The list for best airlines to fly for punctual flights was just released and published today on CNN, but their list might be seriously flawed.
As a missionary, I travel more than 300 days a year and am keenly aware of the list of airlines that CNN has published according to SKYTRAX awards and it is not a list that travelers can completely trust. Few people travel around the world as much as missionaries and information about airlines and airports are gold for those who fly out to preach the Gospel message.
However, this year’s top airline by SKYTRAX, Qatar Airways, is problematic.
First, there are significant and long-standing concerns about Skytrax’s trustworthiness according to many fellow travelers on BusinessTraveller.com. Many have concerns with lack of transparency, conflicts of interest, and unverified reviews, challenging the credibility.
In the case of their top airline this year, Qatar Airways, the problem goes even deeper, especially as it relates to being punctual.
First off, I frequently fly with Qatar Airways and am a platinum member (or Emerald as they call it) of their One World Alliance and there are some secrets about Qatar Airlines that might not be found in the reviews.
Flying with Qatar Airways only a couple of weeks ago before Christmas, I discovered an entire world that I didn’t know existed when my flight out of Dubai was delayed by more than five hours. There goes my award for their punctuality.
As a pilot myself, I know there are many legitimate reasons why a flight can be delayed for safety reasons, but Qatar Airways gave no reason for the delay and, because of the delay of my Qatar Airways flight from Dubai to Qatar, all my connecting flights were missed, meaning that I would have to stay in Qatar for more than 30 hours overnight.
Even for a seasoned traveler like me, the process was a nightmare full of deceit and dishonesty from the airline. The deceit started from the beginning with Qatar Airways staff telling me in Dubai that I would be taken care of in Qatar. I just had to wait. I understood.
When I arrived in Qatar, I was told that I would be taken care of, but I would need to get my help online. I was given a number to call customer service. There were a lot of people without flights, so I understood.
My ticket was changed by Expedia.com (for free) not Qatar Airways. When I tried to get a hotel for the night, I was told to call customer service and I would be “taken care of.” I understood.
I called customer service as instructed and customer service told me to use their website and to send an email and I would be taken care of. I sent an email as requested and have had ZERO reply. Not even an automatic reply.
The entire process honestly felt like a way to get rid of me and to not provide any compensation or assistance.
If you are a missionary or a family traveling on a tight budget, Qatar Airways may not be the best option, because with a missed connection, travel expenses can quickly explode as they did for me. When I missed my connection because of their delay (no other airline flying out of Dubai that morning was delayed), Qatar Airways did not provide any compensation for food, hotel, or transportation. Not only did I have to pay for my own hotel, transportation to and from the airport, and food, but I even had to pay an additional $27 USD for a visa just to stay over night in Qatar.
Perhaps my experience is really why Qatar Airways has a dismal 1.5 stars out of 5 on TrustPilot reviews!
But my problems with Qatar Airways are small compared to the Australian women (including grandmothers) who were taken off of a Qatar Airways flight bound for Australia at gunpoint, forcefully stripped in an ambulance under the wing of a plane, and given vaginal inspections against their will to see if they had recently given birth to a baby!
At least five women out of the many women that day who were assaulted in a nightmarish scenario are now suing Qatar Airways.
If you are reading this and wondering why you have never heard these things about Qatar Airways, it might be because, what most people do not know, is that it is not exactly safe to criticize Qatar Airlines and share you own unpleasant experiences online. There can be serious repercussions. Most people do not know that criticizing Qatar Airways online could lead to serious problems or even an arrest!
That is right. You can be arrested and face significant penalties, including prison time and large fines, for criticizing companies or anyone in Qatar online – including their main airline – as laws criminalize “fake news,” defamation, and content that disturbs public order or harms reputations, leading to self-censorship and prosecution for online expression. Qatar’s Cybercrime Law and Penal Code broadly defines and prohibit online speech deemed false, malicious, or insulting to individuals, the state, or public figures, making criticism of companies – like Qatar Airlines – a potential criminal offense.
Josh Cahill is a 40 year old German aviation vlogger and uses his YouTube channel to share his experiences of flying with different airlines with travelers around the world. When he flew on Qatar Airways and posted the video in 2023, it gave an honest look at the flight from the inside that was less than flattering. According to Josh, Qatar Airways tried to bribe him with free flights in exchange for taking the negative review down, and when he refused, they blacklisted him from ever flying with them again.
Josh’s personal experience shows that openly criticizing Qatar Airways can lead to serious problems, which is why many passengers might choose not to openly criticize the airline. The question is – are airline ratings also persuaded by the lack of negative reviews? Would airline rating companies be influenced by Qatar’s laws against criticizing companies? Have airline rating companies been given special treatment during their flights as Josh Cahill was bribed with?
The real question is, would you fly with Qatar Airways if you knew everything?
If you are looking for an airline to travel to the mission field with, here are a few alternatives that I would recommend. Because I am always looking for the best deal, I rarely fly with the same airline, so my recommendations coming from more than 30 years of international traveling experience from budget to luxury airlines.
The best economy class airline for missionary travelers easily goes to Emirates.
Emirates takes the top spot for several reasons:
- The number of destinations that Emirates flies to in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia is more than almost any other airline. So even if you are flying to Sudan, Iraq, or Iran, you can stay with Emirates.
- Emirates gives extremely generous allowances for check-in and carry-on luggage compared to other airlines.
- Earning and spending miles on Emirates is one of the easiest out there. Booking tickets with miles on Emirates is one of the most painless experiences in the airline industry.
- Transfering at the Dubai Airport is enjoyable. There is plenty of shopping and several practical restaurants.
- The economy class meals are better than most.
- The economy class screen is one of the biggest in the industry and the movie/video selections are second to none.
- Their movie selection is edited to remove nudity and foul language.
- The chances of losing your luggage is lower than with other airlines.
Even though Emirates is one of my top picks for economy class, there are a few things to know about Emirates however that are less than desirable.
- Emirates is not a part of any real top tier mileage partner program like One World or Star Alliance.
- Drones, wine, and secret filming devices like a camera pen are illegal and their handbag scanners are good at catching these items.
- Any transfer flights that involve DXB Terminal 2 is a hassel.
- The airport is a little older and not as many choices as Turkey or Singapore.
Next is Singapore Airlines
Not only is Singapore a top class airline with great economy seats, entertainment selection, and service, but the airport is one of the best in the world. Great transfers, butt-load of amazing restaurants, and some of the best shopping in the world. Dubai and Qatar have many high end shops in their mall to cater to a very high class customer, but they are boring and not practical for missionaries, but Singapore has the best shopping for the everyday customer.
Lastly, Korean Airlines
Korean is a good choice for one single reason – food. Korean Air has the best food in the business. Their in-flight bibimbap is legendary! Bibimbap is the perfect missionary dish. You have your starch, vegetables, and protein all in a single bowl. Cover it with spicy sauce and you are ready to preach the Gospel right there on the plane.
The service is also good and the airport hub is enjoyable enough, especially if you are traveling with children. They have several play areas for children to stretch out their legs.
I know that I will hear from missionaries around the world who will be arguing for their own airlines that they have experienced and be yelling for me to include airlines like Virgin, Turkey, Thai or budget airlines like Icelandic Air or Air Asia.
Everyone has their own experience, which is why it is good to share openly and honestly so that missionaries can make an informed decision.
