Singapore Airlines won the international airline of the year award while Virgin Australia won domestic airline of the year and Qantas took the domestic business travel airline of the year.
The awards were determined via a survey of more than 60,000 Australians through 2023, who were asked to nominate the companies they dealt with in each category and rate their satisfaction with each brand. Customer satisfaction wins are recorded in each category each month, with the brand notching up the most wins in each category throughout the year being declared the annual winner.
Given the reputational woes of Qantas – particularly in the second half of 2023 – its win may come as something of a surprise, and Roy Morgan’s CEO, Michele Levine, addressed this in the company’s release of the winners.
“Despite a decline in domestic customer satisfaction since early 2023, Qantas managed to win enough months earlier in the year (seven) to take out the 2023 Domestic Business Travel Airline Award while Singapore Airlines won the International Airline of the Year for a fourth straight year and an eighth time overall,” she said.
Meanwhile Virgin Australia won all 12 of the monthly customer satisfaction surveys to take the domestic airline category.
In the international airline category, Singapore Airlines won six of the 12 months to edge out Emirates who won five months. Air New Zealand came in third.
“The international airline business is an extremely competitive one with many international carriers flying to Australia and around the world,” said Levine.
“Since the pandemic restrictions eased in 2022 it has been Singapore Airlines to re-emerge as the favoured airline for Australians with high levels of customer service and delivering an unprecedented level of customer satisfaction over many years.”
Singapore Airlines’ regional vice president for the South West Pacific, Louis Arul, was delighted with the carrier’s win.
“This award reflects our commitment to service excellence, and the contribution of colleagues in Australia and across the world; from our airport teams to our award-winning cabin and flight operations crew,” he said.
“Australia is one of our most significant markets, and our customers’ comfort, travel experience and safety remains our core focus. This is the fourth time SIA has received this prestigious award, and we are honoured and grateful to be recognised again.”
