2018 Airhelp Score Reveals Canadian Airlines Disappoint in Global Ranking of World’s Best on Service and On-Time Performance
Air Canada ranks last for on-time performance. Pearson International Airport ranks 126 of 141 airports worldwide.
Canadian airlines and airports leave a lot to be desired when it comes to service and on-time performance, says AirHelp, the world’s leading flight compensation and technology company which has just released its annual AirHelp Score – a performance ranking and analysis of the world’s best and worst airlines and airports. This year’s ranking sees Qatar Airways dethrone Singapore Airlines for the top spot as the world’s best airline for service, on-time performance and claim compensation processing. Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar takes home first place for best airport.
Sadly, although maybe not surprisingly, Canadian airlines are struggling to keep up on a global scale, not a single Canadian carrier made AirHelp’s Top 10, 20 or even 30 catchments. Air Canada and Westjet rank 40th and 41st respectively, while Air Transat brings up the rear in 44th place. The AirHelp Score analyzes three primary categories in its airline ranking: on-time performance, overall service and claim processing. Canadian airlines fall consistently short in on-time performance. In fact, Air Canada ranks the worst for on-time performance of 141 airlines analyzed, while WestJet and AirTransat rank fifth and sixth worst respectively – making Canada the least punctual travel player in the world.
“The 2018 AirHelp Score shows that as competition stiffens between airlines those that put passengers first will come out winners in the long run. For too long airlines have focused on cutting corners and costs without regard to the people they serve. We’re thrilled to see a positive shift as many airlines are now putting passengers first, however we certainly see the opportunity for airlines and airports in markets like Canada to step-up their commitment to passengers,” said AirHelp CEO and co-founder Henrik Zillmer.
Global Best in Class vs. Canada’s Mediocre Airlines
On-time performance and claims processing capabilities are key factors in AirHelp’s overall ranking. For instance, Qatar Airways overthrew long-standing first place veteran, Singapore Airlines, by dramatically improving both. And while Canada’s airlines get awful rankings for on-time performance, they do lead the pack when it comes to claims processing. Air Transat claims first place, and Westjet holds its own in third, of 72 airlines assessed. Air Canada ranks 14th, proving we’re a top global contender in claims processing.
Here’s a ranking of AirHelp’s Top Five Airlines, compared to Canada:
Top Five Global Airline Rankings
| Ranking | Airline | On-time performance | Quality of service | Claims processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Qatar Airways, Qatar | 8.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| #2 | Lufthansa, Germany | 7.6 | 9.5 | 8.6 |
| #3 | Etihad Airways, United Arab Emirates | 8.6 | 9.3 | 7.5 |
| #4 | Singapore Airlines, Singapore | 8.5 | 9.8 | 6.8 |
| #5 | South African Airways, South Africa | 8.5 | 7.8 | 8.7 |
Canadian Airlines
| Ranking | Airline | On-time performance | Quality of service | Claims processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #40 | Air Canada | 5.5 | 7.8 | 9.0 |
| #41 | West Jet | 6.2 | 6.5 | 9.5 |
| #44 | Air Transat A.T. Inc. | 6.2 | 6.3 | 9.7 |
Global Best in Class vs. Canada’s Middle of the Tarmac Airports
While the Great White North’s airlines may be struggling, Canadian airports occupy the middle of the tarmac when it comes to on-time performance, quality of service and passenger sentiment – the criteria used to analyze and develop the AirHelp Airport Score. Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport fared the best at 53, while Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International bottomed out in 126thplace, due to poor on-time performance and unfavorable passenger sentiment.
Here’s a ranking of AirHelp’s Top Five Airports, compared to Canada:
Top Five Global Airport Rankings
| Ranking | Airport | On-time performance | Quality of service | Claims processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hamad International Airport Doha, Qatar | 9.1 | 8.8 | 7.3 |
| #2 | Athens International Airport Athens, Greece | 9.3 | 8.6 | 6.4 |
| #3 | Haneda Airport Tokyo, Japan | 9.0 | 8.8 | 6.1 |
| #4 | Cologne Bonn Airport Cologne/Bonn, Germany | 9.5 | 7.8 | 8.2 |
| #5 | Singapore Changi Airport Singapore | 8.5 | 9.2 | 5.1 |
Canadian Airports
| Ranking | Airport | On-time performance | Quality of service | Claims processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #53 | Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa | 7.6 | 8.6 | 4.5 |
| #67 | Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton | 7.8 | 8.0 | 5.2 |
| #77 | Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver | 7.7 | 8.4 | 3.4 |
| #88 | Kelowna International Airport, British Columbia | 7.4 | 7.8 | 5.6 |
| #92 | Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Montreal | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| #101 | Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Toronto | 6.5 | 8.6 | 4.5 |
| #104 | Calgary International Airport, Calgary | 7.5 | 7.4 | 5.0 |
| #109 | Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax | 6.5 | 8.2 | 4.9 |
| #117 | Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Quebec | 6.7 | 7.8 | 3.6 |
| #126 | Toronto Pearson Airport, Toronto | 6.7 | 7.2 | 3.2 |
To view the full AirHelp Score please visit AirHelp.com/AirHelpScore.
About the AirHelp Score and it’s Methodology
The AirHelp Score is an annual report first released globally in 2015. It was created to empower passengers to make educated flight choices. AirHelp examined data from December 2017 to March 2018 and factored in:
- Delayed and canceled flights
- Thousands of public reviews and social media sentiment analysis
- Quality of service, both on the ground and in the air
- On-time arrival statistics
- How efficiently and fairly a carrier handles delay compensation claims
About AirHelp
Since launching in 2013, AirHelp has helped more than five million people process airline compensation claims worth about $562 million CD in total reimbursement. AirHelp has offices across the world, is available in 30 countries, offers support in 16 languages, and employs more than 500 employees globally. Air passengers who have experienced a delayed or cancelled flight can also check their eligibility for compensation on the go, and make a claim in a matter of minutes through the free AirHelp mobile app, available for iOS and Android.
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