Here’s a topic that I figured would be interesting to discuss — which airlines have the most consistently excellent flight attendants?
Of course the single most important thing an airline can do is transport you safely between two points, ideally in a timely fashion. However, beyond that, there’s huge variance in the quality of airlines, with service being a major differentiating factor. In this post I’d like to discuss what makes for great inflight service, and which airlines offer the best service. There are no right or wrong answers, but just opinions and experiences.
In this post:
What makes for great inflight service
I’ve written in the past about how I don’t think there are any airlines that consistently offer good service on the ground. The reality is that there are just too many variables, there are a lot of contract workers, etc., so at least I haven’t found any airline where ground service is consistently stellar.
Inflight service is a different story, though. There are some airlines that offer better inflight service than others. If you ask me, there are several major factors that contribute to that:
- Consistency is key, and knowing that you’re going to have a great crew with each flight; some airlines have huge variance in terms of service levels (especially at Gulf carriers), and that’s not ideal
- Flight attendants have to be trained and given the tools to provide a great experience; some airlines invest a lot of money in service training and execution, while other airlines… well, don’t
- Some airlines just don’t really give their flight attendants the chance to shine due to service procedures (for example, I’m thinking of Cathay Pacific’s assembly line-esque approach to business class service)
- There’s no denying that culture also fits into all of this, and there are some countries that just have more customer service oriented cultures than others (in Japan you’ll get great service at a convenience store or at a Michelin-starred restaurant)
- Accountability is important as well, with airlines having a more structured hierarchy of crew generally offering better service than airlines without that, since you have a direct “manager” you’re reporting to
- For global airlines, service experiences can be very different depending on the language you speak, the culture you come from, etc.; awareness and sensitivity to that is important
The airlines with my favorite flight attendants
With the above out of the way, I wanted to share the airlines where I consistently find the flight attendants to be the best.
Let me frame it this way — when I board a flight on these airlines, I know with 99% certainty what level of service I’m going to receive in terms of friendliness, attentiveness, attention to detail, etc. Of course there’s going to be some variability, since we’re all individuals with our own personalities and ways of doing things. But at least I generally know what to expect.
With that in mind, below are my picks, starting with my absolute favorite (and yes, there’s quite a geographic bias here, but I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way).
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is one of my favorite airline brands in the world. What makes the airline so special isn’t the seats or the planes, but rather the staff. In my experience, Singapore Airlines flight attendants just operate on a completely different level.
They have such an incredible eye for detail, so that premium cabin service on the airline almost feels more like a synchronized performance than service. Most impressive of all, Singapore Airlines crews consistently operate at such a high level, all while making it seem completely effortless.
There’s not an airline where I’ve found service to be as consistently great as on Singapore Airlines, and that’s what makes the airline such a pleasure to fly.
EVA Air
Taiwan is a competitive aviation market, and I’d argue that EVA Air is the best of the airlines there in terms of service. I’ve found EVA Air flight attendants to consistently be very detail oriented, friendly, and professional.
While China Airlines and Starlux Airlines also often have great service, it seems to me like EVA Air is a bit more consistent in terms of service delivery. When you add in EVA Air’s excellent soft product (the airline has one of my favorite business class products), flying with the airline is a treat.
Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia has received many awards over the years for having the world’s best cabin crew, and I’d largely agree. While the carrier’s product has otherwise slipped quite a bit, I’ve found Garuda Indonesia flight attendants to consistently be very friendly and professional. Admittedly that probably largely reflects that Indonesia has a great service culture.
All Nippon Airways & Japan Airlines
Japan has two global airlines — All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines — and I’ve found both airlines to offer perfect Japanese service inflight. I get a bit less excited about service on Japanese airlines for the simple reason that the service level is perhaps less reflective of something special about the airlines, and rather just reflects what’s special about Japan as a country.
