Another round of airline ratings: Air New Zealand on top

Air New Zealand is on top again for the fourth year in a new round of ratings for 2017's Airline Excellence Awards in ratings by AirlineRatings.com

Everyone has their own way of judging airlines, but a few have wide support, and AirlineRatings.com is one of those, with an endorsement from the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization. Most of the names on the list hit the top on other lists as well.

Airline Ratings uses a 7-star system to rate two items: safety, and "leadership in innovation for passenger comfort." That second one is certainly never going to include short-haul flying buses, but rewards airlines that make a real effort in passenger comfort.

Not surprisingly, the top 10 rate 7 on both measures. Perhaps surprisingly, 3 of the 10 have their bases in Australia/New Zealand and not surprisingly four others in Asia. The rest of the world is represented by Lufthansa, British Air and Etihad. If you'd like to see how your airline rates, click HERE The major U.S. carriers, like nearly all major carriers, have 7-star safety ratings, but their passenger ratings run from 3.5 for United to 5 for Delta.

To see category-by-category and region-by-region award winners, click HERE. The 2017 overall winners are

1. Air New Zealand
2. Qantas Airways
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Cathay Pacific Airways
5. Virgin Australia/Atlantic
6. British Airways
7. Etihad Airways
8. All Nippon Airways
9. Eva Air
10. Lufthansa

Photo: Air New Zealand 777 at Heathrow (Arpingstone/Wikimedia)