Airlines From Around the World Gather to Receive Four/Five Star Official Airline Ratings™ Honors

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Top airlines from around the world gathered in Los Angeles tonight for the announcement of the industry's most anticipated honor: the Official Airline Ratings™, the first airline rating program based solely on certified passenger feedback. APEX (the Airline Passenger Experience Association), the only non-profit membership trade association dedicated to improving the entire airline passenger experience, announced the airlines honored with four- and five-star Official Airline Ratings. 

The 2020 APEX Official Airline Ratings™ recognizes airlines in four categories: 

·       Global Airlines

·       Major Airlines

·       Regional Airlines

·       Low Cost Carriers

The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ were created based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX's partnership with TripIt^® from Concur^®, the world's highest-rated travel-organizing app. Using a five-star scale, more than one million flights were rated by passengers across nearly 600 airlines from around the world between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ were independently certified by a professional external auditing company.

"The Official Airline Ratings were designed by APEX, as one of the largest international airline associations in the world, to enable every air traveler that desired to rate airlines in a 100% verified, validated, and certified manner," APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader stated. "More than 1.4 million flights were rated by passengers across nearly 600 airlines from around the world. Only a small, single-digit percentage of these airlines reached the prestigious APEX Four Star Airline status, while an even smaller number reached the monumental APEX Five Star Airline level. All of us at APEX take extraordinary pride in giving full power to airline passengers as the ultimate source of validated truth in airline ratings worldwide."

Just over 20 global airlines, 13 major and two regional airlines reached Five Star status as determined by their passenger ratings. A total of seven low cost carriers reached their highest attainable award globally with four stars out of a maximum of four stars for low cost carriers. 

For four decades, APEX has represented the world's leading airlines, suppliers and related companies and, with its members, continues to elevate the passenger experience. APEX airline members may participate in a program to receive exclusive access to the anonymous feedback provided by the airline's passengers, which can be used to curate best practices and improve in-flight experiences for travelers. 

The APEX/IFSA Award Ceremony, hosted by Brian Kelly, CEO and founder of The Points Guy, took place during APEX EXPO, the industry's largest passenger experience event exclusive to experts and decision-makers committed to elevating the level of the worldwide airline passenger experience. The conference attracts more than 5,000 industry professionals, including representatives from more than 125 airlines, and showcases the most comprehensive display of airline-related technologies, products and services. APEX EXPO is once again co-located with International Flight Services Association (IFSA) EXPO and Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) Americas.

For more information about the APEX Award Ceremony, please visit apex.aero, sign up for the APEX Daily Experience e-newsletter or follow APEX on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

FOUR AND FIVE STAR RECIPIENTS OF THE 2019 OFFICIAL AIRLINE RATINGS™
(All Listed in Alphabetical Order)

FIVE STAR GLOBAL AIRLINES

·       Aeroflot

·       Aeroméxico 

·       Air New Zealand

·       American Airlines

·       All Nippon Airways

·       Asiana Airlines

·       Cathay Pacific

·       China Airlines

·       Delta Air Lines

·       Emirates

·       EVA Air

·       Japan Airlines

·       KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

·       Korean Air

·       Lufthansa

·       Qantas

·       Qatar Airways

·       Singapore Airlines

·       SWISS International Air Lines

·       Turkish Airlines

·       Virgin Atlantic

FIVE STAR MAJOR AIRLINES 

·       Air Astana

·       Air Tahiti Nui

·       Alaska Airlines

·       Avianca

·       Bangkok Airways

·       Copa Airlines

·       Hainan Airlines

·       Hawaiian Airlines

·       JetBlue Airways

·       Kuwait Airways

·       Middle East Airlines

·       Royal Brunei Airlines

·       Virgin Australia

·       Vistara

FIVE STAR REGIONAL AIRLINES

·       Aeroméxico Connect

·       JSX

FOUR STAR GLOBAL AIRLINES

·       Air France

·       Air Italy

·       British Airways

·       China Southern Airlines

·       El Al

·       Etihad Airways

·       Finnair

·       Iberia

·       LATAM Airlines Group

·       LOT Polish Airlines

·       Malaysia Airlines

·       Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

·       Thai Airways International

·       United Airlines

·       Vietnam Airlines

FOUR STAR MAJOR REGIONAL AIRLINES 

·       Aer Lingus

·       Aerolineas Argentinas

·       Air Europa

·       Austrian Airlines

·       Caribbean Airlines

·       Fiji Airways

·       Hong Kong Airlines

·       Icelandair

·       Malindo Air

·       Oman Air

·       Philippine Airlines

·       SriLankan Airlines

FOUR STAR LOW COST CARRIERS

·       Allegiant Air

·       Atlantic Airways

·       Interjet

·       Norwegian

·       Southwest Airlines

·       Spirit Airlines

·       WestJet

About The Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) 

APEX encompasses a network of businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. As a non-profit, APEX reinvests all of its resources to better serve its members. Every day, APEX members evaluate the passenger experience through an influential community and are improving every aspect of the airline experience: from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and inflight dining. For more than four decades, APEX has worked to strengthen the industry and enable business opportunities through education, innovation, networking and recognition.

Media Contact:
Robin Applebaum
678-303-2980
[email protected]

Related Images

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APEX 2020 Five Star Official Airline Rating

apex-2020-four-star-official.jpg
APEX 2020 Four Star Official Airline Rating

SOURCE APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association)