Airlines that deserve an honorable mention
I wish I could make a longer list, though the above are probably the only airlines where I’ve consistently had service that I’d consider to be very good. Now, I do want to give a shout out to some other airlines as well:
- Among the “big three” US carriers, Delta has marginally better service than American and United, but the difference isn’t as noticeable as in the past; that’s because the airline also has a ton of new employees since the start of the pandemic
- JetBlue has dedicated flight attendants who work in Mint business class, and I find them to be excellent; however, that’s a subset of flight attendants, rather than all flight attendants at the airline
- Alaska also has above average service in the United States, and I find their crews are a cut above even Delta
- I’ve had some of the best service of my life on Gulf carriers, as airlines like Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar, have some exceptional flight attendants; the issue is that there’s huge variability, and there are also some subpar crews who do a poor job
- In Europe, I’ve found Virgin Atlantic to have the most consistently friendly service, as the flight attendants really do care; they’re not always the most polished, but they try
- Among the major European global carriers, I think Air France flight attendants are probably the best, on balance
Bottom line
Not all airlines are created equal when it comes to service. Admittedly we all have different perceptions of service on various airlines, though personally I’ve consistently had the best experiences on Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, All Nippon Airways, and Japan Airlines.
I’ve had amazing service on other airlines as well, ranging from Alaska, to Emirates, to Virgin Atlantic, but the issue has been consistency. Of course let me acknowledge the heavy bias toward Asia with my list, and that’s why I’ve added some honorable mentions.
Which airlines do you think have the best flight attendants?
SQ might be best in business class, but on my two flights with them their Eco service was worse than United. I got strange looks when I asked twice for water in the galley on a 5h flight. Also, just one round of drinks
All I care about is consistent service on the above average side. AA takes care of me nicely, I'm fine with that... it's consistent...though on rare occasions that I've flown DL they were great. QF has also been consistent and great, superb actually...one time they spilled wine on me and my laptop... they somehow cleaned my pants in the galley (so I wore the PJs), and had techs waiting for me on the ground on...
All I care about is consistent service on the above average side. AA takes care of me nicely, I'm fine with that... it's consistent...though on rare occasions that I've flown DL they were great. QF has also been consistent and great, superb actually...one time they spilled wine on me and my laptop... they somehow cleaned my pants in the galley (so I wore the PJs), and had techs waiting for me on the ground on arrival to fix my laptop, and it was delivered to my hotel about 3 hours later. BA also did something similar. NZ is airways nice. HA is also very reliable. Many of the other notable airlines sometimes seems the service is great but automated. I find several African airlines reliable as well...
I'll take AS all day every day (to be clear, not bc they're 100% reliable but simply they're more reliable than Dl or any of the big 3. Then after that i'd take AA, then roll the dice for either DL or UA. Really there's not a dependable difference domestically; if you forced me to choose it'd be AA (perhaps the nominal F filters down to better J service? who knows)).
My top picks are
Air New Zealand
Qantas
Fiji Airways
Singapore Airlines
Jetstar
Virgin Australia
@Ben, No love for Cathay Pacific Crew?????
ANA, JAL, EVA, GA, SQ are the top tiers for me. CI and OZ are also good.
From the European side, KLM was the most memorable for me. AF was ok but did not stand out. My flight on BA, there was 1 FA that was constantly checking in on me and she was extremely nice but the rest were ok.
The clumsiest: SAS. Flew on then their new J cabin on A340 and...
ANA, JAL, EVA, GA, SQ are the top tiers for me. CI and OZ are also good.
From the European side, KLM was the most memorable for me. AF was ok but did not stand out. My flight on BA, there was 1 FA that was constantly checking in on me and she was extremely nice but the rest were ok.
The clumsiest: SAS. Flew on then their new J cabin on A340 and there is this 1 really pretty blonde FA but she was so clumsy. She dropped off a piece of sausage on the side of the chair w/o even realizing, don't ask how considering it was part of the breakfast plate. When she saw there is no sausage next to the omelette, she said oh that was weird, sorry, let me get you a new plate ... LOL.
Hainan Air is extremely underrated. They are almost at EVA/ANA/JAL level.
Korean and CX are good but very assebly line-esque.
We also flew AC quite a bit and they are always very pleasant.
No experience yet with ME airlines.
