Skytrax Awarded Air Canada As The Top Best North American Airline

Air Canada has been rated the top airline in North America following the 2017 survey by skytrax, which is an international air transport rating organization. Skytrax holds a yearly World Airline Awards and this is the sixth time in eight years Air Canada has been awarded as the best.

Skytrax surveyed 19.87 million people online. They ask customers to nominate their best airline and rank their pleasure with the airlines services including check-in, pleasantness of in-cabin staff, seat front and quality of food. This could be completed by anyone on the skytrax website and all airlines where given the opportunity to invite customers to complete it on a strictly volunteer basis. The survey rates separately Air Canada’s discount and leisure carrier, Air Canada Rouge, which scored poorly: 99th out of 100 airlines.

Air Canada is exceptional. There standards of air service was the best out of all other airlines in Canada and America. Out of the 100 airlines across the globe, Qatar airways recorded top spot,  Air Canada ranked 29th, WestJet ranked 58th and Air Transat 70th. When it came to American carriers, Delta scored 32nd, Southwest Airlines 54th, American Airlines 74th and United 78th.

Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu in his statement said that, “We are delighted to be recognized as the best airline in North America by Skytrax based on the opinions of those who know us best: our customers.”

However, there is a problem as to which airline is the best in North America because skytrax awarded air Canada as the top but research from firm J.D. power is saying that Air Canada is ranked close to the bottom out of the major North American carriers. He said that Southwest Airlines got the top ratings. The airlines were graded on everything from prices to the check-in and boarding process, to in-flight services and other embellishments.

Pollster David Coletto took a closer look at both surveys and concluded that the results are seemingly similar, polls can differ depending on the type of methodology used ranging from the type of questions asked to the order in which they are asked.

“If we relate it back to political polling, there are times in which one poll says the Liberals are ahead and another poll says the Conservatives are ahead. How can those possibly both be true?” said Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data in Ottawa.

“The answer becomes it’s about methodology, it’s about the assumptions the researchers make and the design of the study.”

Neil Crone is a customer at Air Canada and he said in an interview with reporters that, he is not surprise that Air Canada won the best in North American according to surveys from skytrax. Air Canada may beat other airlines in customer satisfaction, he says, adding that that’s not saying much.

“The best of a bad lot, maybe,” he says.

“The food is crappy across the board, they jam you in on pretty much any airline you’re on. Flying just isn’t nearly as fun as it used to be.”