9 Airlines With the Best First-Class Experience

Air travel can be exceptionally tedious. Layover blues, flight delays, terrible in-flight meals, noisy passengers — there are countless factors that can turn your plane trip into a nightmare. That's why we know it's worth paying to fly first-class, but how do you know you'll be getting the best bang for your buck when you do? This is where Skytrax's annual world airline awards comes in handy.

Based on the survey responses of more than 21 million passengers, the aviation research firm was able to determine which airlines offered the best first-class experience, Business Insider noted. Topping the recently released list is Singapore Airlines, which also received recognition as being the world's second-best airline overall this year. Lufthansa is second in Skytrax's list of airlines with the best first-class experience, followed by Air France, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.

All five airlines topping the list were also named winners in various other categories. Qatar Airways topped the list as the world's best airline overall for 2019, while Etihad Airways was awarded as the best first-class airline in the Middle East. Air France bagged awards for the world's best first-class onboard catering, first-class amenities, and first-class lounge dining for 2019. Lufthansa was named as Europe's best airline and best first-class airline, Business Insider reported.

While these are the best in the world, the best airline in North America for first-class travel, according to Skytrax, is American Airlines.

These are the nine airlines with the best first-class experience, according to Skytrax:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Lufthansa
3. Air France
4. Etihad Airways
5. Qatar Airways
6. Emirates
7. ANA All Nippon Airways
8. Swiss International Air Lines
9. Qantas Airways

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