I have found that Virgin Atlantic’s flight attendants are always fantastic and give a great service, no matter what class you fly in.
Qatar used to have some of the Best . No more ! Mostly Indian Ladies that give you Good service only If you have Light complexion (White). The British subservient mentality never ended. p.s. They are always hiding chocolates & cookies for themselves in Business Class.
The reason US carriers fail miserably in customer service is simple: unions. Unions have guaranteed flight attendants don’t get fired and do not have to perform. Sounds like the US auto industry a bit! Unions have ruined every industry they touch, most notably in the airlines in America. They are an embarrassment and laughable.
I don't think you can blame the unions. Other countries/airlines such as Air NZ and Qantas both have heavily unionised crew but have a much higher level of service. Maybe it's just bad training or the calibre of people that the American carriers are employing.
From Australia I vote Air NZ, more relaxed and consistent than Qantas. SQ are best overall, been flying biz either them 30 years now.
Ethiopian has very solid, excellent crews. Certainly better than the US big three.
I agree, I had one of the best crew experiences from ET. However, that was only in business class, not in economy.
No Air Canada? Lol. What a joke of an airline. 90% of their staff are horrid people who cannot be bothered to do their jobs right. The only good attendants are on the nonsense routes to nowhere since they lack seniority. Any trans-atlantic/trans-pacific, and you get the old, grumpy, impatient flight attendants who throw your food at you.
Sounds like the battle axe brigade on United
Sounds like the US carriers.
I may have a slightly different take on cabin crews than other members here, as I also consider their performance during emergencies, be that aircraft of passenger health. And there are huge differences, with some cabin crews being better trained and prepared for such cases than others.
I have seen excellent responses and near pandemonium when passenger health was concerned, luckily never had to see any cabin crew respond in an aircraft emergency.
As mentioned,...
I may have a slightly different take on cabin crews than other members here, as I also consider their performance during emergencies, be that aircraft of passenger health. And there are huge differences, with some cabin crews being better trained and prepared for such cases than others.
I have seen excellent responses and near pandemonium when passenger health was concerned, luckily never had to see any cabin crew respond in an aircraft emergency.
As mentioned, the cultural background plays a role too and here some North American (Watch the boarding video of a recent AC CMN-YUL flight) and to a lesser extent European cabin crews can sometimes be rude and overbearing. Airlines from countries apparently where being a flight attendant is not a highly respected profession and airlines are more of Greyhound style mass transport system.
Like most aspects of SQ (particularly hard product and lounges), I find SQ FAs overrated. The FAs reflect a Singaporean style of service that is very scripted, inflexible, and sometimes insincere. It also creeps me out that they’re marketed as “Singapore girls” and required to look like dolls.
I agree with John down thread that Swiss first class FAs are the best of the bunch.
I remember SQ crews were quite a hit or miss, at least until late 2010s. Some even felt like on par with average United crews, in a bad way. Though in general they were mostly great.
I find SQ consistently robotic. Instead of a simple 'Yes', it's always 'Certainly sir". Feels very scripted.
CX used to have great FAs (Especially those from the Philippines). But the 3 recent flights I had with them , were REALLY bad.
BA usually has great crew. Very chatting and amusing! Pity about everything else.
JAL wins. IMHO. However, they may be a bit more reserved for non-Japanese speaking passengers
Regarding CX, unfortunately they either retired or were let go. Pre-COVID and the mess in 2019, you had plenty of overseas based crew whom were fantastic compared to their home based counterparts in HKG. It was great to see and bump into some of the same cabin crew on a particular route over and over.
as someone based in Hong Kong, I strongly disagree with that. they had a few rough years obviously but at this point I think CX crews are as good as they have ever been, which means, in my book, better than SQ.
I totally agree that culture is the foundation that builds superior customer services, not just in airline industry, as we know how to treat each other. I do not believe that you can train an adult interpersonal skill because schools and colleges only teach knowledge. But you need tools to sharpen the skill. I am currently in Singapore and cannot wait to fly home on Singapore Airlines in ten days. Clearing customs was seamless in...
