Airline passenger news and views

A report by the Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA) stated that the ten safest airline companies in the world are mainly European and US based.

Whether there are not even one of them in the list of the first ten most comfortable airlines, American and European companies lead the world as far as safety is concerned. Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa are the safest in Europe. While AMR Corporation, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways are the US-based companies among the top-ten. Japan Airline is the only company from other continents to get a place in this ranking.

In comparison with the annual ranking made by Skytrax, which gives the award due to comfort and trip pleasure, the top-ten just released by ATRA becomes even more meaningful. None of the carriers appear in both the top-ten, for either comfort and safety.

We must be really careful, then, when we choose with which airline we are going to fly. What do we care most, solace or safeness?

Among the best ten airlines ranked by Skytrax there are companies from Asia, Australia and Middle East. Qatar Airways got the first place, followed by Singapore Airlines in second place and South Korea's Asian Airlines in third position. Then Cathay Pacific Airways and Thai Airways.

Air New Zealand at the seventh place and Qantas Airways at the eighth are the best placed English speaker companies.
ATRA's methodology to rank the safest airlines is defined "holistic" and is based on 15 selected criteria. Among them some are obvious, as the number of accidents occurred in the last ten years, or total kilometres planes have flown. Others are more peculiar, as dedicated full flight simulator, percentage of aircraft on order, or number of dedicated flight academy pilot-training facility.

Skytrax, on the other hand, works in a completely different way. Last year something around 18 millions airline passengers took part in a survey declaring their preferences on a vast amount of subjects. That is why it is also known as the passenger choice award.

Questions investigate basic flying issues like seat comfort, kindness of the crew, standard of food, boarding procedures and cleanliness.

A good dinner on a flight that never reaches its destination cannot be a priority, unless the dinner is our last wish. So we may be satisfied for the ranking in which European companies have found place.

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