Lufthansa has been named the world's most family-friendly airline at the 2025 World Airline Awards, presented by the renowned market research institute Skytrax at the Paris Air Show. This award underscores the airline's commitment to making traveling with children as enjoyable as possible. Furthermore, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt was named the world's best First Class Lounge, confirming the airline's leading position in the premium segment.
The Austrian airlines Austrian Airlines and Eurowings also performed well in the global passenger survey: Austrian Airlines received the award for "Best Airline Staff in Europe" for the eighth time, while Eurowings was honored as "Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe." The results are based on a global survey of 22,3 million passengers from over 100 countries who evaluated the airlines' onboard offerings and services at airports.
Lufthansa: Family-friendliness and first-class luxury
Lufthansa's double award at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025 – as the world's most family-friendly airline and for the best First Class Lounge – reflects the broad spectrum of its service standards.
Heiko Reitz, Chief Customer Officer of Lufthansa Airlines, expressed his delight at the recognition: "Lufthansa attaches great importance to ensuring that all guests on board feel comfortable – from Economy to First Class. I am therefore particularly pleased that we have received the award for the world's most family-friendly airline and, at the same time, for the best First Class Lounge." He particularly emphasized the hospitality of the employees: "Premium at Lufthansa is, above all, the unsurpassed hospitality of Lufthansa employees. Our colleagues in the cabin, cockpit, and on the ground can be particularly proud today. They are the ones who fulfill our quality promise day after day."
Traveling with children: A special experience on board Lufthansa
Lufthansa has made significant efforts in recent years to improve the travel experience for families with children. This is reflected in various tailored offers:
- Kids menus: Specially created children's menus, prepared by Gate Gourmet chefs, can be pre-ordered free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. This offer applies to all classes on long-haul flights and to Business Class on short-haul flights. The trays are lovingly designed with colorful illustrations of the Lufthansa mascots "Lu" and "Cosmo," and the menu invites young passengers to solve puzzles and color in while playfully learning how an airplane flies.
- Children's toys and entertainment: A new range of children's toys has been introduced on board, ranging from cloud-shaped blankets for toddlers to puzzles and the game "City, Country, Flight" to appeal to different age groups. There is also a portfolio of coloring pages featuring Lu and Cosmo, accessible via the Lufthansa eJournals homepage. Here, young passengers will also find magazines for children and young people in various languages. The in-flight entertainment program for children offers a wide selection of films, series, music, audiobooks, and podcasts.
- Special extras: Children can look forward to special amenity kits, small bags filled with useful and entertaining items for the journey. Starting in summer 2025, a new year-round "Best Friend" children's boarding pass will also be introduced, designed to make the travel experience even more personal for the youngest passengers.
These offers aim to make the flight more relaxing for families and more exciting for children, which contributes to high customer satisfaction and ultimately to the award as the most family-friendly airline.
Lufthansa First Class: New standards in luxury and individuality
The separate First Class Terminal in Frankfurt is a symbol of Lufthansa's premium offering and has consequently been recognized as the best First Class Lounge in the world. It offers an exclusive limousine transfer directly to the aircraft and a personal assistant who takes care of all traveler needs.
Since the beginning of the year, traveling in Lufthansa's top class has become even more exclusive. The new Lufthansa Allegris First Class on long-haul aircraft can be experienced in the summer schedule on flights from Munich to San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Shanghai, and Bengaluru. This new First Class sets new standards in comfort and individuality with two single suites and the exceptional Suite Plus:
- Single Suites: Guests can heat or cool their nearly one-meter-wide seats in the single suites to suit their personal needs. The separate cabins feature floor-to-ceiling walls and a lockable door, offering a large table, a wide seat, a living-room-sized screen, and wireless over-ear headphones. Generous storage space allows for a personal wardrobe in the suite, allowing travelers to change clothes comfortably and keep all personal belongings within easy reach. Individual lamps also contribute to creating a truly personal atmosphere.