I totally agree that culture is the foundation that builds superior customer services, not just in airline industry, as we know how to treat each other. I do not believe that you can train an adult interpersonal skill because schools and colleges only teach knowledge. But you need tools to sharpen the skill. I am currently in Singapore and cannot wait to fly home on Singapore Airlines in ten days. Clearing customs was seamless in less than five minutes. The technology at customs is superior than that of Japan. I spent ten nights in Bali and Java and found Indonesians were quite friendly and courteous, with only one exception. They are poor and religiously moderates. It was unfortunate that I did not find an opportunity to fly Garuda Airlines. Maybe I will wait until next decade when I return to visit Komodo Island.
While I'm not surprised that CX is not on your list as they can be a hit-or-miss at times, curious to know where you would rank them?
I’m surprised Thai airways wasn’t on your list Ben, if I remember correctly, all your reviews of their service have been very positive.
In general, SQ is the only Southeast Asian airline that can compete with Northeast Asian heavyweights like ANA, JAL and EVA in the luxury quotient. Garuda’s first-class product really was among the best out there in its mid-2010s heyday, but not any more, as it’s fallen drastically; despite this, its cabin crew are still very much among the best of the best in the world.
TG and MH, while nice (certainly on Ben’s flight on...
In general, SQ is the only Southeast Asian airline that can compete with Northeast Asian heavyweights like ANA, JAL and EVA in the luxury quotient. Garuda’s first-class product really was among the best out there in its mid-2010s heyday, but not any more, as it’s fallen drastically; despite this, its cabin crew are still very much among the best of the best in the world.
TG and MH, while nice (certainly on Ben’s flight on TG F to NRT some months ago), cannot compete with Japanese and Taiwanese airlines’ crew. Cabin crew on CX and KE, too, seem to have fallen a fair bit compared to JP/TW airlines, though all of these are still head and shoulders above most Western airlines.
TL;DR: ANA, JAL, EVA, Starlux have risen at the expense of TG, MH, KE, CX and GA.
I agree with you that TG and the other southeast Asian carriers don’t compete in terms of hard and soft product. But specifically regarding the Cabin Crew - I think TG are equal to that of JAL ANA SQ and EVA. If you’ve ever had an experience of TG where the cabin crew have been subpar, I’d like to hear it.
@Daniel
He just don't want to say good things about TG, because he's mad at TG changing equipments.
Although he insists that "my username is an ordinary, no-frills Air India A320neo, and not a luxurious A380 or something, because international travel can sometimes consist of very non-glamorous products and it’s your choice to accept them or not."
Yet another Proximanova hypocrisy.
I disagree about ANA (never flown JAL). Their flight attendants' English skills were abysmal, far worse than on other Asian airlines. For non-Japanese speaking customers, not being able to speak the global common language with any degree of fluency is a real problem for customer service.
of course American complaining others for not speaking a second language
‘murican
Why presume he's American? I also tend to agree any international airline should speak both the dominant local language plus at least English (not necessary for every flight attendant to speak English, but at least some should).
Just to clear, English is my third language.
@Al
Because they're selling their products to the rest of the world, including to Americans.
Would you have acted the same way if some European carriers' FA was speaking poor English?
Of course not. You only act that way because it's Japan.
By the way, let me guess - Proximanova liked your comment.
Al is probably still wearing a mask because he believes it makes him seem more Asian.
English is the global lingua franca, with more people speaking it as a second language than any other language on the planet (over 1.5 billion total speakers). Having flight attendants who can communicate competently in English is a basic requirement of a global airline. ANA stands out for how bad their flight attendants' English skills are. Flight attendants for EVA, the Korean airlines, Thai, Cathay, Singapore, Malaysia, etc., all have very solid English, as do...
English is the global lingua franca, with more people speaking it as a second language than any other language on the planet (over 1.5 billion total speakers). Having flight attendants who can communicate competently in English is a basic requirement of a global airline. ANA stands out for how bad their flight attendants' English skills are. Flight attendants for EVA, the Korean airlines, Thai, Cathay, Singapore, Malaysia, etc., all have very solid English, as do all of the European airlines.
