StudentUniverse Announces Top Airlines Chosen by Students & Youth

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--StudentUniverse, the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace, is pleased to announce the winners of its 3^rd Annual Airline Awards. StudentUniverse’s student traveler database across four countries voted for airlines who excelled in 6 categories, including overall experience, value and service. A new addition this year, “Safest During Covid-19,” allowed students to commend airlines for keeping travelers healthy and cared for during pandemic travel.

The 2021 Best Airlines for Students are:

Best Overall Airline for Students [US]: American Airlines

For the second year running, American Airlines was voted best overall airline by US students. Now operating flights to 350+ destinations, American Airlines has established itself as one of the leading travel brands. Students ranked American Airlines as the best student airline for their value, service, reliability and overall experience.

One student commented, “American Airlines was my favorite airline prior to COVID-19 but especially since the pandemic, their cleaning and safety procedures are efficient and done often …I rely on air travel to get to and from home at the end of each semester, which can be very expensive…. Thankfully, Student Universe's partnership with American Airlines helps us to save money and get me home safely. I plan to use American Airlines exclusively for the remainder of my college career.”

In the US, American Airlines was not only voted Best Overall, but also swept the 5 remaining categories.

As the first airline to win every award in one country, Louis de Joux, Managing Director of Leisure, Specialty, and Groups at American Airlines and President of American Airlines Vacations said, “We’re honored to be recognized for our commitment to helping student and youth travelers broaden their horizons through travel, and are immensely grateful for the leading role that Student Universe plays in the travel ecosystem.”

Best Overall Airline for Students [CA]: Air Canada

In Canada, Air Canada also had a clean sweep of all six categories, with students labeling them, “most reliable,” “cheapest,” and “very accommodating.”

“Air Canada is very proud to have won in all six Canadian categories in this year’s Student Universe annual survey and we thank the students who travel with us for their loyalty. The student demographic is highly discerning, and we are pleased to be able to respond to their unique needs. Today’s students are tomorrow’s frequent business and leisure travellers, which is why we are committed to continually elevate our services to ensure this relationship remains strong far into the future,” said Lisa Pierce, Vice President, Canada and U.S. Sales at Air Canada.

Across the UK and Australia, British Airways, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines, Qantas Airlines and Virgin Australia all received student awards.

“While 2021 was another challenging year in aviation, students and youth have been among the most active with respect to travel and are a critical demographic for this industry in terms of recovery,” said StudentUniverse Managing Director, Steven de Blois. “As the world’s largest student survey, we’re setting the global standard for airline awards amongst this group.”

Find the full list of winners on StudentUniverse.com.

About StudentUniverse

Launched in 2000, StudentUniverse operates the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace. Through negotiations with a network of global partners, StudentUniverse offers exclusive pricing and terms for students. With operations in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and the Philippines, StudentUniverse empowers students to travel more. Acquired in 2015, StudentUniverse is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group, one of the world’s largest travel companies.