Qatar Airways is no doubt a world class airline, in terms of the passenger experience it offers. There’s also nothing the airline loves more than reminding consumers of how great it is, and how many awards it has won, primarily from Skytrax. Along those lines, it looks like the airline is now reversing course, and suddenly wants nothing to do with Skytrax… or something.
In this post:
Qatar Airways wants to eliminate all mentions of Skytrax
If you look at any press release from Qatar Airways up until now, you’ll see how the airline describes itself, which relies heavily on the awards it has won from Skytrax:
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Airline’ title for an unprecedented ninth time at the 2025 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways was previously named the World’s Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, and has yet again received recognition for ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways has also been lauded with the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ title for the 13th time.
However, something is going on. YHBU flags how the Doha-based oneworld carrier has sent out a memo to its trade partners, asking them to remove all mentions of Skytrax in connection to Qatar Airways (thanks to ritesa for flagging this).
This includes the Skytrax logos, badges, and award seals, and messages related to award claims. The airline provides the examples of eliminating references to the “World’s Best Airline” award, its “Skytrax Five-Star Airline” rating, etc.
What’s going on between Qatar Airways and Skytrax?
I have to be careful with what I say about Skytrax, because they like to threaten the media when they suggest that there may be a lack of legitimacy or a conflict of interest to their rankings. Keep in mind that Skytrax both rates airlines and provides consulting services to airlines, and it’s hard to imagine there’s not a link between the two.
I’d remind everyone of how in 2017, Lufthansa was awarded a five-star rating by Skytrax, with one of the key criteria being the following:
“A key factor behind Lufthansa gaining 5-Star Airline Certification is the recently announced new business class cabin and seat that will be delivered when the airline receives their first Boeing 777X aircraft.”
Right, Skytrax gave Lufthansa a five-star rating over a seat that didn’t actually exist at the time (and only ended up being introduced around eight years later, lol), despite claiming that star ratings are in part based on the following:
“The consistency of an airline’s Product and service is a critical issue within their final Rating, and detailed focus is applied to the delivered realities. Particular attention is applied to the quality and consistency of cabin seating, IFE systems and associated cabin products. An airline offering less than 80% fleet-wide product consistency may find these conditions will have a negative impact on their final quality rating determination.”
With that in mind, what could explain Qatar Airways suddenly wanting to pretend that Skytrax doesn’t exist? In a few weeks, Skytrax will be announcing its winners for 2026, and I have to imagine that the timing of that isn’t a coincidence:
- Did Qatar Airways find out that it no longer won the award for world’s best airline, and now the airline is essentially boycotting Skytrax?
- Was Qatar Airways paying for some “consulting” from Skytrax, and decided that’s no longer money well spent, and it’s now realizing the impact that has on rankings?
I do wonder if we could see Qatar Airways take really drastic action here. For example, in 2014 Etihad withdrew from Skytrax altogether. In other words, it’s not just that the airline wasn’t getting “consulting,” but it literally just wasn’t interested in being ranked or rated.
If Qatar Airways does fully cut ties with Skytrax, you’d think this would be a new business opportunity for FIFA, to get into the “airline ratings” business…
Bottom line
For years, Qatar Airways has leaned heavily into its Skytrax awards in its marketing, as it has considered itself to be the world’s most awarded airline. Now Qatar Airways is suddenly removing all mentions of Skytrax. This comes weeks ahead of Skytrax issuing its annual awards.
I wonder if this is as simple as Qatar Airways not winning the award for world’s best airline, or if there’s a bigger rift between the two organizations.
What do you make of this Qatar Airways & Skytrax situation?
Fantastic FIFA comment ;)))))))))
When will Skytrax get into the “Peace Prize” business? I hear there’s a lot of money to be made there.
Maybe the JD Power ranking was cheaper this year?
Who needs to pay JD Power when you can pay Tom Brady?
Probably they'll give QR's 5 star spot to AA! (Lol)
Unless your a moron you would be advised to not fully believe any award or ranking. Take food for instance half the words and labeling is fake. Industries that the vendor pays for for certification. Ponder that they get paid to award you or label you. Skytrax is probably no different.
Is baptism some kind of certification?
Also includes Hajj or Shabbat?
I don't know about other alleged Christians, but for us Catholics, baptism is more like having an airline credit card that allows you club access. So baptism gets you, say, United Club and sainthood gives you Lifetime Polaris.
For those of you giving me a Yowzers, please look up extra ecclesium nulla salis. It's still official Catholic doctrine.
*you're
"I have to be careful with what I say about Skytrax, because they like to threaten the media when they suggest that there may be a lack of legitimacy or a conflict of interest to their rankings."
What will they do? WHINE you to death?
Or are you talking fat orange Nazi-like frivolous lawsuits? Many say they are utterly corrupt (Hi FIFA!) and engage in pay-to-play in their ratings? Most people already assume that.
They suck.
Uh oh... SLAPP lawsuit inbound...
