compete with this cabin. The three-room apartment that only one passenger has on board the very few A380s present in the fleet of the national airline of the United Arab Emirates.

To call this ticket "first class" is really reductive, impossible to put it in the same classification as all the other situations around the world. Today it flies from Abu Dhabi to Paris, London, Toronto, Singapore and Tokyo, and it is not enough to buy a first class seat, you also have to pay the supplement to choose precisely the 1A seat, And if you travel in two you have to pay double. PS this was also the review that made the most views during 2025 in our YT channel.

Best First Class: Singapore Airlines

This year I flew aboard 4 first class cabins (in addition to The Residence). and the best could only be the one that is unanimously recognized as the best first-class cabin in the world.

Singapore Suites can be found aboard the company's A380s., in Europe they fly from London and Frankfurt, but it is possible to fly aboard this seat around Asia and Australia. Truly a step above any other F product currently on the market.

Best business class seat: Finnair

Finnair's non-seat was the first, real revolution in the world of premium seating at Aboard an airplane. It has been flying since 2022, but I have only recently been able to fly in it. Four years later, it remains one of the most discussed, the one that bewilders you when you get on board and the one that knows no middle ground: you either hate it or you love it.

I was very doubtful, but as the hours went by on board this cabin, I literally fell in love And I'm looking forward to trying it out aboard ANA, with its Room FX which will debut during 2026.

Best Premium Economy: unassigned

Unfortunately, I only flew in premium economy once this year: with Neos. It did not go very well and therefore I cannot award an award in this category.

Best economy: Cathay

Again I agree with Skytrax, the service provided by the Hong Kong airlines is one of the best, and of all the economy I have tried this year, it was undoubtedly the best.

The best wifi: airBaltic

Being able to use Starlink, free of charge, on all flights is crazy cool and Will forever change the onboard experience in the coming years, the Latvian company was the first in Europe to announce the adoption of Starlink And in such a grim landscape as the Old Continent. deserves the award for the service it provides.

The best IFE: Emirates

Emirates' already excellent in-flight entertainment operating system Has further improved aboard the A350s as soon as they entered service.

4k screen, Bluetooth connectivity, and a virtually endless catalog. Sure there are many competitors, but what the Dubai-based airline offers to all its passengers, from economy to First is still unmatched.

The coolest innovation of 2025: the Allegris cooled seat

Those traveling in business or first class on cars outfitted with Lufthansa's new Allegris (or Senses Swiss) cabins have the opportunity to Heating or cooling one's seat, as in a car.

Through the table that allows you to manage all aspects of the seat, the passenger can adjust the temperature of their seat, I am not talking about the air vents that I love so much, but the possibility to have the seat warm (or cool) at will during all phases of cruising.

Special mentions

As every year, I want to mention the companies that amazed me in a positive way but did not take home any awards:

• Turkish Airlines economy, a really good product complete with an amenity kit for passengers.
• Biman Bangladesh's business class. At this price you can't expect the QSuite, but what the Asian company is trying to offer is really very interesting.
• Making stopovers in Turkmenistan. A country where it is very difficult to enter, a pharaonic airport where there are very few flights. And the airline that flies Milan really offers attractive prices to fly to the few destinations it serves.

• TFC Best