The CabinCrewStar Ranking · 2026
Best airlines to work for as cabin crew
Every airline in our index scored across five dimensions that decide what the job actually feels like: pay, roster quality, base life, career progression and lifestyle. Editorial scores compiled from crew reports, contracts and public data — the full methodology is below.
Category winners
Best pay
Delta Air Lines
9.2 / 10
Best roster
flydubai
7.4 / 10
Best base life
Emirates
8.7 / 10
Best career
Riyadh Air
8.6 / 10
Best lifestyle
Emirates
8.8 / 10
Best for whom, though?
These scores are the industry average. Seven questions and we'll re-rank all 59 airlines around what you personally want from the job.
The full ranking
| # | Airline | Region | Pay | Roster | Base | Career | Lifestyle | Overall | Hiring & apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emirates | Middle East | 8.3 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.3 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 2 | Singapore Airlines | Asia-Pacific | 8.8 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 8.0 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 3 | Delta Air Lines | North America | 9.2 | 6.8 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.0 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 4 | United Airlines | North America | 9.0 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.9 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 5 | Etihad Airways | Middle East | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.8 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 6 | Southwest Airlines | North America | 8.9 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 | ●Waitlist / closed |
| 7 | Alaska Airlines | North America | 8.3 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 7.8 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 8 | Qatar Airways | Middle East | 8.2 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.7 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 9 | Turkish Airlines | Türkiye | 7.0 | 6.4 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.6 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 10 | Qantas | Asia-Pacific | 7.8 | 7.0 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 7.6 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 11 | American Airlines | North America | 8.7 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.6 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 12 | flydubai | Middle East | 7.0 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 7.5 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 13 | SWISS | Europe | 7.9 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 14 | Riyadh Air | Middle East | 8.3 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 6.8 | 7.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 15 | Cathay Pacific | Asia-Pacific | 7.2 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 16 | Air New Zealand | Asia-Pacific | 6.3 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 6.8 | 8.2 | 7.4 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 17 | Hawaiian Airlines | North America | 7.3 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 7.9 | 7.4 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 18 | Lufthansa | Europe | 6.8 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.2 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 19 | Air France | Europe | 6.7 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.2 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 20 | Korean Air | Asia-Pacific | 7.1 | 6.4 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.2 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 21 | Oman Air | Middle East | 6.4 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 7.6 | 7.1 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 22 | British Airways | Europe | 6.2 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.1 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 23 | KLM | Europe | 6.4 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.1 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 24 | JetBlue | North America | 7.0 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.1 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 25 | Virgin Atlantic | Europe | 6.3 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 7.0 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 26 | SAS | Europe | 6.4 | 7.4 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 27 | Japan Airlines | Asia-Pacific | 6.1 | 6.6 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.0 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 28 | Air Canada | North America | 6.6 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.0 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 29 | Air Arabia | Middle East | 6.2 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.9 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 30 | Pegasus Airlines | Türkiye | 5.8 | 6.2 | 8.2 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 6.9 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 31 | Iberia | Europe | 5.8 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 6.8 | 7.6 | 6.9 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 32 | ANA (All Nippon Airways) | Asia-Pacific | 6.0 | 6.5 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 6.9 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 33 | Finnair | Europe | 6.2 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 6.8 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 34 | Gulf Air | Middle East | 5.9 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 6.0 | 7.2 | 6.7 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 35 | SunExpress | Türkiye | 6.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 7.4 | 6.7 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 36 | easyJet | Europe | 5.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 6.7 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 37 | Aer Lingus | Europe | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 6.6 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 38 | Jet2.com | Europe | 6.0 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 39 | EVA Air | Asia-Pacific | 5.9 | 6.2 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.6 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 40 | Thai Airways | Asia-Pacific | 5.7 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 6.6 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 41 | WestJet | North America | 6.0 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 6.6 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 42 | AJet | Türkiye | 5.2 | 6.0 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 43 | Saudia | Middle East | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 44 | Kuwait Airways | Middle East | 6.8 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 6.4 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 45 | TAP Air Portugal | Europe | 5.0 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 6.4 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 46 | Ryanair | Europe | 5.4 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 47 | Malaysia Airlines | Asia-Pacific | 5.3 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 48 | Air India | Asia-Pacific | 5.6 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 6.3 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 49 | LATAM Airlines | Latin America | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 50 | Copa Airlines | Latin America | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.4 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 51 | Aeroméxico | Latin America | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.3 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 52 | AirAsia | Asia-Pacific | 4.6 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.2 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 53 | IndiGo | Asia-Pacific | 4.9 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 5.9 | 6.1 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 54 | Kenya Airways | Africa | 4.0 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.1 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 55 | Royal Air Maroc | Africa | 4.5 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.1 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 56 | Ethiopian Airlines | Africa | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.8 | 6.0 | ●Periodic intakes |
| 57 | Wizz Air | Europe | 4.8 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 5.8 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 58 | Avianca | Latin America | 3.8 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 5.8 | ●Actively hiringApply ↗ |
| 59 | EgyptAir | Africa | 4.0 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.7 | ●Periodic intakes |
Methodology
These are editorial scores, not survey results. They are set by the CabinCrewStar editor from the evidence on each airline page and reviewed with the dataset (last review 1 Sep 2026); read them as a ranking aid. Each airline is scored 0-10 on five equally weighted dimensions. Pay reflects real monthly take-home adjusted for tax status and provided housing, not headline basic salary. Roster covers days off, bidding fairness and fatigue exposure. Base life rates the cost and quality of living in the airline's crew base cities. Career measures promotion speed and transferable prestige. Lifestyle captures layover quality, staff travel and the day-to-day experience crew actually report.
Scores are editorial estimates compiled from collective agreements, public salary reporting and crew-shared accounts. As our crew review system launches, these scores will be progressively replaced by verified crew-submitted ratings.