Let me tell to those Asian carriers they don’t comply with your definition of global airline… hope they care about it!
Let me tell to those Asian carriers they don’t comply with your definition of global airline… hope they care about it!
let's not forget that labor relations plays a big part in service quality.
European and US airline employees incl. FAs are unionized and there can often be contentious relations with customers as a result.
LH FAs provide good service but they have been on strike alot.
In the US, AA and UA have contentious labor relations for decades although Oscar Muñoz did wonders to change the labor relations culture at UA.
AA FAs...
let's not forget that labor relations plays a big part in service quality.
European and US airline employees incl. FAs are unionized and there can often be contentious relations with customers as a result.
LH FAs provide good service but they have been on strike alot.
In the US, AA and UA have contentious labor relations for decades although Oscar Muñoz did wonders to change the labor relations culture at UA.
AA FAs took years to get a contract and it still lags the competition in a number of areas while UA FAs are still waiting for a new contract - whether it be because of UA or the AFA. AS FAs are not happy with what they have.
If there is a reason for DL's better customer service, it is because employees cannot hide behind unions to not get the job done. I suspect that as DL focuses on elevating customer service, they will succeed and will have VS and AF FAs as good examples to follow.
because of the influence DL has in its corner of the airline industry, I suspect that a significant focus on improving the in-flight experience at DL will transfer to its partners.
and while WN doesn't have elegant or fancy customer service, their FAs generally do a much better job of handling difficult situations better than their peers and are generally more accommodating.
its no fun when you beat me here with this nonsense
Delta doesn’t have better service and because they lack a union they threaten to fire them more and have a unclear sick policy. Also Southwest pays more than Delta in top out and they have free healthcare insurance at Southwest. My friend tells me the healthcare at Delta is expensive and trash and it’s like a cult like working there. You seem like you are apart of a cult
first, airlines report their labor costs to the DOT and DL compensation is higher because of profit sharing.
WN used to pay pretty health profit sharing but is not now.
and the comparison is as much about either DL or WN and AA, UA and specifically here, AS.
funny you level charges of DL being cult-like when AS itself talks about the culture that keeps people there.... customers and employees. The same can...
first, airlines report their labor costs to the DOT and DL compensation is higher because of profit sharing.
WN used to pay pretty health profit sharing but is not now.
and the comparison is as much about either DL or WN and AA, UA and specifically here, AS.
funny you level charges of DL being cult-like when AS itself talks about the culture that keeps people there.... customers and employees. The same can be said about WN and it is all subjective.
What isn't subjective is that DL consistently is outperforming AS on customer service metrics on which AS used to beat DL.
As a former DL FA, I can confirm the cult-like status particularly in the south. We were blue state against red state long before it became a thing. We tried tirelessly to get FA union representation at DL and were consistently shot down by the old southern women who love "Daddy Delta". Work rules and pay were horrible at DL up until the 2010's. Thankfully, the stranglehold that ATL held on DL FA's began to weaken after the addition of 10k NWA employees.
Sorry, but Tim's comment is rubbish, even̈ if well intentioned. EVA has great service and FA's, maybe even better than SQ. However, labor relations are hostile at EVA. Those smiling FA have held strikes, protest with slogans while waving fists and wearing a union uniform (light blue vest) and not smiling at all.
Ben I'm surprised Malaysia Airlines is not one of your favourite FAs. I flew MH decades ago and I can see in YouTube videos they still are the same. Do you not fly MH that often?
In economy literally any non U.S. airline. JAL , Qantas , Virgin Atlantic to name a few.
Swiss first class flight attendents are among the best in the world if you ask me.
Agree. I also really like LH FAs too. I like the very informal, yet friendly and precise service, and have never come across 'German sourness/grumpiness' fortunately.
I would have to agree with the SQ receiving top billing. I have never flown EVA so can't attest to that, but the others on the list I can agree with.
I agree overall, all the ones I thought immediately of are on this list. I defer slightly to ANA over JAL from my anecdotal experience, but I'm sure there are other people that have the opposite proclivity. I still like EVA the most though. While any seasoned flyer will recognize them as one of the best, it's a shame they don't have as good of name brand recognition as the likes of SQ or Emirates...
