Global Passenger Ratings Spotlight Regional Airlines Raising the Bar for Traveler Experience
DUBLIN, IRELAND (10 June 2026) – The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) today celebrated the winners of the 2026 APEX Best™ Awards, spotlighting the regional airlines that are raising the bar for passenger experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. Presented during the FTE & APEX Awards Ceremony at the APEX FTE EMEA 2026 Conference in Dublin, the awards honor airlines that are setting a higher standard for travelers—earning top passenger ratings for Cabin Service, Food & Beverage, Seat Comfort, and Wi‑Fi.
“Passenger feedback remains one of the clearest indicators of how airlines are delivering on the experiences travelers value most,” APEX Group CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. “This year’s APEX Best™ Award winners are turning passenger insights into meaningful innovation. By listening, adapting, and investing, they are raising expectations, shaping the future of the onboard experience, and setting new benchmarks for service and innovation across the industry.”
The APEX Best™ Awards are powered by passenger feedback collected through TripIt® from Concur®, the world’s top-rated travel organizing app. Millions of travelers anonymously rate their flights on a five-star scale across the four aforementioned categories. Grounded in independent third-party feedback spanning nearly 600 airlines worldwide, the awards reflect one of the industry’s largest passenger-driven benchmarks and offer a trusted measure of airline performance through the voice of travelers themselves.
2026 APEX Best™ Regional Winners
*Best Food & Beverage Awards are presented in conjunction with the International Flight Services Association (IFSA)
EUROPE
- Best Overall Airline: Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Best Cabin Service: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
- Best Food & Beverage*: Turkish Airlines
- Best Seat Comfort: Finnair
- Best Wi-Fi: airBaltic
NORTH AMERICA
- Best Global Airline: Aeromexico
- Best Major Airline: Breeze Airways
- Best Low-Cost Carrier: Southwest Airlines
- Best Regional Airline: JSX
- Best Cabin Service: Alaska Airlines
- Best Food & Beverage*: JetBlue Airways
- Best Seat Comfort: JetBlue Airways
- Best Wi-Fi: Hawaiian Airlines
SOUTH AMERICA
- Best Overall Airline: Azul
- Best Cabin Service: LATAM Airlines Group
- Best Food & Beverage*: GOL Linhas Aereas
- Best Seat Comfort: Aerolineas Argentinas
- Best Wi-Fi: GOL Linhas Aereas
MIDDLE EAST
- Best Overall Airline: Emirates
- Best Cabin Service: SAUDIA
- Best Food & Beverage*: Etihad Airways
- Best Seat Comfort: Oman Air
- Best Wi-Fi: Qatar Airways
AFRICA
- Best Overall Airline: Ethiopian Airlines
- Best Cabin Service: RwandAir
- Best Food & Beverage*: South African Airways
- Best Seat Comfort: Royal Air Maroc
- Best Wi-Fi: EgyptAir
For a full list of upcoming APEX, IFSA, and FTE events, please visit APEX Events. For more information about APEX, visit apex.aero, sign up for the APEX Daily Experience e-newsletter, or follow APEX on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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About the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)
As a global non-profit and one of the world’s largest international airline associations, APEX accelerates the industry with the backing of nearly every major airline and valued supplier. APEX reinvests all its resources to serving its members, strengthening the worldwide airline industry, advancing thought-leadership, fostering business opportunities via events, developing global initiatives, setting key airline standards, and highlighting well-deserved recognition across our industry. In conjunction with both the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Future Travel Experience (FTE), APEX serves the full spectrum of the end-to-end travel experience.