- Suite Plus (double cabin): A special feature is the world's only double cabin, the Suite Plus, which features two wide seats that can be combined to create a comfortable double bed if needed. This "flying private room" impresses with its supreme comfort and individuality. The Suite Plus offers the ultimate in exclusivity for single guests and the unique option of sharing the double cabin with a partner, making it ideal for couples or travelers seeking maximum space and privacy.
This new First Class is part of a comprehensive Lufthansa premium initiative, which also includes renovated First Class check-in areas in Frankfurt (from late summer) and Munich, as well as the redesigned First Class Lounge at Munich Airport. These investments underscore Lufthansa's commitment to playing a leading role in the luxury aviation segment and offering passengers an unparalleled travel experience.
Austrian Airlines: Award for excellent staff
Austrian Airlines, the red-white-red airline, has once again achieved a top ranking at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025, receiving the award for "Best Airline Staff Service in Europe" for the eighth time. This honor, which was also presented to the airline in 2023, confirms the consistently high standards of Austrian Airlines' staff. The awards were presented on June 17 in Paris.
Annette Mann, CEO of Austrian Airlines, expressed her delight at the renewed top ranking: "This renewed award demonstrates the consistently high level at which Austrian Airlines employees give their best every day to get our passengers to their destinations safely, punctually, and with the unmistakable Austrian Airlines hospitality." COO Francesco Sciortino was also enthusiastic: "We are happy and proud of the Austrian Airlines team! The award at this year's SKYTRAX World Airline Awards demonstrates once again that the high standards that everyone at Austrian Airlines sets for their daily work are also recognized and honored by our passengers."
Austrian Airlines' cabin crew also ranked first in Europe and is among the top 1 worldwide. In recent years, Austrian Airlines has received numerous awards, including "Best Airline Western Europe," "Best Premium Economy Dining," and three times in the "Best Business Class Dining" category. These repeated awards demonstrate the high quality of service and the appreciation the crew enjoys among passengers.
Eurowings: Europe's best low-cost airline
Eurowings, the Lufthansa subsidiary in the low-cost segment, was named "Europe's Best Low-Cost Airline" at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025. The awards ceremony took place on June 17 at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget, as part of the Paris Air Show. This prestigious award recognizes the airline's consistent quality initiative and successful expansion into a so-called "value airline" for Europe. In one of the most competitive markets in the world, Eurowings impresses with a clear focus on customer satisfaction, reliability, and a compelling price-performance ratio.
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, congratulated Eurowings on this achievement: "Europe is the most competitive market in the world for low-cost airlines – this success is all the more remarkable. Eurowings' management and employees can be very proud of this award, which testifies to the high quality of their service and hospitality." Skytrax had already certified Eurowings as a four-star airline in 2024 – the first German airline in the low-cost segment.
Jens Bischof, CEO of Eurowings, commented on the award: "Being named Europe's best low-cost airline is an outstanding recognition for our entire team – both in the air and on the ground. We have consistently repositioned Eurowings in recent years, with a clear focus on quality, reliability, and customer orientation. This award shows that our commitment is seen – and appreciated."
Skytrax's analysis of customer surveys revealed that service quality, professional crews, a modern fleet, and unique selling points such as lounge access, flexible rebooking options, and the opportunity to collect miles in the Miles & More program were crucial to Eurowings' success. These advantages clearly set Eurowings apart from its competitors and demonstrate that quality and customer service can play a decisive role even in the low-cost segment.
Skytrax World Airline Awards: The “Oscars of the Aviation Industry”
The Skytrax World Airline Awards are recognized worldwide as the benchmark for excellence in the airline industry and are often referred to as the "Oscars of the aviation industry." The awards are based on the results of the world's largest customer survey in the airline sector, conducted annually by the opinion research institute Skytrax since 1999.
Passengers from over 100 nations participated in the current survey, rating more than 325 airlines worldwide. The survey measures customer satisfaction across various aspects of the travel experience, from in-flight offerings to airport services. The transparency and broad base of the survey give the Skytrax Awards high credibility and recognition throughout the aviation industry.
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