I agree overall, all the ones I thought immediately of are on this list. I defer slightly to ANA over JAL from my anecdotal experience, but I'm sure there are other people that have the opposite proclivity. I still like EVA the most though. While any seasoned flyer will recognize them as one of the best, it's a shame they don't have as good of name brand recognition as the likes of SQ or Emirates amongst casual flyers in the US.
I think the issue with Qatar is their service flow has way too many elements and their FAs seem overworked, especially since their flights are very full. Of course there are still excellent QR staff, but it feels more often than not that they're worn out and it leads to them being far less proactive or engaging. I'd also add I think departing from DOH, the FAs seem more energetic than inbound.
As a whole though, I feel like the service quality has declined since pre-pandemic across the board, and that's true for all carriers.
JAL comes in first for me. I just took an AMS to CGK flight and was blown away by the friendly service of Gaurda. My 3rd would be Air France followed by Singapore and Korean.
EVA Air flight attendants used to be very good, but they are all still masked just weeks from 2025. It totally destroys the service experience.
Maybe the problem isn't them wearing masks, maybe it's a warped perception people of what being masked means.
It means you have a mental illness.
How exactly? Do you have hearing impediment and need to lip read?
I still wear a mask when out in public. As the saying goes...You do you...
And that "totally destroys the service experience" because the Eva FAs are health-conscient and do not want you to make them sick (or vice versa), or because of the disappointment that you cannot see their beautiful faces fully ?
I'm now in Singapore and flying in a few days to...
And that "totally destroys the service experience" because the Eva FAs are health-conscient and do not want you to make them sick (or vice versa), or because of the disappointment that you cannot see their beautiful faces fully ?
I'm now in Singapore and flying in a few days to TPE in J on BR (Eva) with SQ miles, and I'm looking forward to the flight precisely because I approve of the FA's being health-conscient.
Masks don't stop the spread of viruses, though; they are not being "health conscious." They're just participating in pointless hygiene theater.
Ok Donnie.
Back to the Ritalin and giving Matty g hand jobs.
If you ever need surgery, please insist the entire OR staff remove their masks
Last week, I flew The Room from LHR to HND. There were a good a number of passengers coughing their lungs up the whole flight. I saw a few FA's wearing facemasks and was happy to see they are allowed to wear one if they choose to do so. I wore one as well as it's simply a matter of basic hygiene that requires virtually no effort whatsoever. And, at this point, "just weeks from...
Last week, I flew The Room from LHR to HND. There were a good a number of passengers coughing their lungs up the whole flight. I saw a few FA's wearing facemasks and was happy to see they are allowed to wear one if they choose to do so. I wore one as well as it's simply a matter of basic hygiene that requires virtually no effort whatsoever. And, at this point, "just weeks from 2025" (as you put it), I care more about the crew than about other passengers. And, to your second point, service was top notch. It was the best flight of my life so far.
I would prefer flight attendants wearing mask so as not to contaminate your food.
Anyway, to me, SQ has the best flight attendants. Eva and Air France got very good ones as well.
Okay, wearing masks in 2025 is weird but that clearly doesn't "destroy" the service experience.
I would prefer to communicate with a flight attendant that isn't wearing a mask. Communication is difficult enough without the facial cues, especially if English isn't the first language.
I flew to / from Japan a few weeks ago. To via JAL first and the staff were very pleasant; but I would expect the staff to be very pleasant in first. From via United in Polaris and the staff and the food were best...
I would prefer to communicate with a flight attendant that isn't wearing a mask. Communication is difficult enough without the facial cues, especially if English isn't the first language.
I flew to / from Japan a few weeks ago. To via JAL first and the staff were very pleasant; but I would expect the staff to be very pleasant in first. From via United in Polaris and the staff and the food were best avoided.
I must admit, a lack of interest in the soft product on a flight forces one to go to sleep and stay asleep. I slept for 8 hours of the 10 hour flight from OSA to SFO on United.