Who DOESN’T QR have beef with? They love throwing their weight around because it truly is a softpower exercise first, airline second, profit-producing enterprise dead dead last.
It looks like the war in ME is having a serious effect at Qatar Airway. We Flew back to US via Qatar Airways (Q-Suites)from Doha and was very surprised to see Al Mourjan Business Lounge pretty empty at 0600.The menu offerings were not quite the same as they have been in the months before the war.The Flight itself was Full, But the Galley Offerings were very limited even those were cleared up By the Indian...
It looks like the war in ME is having a serious effect at Qatar Airway. We Flew back to US via Qatar Airways (Q-Suites)from Doha and was very surprised to see Al Mourjan Business Lounge pretty empty at 0600.The menu offerings were not quite the same as they have been in the months before the war.The Flight itself was Full, But the Galley Offerings were very limited even those were cleared up By the Indian passengers as soon as they were put out. It seems like the water Bottle has also become a serious issue on the Flights, It maybe due to the water to Iranian strikes on the water Desalination Plants.
Hotels have closed Off Floors due to very low occupancy (Summer of 112 Degrees every day may have contributed to that also).
Let's Hope things improve,we really love QA & Qatar itself!
I am still surprised how comfortable Egypt Air 787 Dreamliner J seats were.
"But the Galley Offerings were very limited even those were cleared up By the Indian passengers as soon as they were put out"
This comment deserves 2 Yowzers!
I will say, in 2023, Singapore Airlines was awarded the best airline and Qatar did not withdraw or boycott (at least I don’t think so). Maybe it has to do with tension in the Middle East? After all, Hamad Airport (which is almost certainly affiliated directly with Qatar Airways) completely withdrew from the world airport awards, with the airport not even appearing at all in the top 100 list (of course Changi claimed the top...
I will say, in 2023, Singapore Airlines was awarded the best airline and Qatar did not withdraw or boycott (at least I don’t think so). Maybe it has to do with tension in the Middle East? After all, Hamad Airport (which is almost certainly affiliated directly with Qatar Airways) completely withdrew from the world airport awards, with the airport not even appearing at all in the top 100 list (of course Changi claimed the top spot). Maybe Skytrax is starting to die down? I noticed this year that Changi Airport did absolutely no marketing for its best airport award. They never even talked about it despite winning it this year. Maybe people are starting to come to the conclusion that Skytrax is not trustworthy, but who knows.
Goodhart's law: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure"
In the modern age it seems too easy to game all of these ratings, regardless of how well meaning they are. (Not saying that Slytrax is well meaning in any way, just that it almost doesn't matter)
Well they had to have beef.
You can't expect Qataris to have pork right?
Since Ben can't say anything about Skytrax. Let's bring AeroB13a to praise Skytrax as if it was Tim Dunn himself and Delta.
And Ben missed 1 point about LH 5 star ratings. Not only was it based on a seat that didn't exist. The 777X hasn't even been delivered to anyone after a decade later.
I thought they had 'the lasagna'?
(Where's Aero been? Was that one of your characters?)
You ever seen me as a BA apologist?
Eskimo, you could use a vacation. Please enjoy my review of the new MLE terminal (https://onemileatatime.com/community-stories/male-velana-airport-new-terminal-1-international-arrivals/) Get yourself an overwater bungalow or something...
I did.
It was a good review. Looking forward for more of your trips.
About the overwater bungalow. Maybe you should do a Kickstarter for me and fly me there on EY Residence. ;)
Thank you. Ooh lala, the Residence is well beyond my pay-grade. Best I can do is business class on points, then attempt a points upgrade to First (which I've only pulled off twice with EK, never EY).
If you aren't directly affected by the disruptions in the Middle East this year, and if Qatar Airways doesn't swap your aircraft last-minute, long-haul Q-Suite is still one of the world's best hard (and soft) products around. (Sure, I may think ANA's "The Room" is slightly better, but QR is way up there, and flies to more places.) So, maybe, it's time for NH, JL, SQ, or CX to take the lead for a year. (Wait, what if JX takes it? @Samar?!)
SQ biz. seats suck out loud unless one is three feet tall, or is > 6' but doesn't have legs.
To me, it's the angle that's off. (And the manual 'all-or-nothing' approach to lie-flat with SQ in J like on their a359ULR.) I may even prefer their regular lie-flat on their 787. Even their 737max has the 'throne' seats. Wish more carriers would adopt those for medium-haul, single-aisle.
The problem with paying Skytrax to get a good rating, is that others can easily pay more to get an even better rating.
Skytrax awarded CDG the title of Europe's best airport. I think that says enough.
You see a pattern between Skytrax and Tim Dunn here?
I agree this is very telling
Every single institution on Earth is corrupt
Oof. Corruption is bad, but writing off literally everything as corrupt is a cop-out. It ignores the well-run institutions and makes it impossible to actually fix the broken ones. Let's not go full-nihilism.
Touching young boys for 2 millenia but only became news in the last decade?