I take over 100 flights a year. Here are 3 airlines I absolutely love, and one I wouldn’t want to fly again.

I’ve been to over 80 countries and counting, and I spend a lot of the year traveling. 

I’m an avid traveler who takes over 100 flights a year, both domestic and international.

The airlines I love the most have comfortable seating — granted, I’m short (5-foot-3), so legroom usually isn’t an issue for me. I also look for tasty meals, friendly staff, excellent customer service, diverse entertainment, and pleasing aesthetics.

In general, I avoid flying airlines with bad reputations (like anything that ranks at the bottom of Skytrax’s World Airline Awards). But that doesn’t mean I always have a great time.

Here are my absolute favorite airlines to fly and one that I’m not planning on booking with again.

Cathay Pacific is my all-time favorite airline.

Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong-based airline. 

Cathay Pacific’s hub is located at Hong Kong International Airport. I was nervous my first time flying them on a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, but I’m so glad I did.

I flew premium economy, which felt like business class on most US-based airlines. The seats were incredibly spacious, and I was given a cute travel kit that contained socks and toiletries. Pillows and blankets were provided, and the service was very attentive.

I loved that the meal service incorporated authentic Hong Kong dishes. The warm egg tarts served mid-flight were a highlight.

From my experience, the airline’s planes are well-maintained, and its entertainment system is pretty modern, showcasing the latest worldwide releases.

Overall, flying Cathay Pacific has always been an incredibly smooth, relaxing, and memorable experience for me.

I fly Emirates the most and have yet to regret it.

The food on Emirates flights is quite good. 

I travel to and within the Middle East quite often, and Emirates is my go-to airline for those trips.

So far, Emirates flights have been reliable. Plus, the airline offers impeccable service and the in-flight food is delicious.

When I book long-haul flights on Emirates, I get an amenity kit with socks, a sleep mask, a dental kit, and a bookmark. The airline has even collaborated with luxury designers such as Bulgari to make the kits in the past.

Emirates also partners with a company that offers baggage delivery and pickup, which means I don’t have to wait in the check-in line before departing or at the baggage carousel when I land.

Everything is done for you, creating a hassle-free airport experience.

KLM is my OG go-to airline.

I’ve been flying KLM my whole life. 

I’ve been traveling on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines since I was a few months old.

I think the airline is reliable and it gains points in my book for offering blankets, pillows, and kits to children, which I loved as a kid.

All of the staff members I’ve encountered have been friendly and open to chatting. Plus, the airline serves two hot meals on long-haul flights that usually taste good.

As a bonus, many KLM flights go through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, or AMS, which is my all-time favorite airport.

On the other hand, I’m in no rush to fly Air Canada again.

I’ve had multiple unpleasant experiences on Air Canada. 

I’ll never forget the first time I flew Air Canada.

It notably ranked 10th on Cirium’s On-Time Performance report for North American Airlines in 2023. But I figured most airlines experience delays nowadays. Unfortunately, my international flight had a six-hour delay that wasn’t announced until an hour after I arrived at the airport.

I wasn’t given any information about the delay, even when I specifically asked staff members at the airport.

By the time I made it to my connecting airport, I had a short amount of time to grab my bag at customs and recheck it for my next flight. But my bag hadn’t arrived.

I went to the Air Canada customer-service desk to file a missing baggage claim, but it took so long that I ended up missing my flight.

The only seat on the next available flight was in first class. Since I wasn’t able to get any reimbursement for the delay, the trip became more expensive than planned.

Still, a few years later, I gave the airline a second chance for a direct flight from Chicago to Vancouver. Again, my luggage didn’t make it.

I finally received all my belongings on the last day of my five-day trip — but my suitcase was missing a wheel.

It’s possible that I just caught the airline on bad days, but I’m not willing to risk booking another flight with Air Canada when there are so many other options.

Representatives from Air Canada did not respond to a request for comment.