RANKED: The 20 best low-cost airlines in the world

Skytrax, the United Kingdom-based consumer aviation agency, has released its annual “Best Low-Cost Airlines in the World” ranking for 2018. The survey, which began in 1999, is an annual customer relations’ satisfaction survey that is among the most professional and prestigious. It has gone from attracting the entries of 2.2 million airline customers in 2000, to receiving more than 20 million entries in 2018.

Skytrax mandates that its survey is “independent, impartial and global,” and adds that there are neither survey entry fees, nor any payments to anyone to attend the awards event.

This year’s survey was conducted from August 2017 to May 2018 and over 100 customer nationalities participated in the event. The survey’s costs are paid by Skytrax and languages provided include English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. This year, 335 airlines were included in the survey and more than 20 million respondents were counted in the final results. All participants are screened so no duplicate or ineligible entries are recorded.

Customers rank their favorite airline on a 1-5 scale based on three categories: Cabin Service, Ground Airport, Onboard Product. In each of these categories, there are numerous sub-factors that customers evaluate. For instance, Cabin Service will include judgments on such aspects like hospitality, service attentiveness, staff language skills, and meal service efficiency; while Ground Airport will include evaluations on carry-on policy, airport ticketing, check-in, and pre-boarding procedures.

All in all, there are 50 categories which customers evaluate.

This year the results were impressive, but somewhat predictable: AirAsia was voted the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 10th successive year. Norwegian was voted the World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline, as well as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe.

Take a look a look below to see how the top 20 low-cost airlines in the world are ranked in Skytrax’s 2018 survey.