The 20 Best Airlines In The World

With high fares, costly fees, and now the prospect of endless delays caused by sequester-mandated FAA budget cuts, flying economy is often a horror show.

But not all airlines are created equal, and some treat all their passengers very nicely.

To find the best of the best for flying at a reasonable cost, we devised a ranking system based on the two most important factors for a pleasant trip: An enjoyable experience in the plane, and timely departure and arrival.

We looked at dozens of major international airlines that fly long-haul routes.

We valued in-flight experience based on ratings for seat comfort, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness and condition, quality of meals served, and service efficiency, from leading airline reviewer Skytrax.

Flightstats.com provided the on-time performance figures (from February 15 to April 15) for each airline. Figures are for marketed, or codeshare, flights: For example, if American Airlines advertises a fare for a flight that is operated by Delta (carriers often make such marketing agreements), and the Delta flight is delayed, that delay is reflected in the on-time performance ratings for both airlines.

We then averaged scores for in-flight experience and the on-time performance of the airlines equally to come up with an overall score. Ratings are out of 100 points.