World's best airlines revealed as American Airlines misses out and Delta wins big
Kiesha Dosanjh
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Just in time for vacation season, the best airlines in the world have been revealed, so those jetting off can make an informed choice on who to travel with.
The APEX Best™ Awards winners list have been revealed. These awards don't miss a beat, as they recognize those who have excelled in areas such as 'seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi'.
Where ever you're travelling to and from, APEX have you covered, covering Global airlines, North America, Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East, and that's not all!
In the United States, Delta and American Airlines are two of the biggest airlines, in regards to fleet size, capacity and overall number of passengers. Of course, these are closely followed by Southwest and United Airlines.
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However, it seems like this year, the 'debate' of which airline comes out on top may have been settled with the Awards list. Well, as far as entertainment is involved.
In fact, Delta Air Lines came out on top for North America's Best Entertainment, and best WiFi in the Global category.
So, not only can passengers enjoy some epic in-flight entertainment, they can also enjoy their own with the award-winning wireless connection.
Unfortunately, American Airlines didn't take home any gongs this year, and they didn't last year either.
Delta, however, took home the Best Global Airline award in 2025 in the 'Americas' category. This year, they're the only American Airline to make the Global list.
However, in the North American category this year, Hawaiian Airlines took the gong for Best WiFi.
Elsewhere in the North American category it was Aeromexico who won Best Global Airline, with Breeze Airways taking home Best Major Airline.
JetBlue was the only Airline to receive two wins in the North America category, with Best Seat Comfort and Best Food and Beverage.
Globally, it was a big win for the Middle Eastern airlines, with both Qatar and Emirates landing wins in the Global category. For the Best Entertainment, Emirates have you covered.
Qatar on the other hand, have you covered for the Best Food and Beverage.
Despite this, a number of Americans are said to have halted their summer plans this year, in the wake of higher gas and jet fuel prices.
A survey carried out by US News and World Report revealed that 65% of Americans have altered their travel plans this Summer due to rising prices.
Below is the complete list of winners at the 2026 APEX Best Awards.
GLOBAL
NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE
SOUTH AMERICA
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ASIA
EAST ASIA
MIDDLE EAST
GREATER CHINA
SOUTH PACIFIC
AFRICA