The 2026 APEX Best™ Awards have just been announced, giving travelers a fresh look at which airlines are standing out this year for cabin service, food and beverage, seat comfort, entertainment and Wi-Fi.
APEX, the Airline Passenger Experience Association, revealed the winners on June 10, 2026, at the APEX FTE EMEA conference in Dublin. The awards are powered by passenger feedback collected through TripIt from Concur and are based on millions of traveler ratings across nearly 600 airlines worldwide.
The honors are split into several regional categories, including Global, North America, Europe, South America, Central/Southern Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Greater China, South Pacific and Africa, offering a broad snapshot of airline performance around the world.
In the North American market, Delta Air Lines is one of the biggest names by fleet size, passenger numbers and capacity, alongside American Airlines, Southwest and United. But this year’s results again put the spotlight on the onboard experience rather than the largest carriers alone.
Delta Air Lines won Best Entertainment in North America and also claimed Best Wi-Fi in the Global category, reinforcing its reputation for strong in-flight connectivity and a popular entertainment offering.
American Airlines was not among the North American winners this year.
Delta was also part of the broader Global list, where it again took Best Wi-Fi. The other Global winners were Korean Air for Best Cabin Service, Emirates for Best Entertainment, Qatar Airways for Best Food & Beverage and EVA Air for Best Seat Comfort.
In North America, Aeromexico was named Best Global Airline, Breeze Airways won Best Major Airline, Southwest Airlines took Best Low-Cost Carrier, JSX was recognized as Best Regional Airline, Alaska Airlines won Best Cabin Service, JetBlue Airways won Best Food & Beverage and Best Seat Comfort, and Hawaiian Airlines took Best Wi-Fi.
On the global stage, airlines from the Middle East also performed strongly. Emirates took the Best Overall Airline title for the region, while also winning Best Entertainment. Qatar Airways won Best Wi-Fi in the Middle East, Etihad Airways claimed Best Food & Beverage and Oman Air was named Best Seat Comfort.
Elsewhere, the 2026 winners included Singapore Airlines as Best Overall Airline in East Asia, Virgin Atlantic Airways as Best Overall Airline in Europe, Air New Zealand in South Pacific, Ethiopian Airlines in Africa, Azul in South America and Air Astana in Central/Southern Asia.
The awards land at a time when many travelers are still sensitive to rising costs. Recent surveys have found that a large share of Americans say higher prices are changing their summer travel plans, with many choosing shorter trips, cheaper destinations or fewer add-ons.
Here is the full list of regional sections featured in the 2026 APEX Best Awards.
GLOBAL
NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE
SOUTH AMERICA
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ASIA
EAST ASIA
MIDDLE EAST
GREATER CHINA
SOUTH PACIFIC
AFRICA