Best airlines in the world for 2024 named with low-budget carrier beating easyJet and Jet2

When it comes to travel sometimes less is more. However, new research has found which carriers came top thanks to several factors.

By Chloe Dobinson, Lifestyle Reporter

Attractive blonde passenger in hat and with curly hair of an airplane sitting on a comfortable seat while working on a modern laptop using the wireles

Travelling can be stressful as it is (Image: Getty)

Travelling and living the life of luxury doesn't come cheap. But when it comes to booking flights, would you say you’re good at getting cheap deals?

While many budget airlines tend to run flash sales or loyalty schemes it is no wonder people are jet-setting on no-thrills flights.

However, new research has found the best global airlines. This is according to Skytrax’s World Airline Awards which found the top 100 carriers from around the world.

The study looked at factors including ease of booking, crew hospitality, boarding efficiency and seat comfort to determine its results.

Qatar Airways took the top spot as the world’s best airline in 2024. The airline bagged the top spot for the eighth time, also taking the award for best business class.


Portrait image of a woman looking through an airplane window

Seat comfort was a factor to determine the overall results (Image: Getty)

Followed by Singapore Airlines and Emirates, our attention turned to the UK’s budget airlines.

The list saw the likes of Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2 make the list. So if you’re looking to get away anytime soon then you might want to make a note.

It may come as a surprise but Ryanair beat the competition from other budget airlines coming 63rd on the list.

Ryanair is still one of the biggest low-cost airlines in the UK, so much so that the airline carried an impressive 181 million passengers in 2023.


Bergamo Orio Al Serio airport airplanes and town of Bergamo view.

Ryanair beat the likes of EasyJet and Jet2 in the research (Image: Getty)

The airline must be doing something right seeing as Ryanair jumped up from 68th place on the Skytrax’s 2023 list.

Meanwhile, easyJet followed closely behind on the list coming 66th and Jet2 coming 68th respectively.

We can see why Ryanair ranked well against its competitors thanks to its easy-to-navigate website when booking those cheap flights and let’s not forget the number of flash sales that they run every week.


The low-cost airline also has a fare finder section which lets travellers search for flights which are within their budget.

Despite the negative attention Ryanair often receives from online reviews, if you're after a cheap, no-thrills flight when you know what you’re getting, then it is no wonder the Irish airline ranked well.

What do you think of the list? Let us know in the comments about your experiences with any of these airlines.

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