These are the best and worst airlines when flying experiences go awry.

Modern aircraft, comfortable seats and unflappably pleasant flight attendants.

The world's best airlines are determined by several factors.

According to AirHelp, airlines often overlook a crucial element when dealing with customer problems, which is how they treat their customers.

The report emphasized that an airline's evaluation should not solely focus on how they handle passengers during normal operations, but also on their response to customers during unexpected circumstances.

The organization evaluated 83 airlines to determine their annual "AirHelp Score" based on factors such as punctuality, customer opinions, and the efficiency of handling compensation claims.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO at AirHelp, stated that each factor was given equal weight in the scoring process.

The best and worst airlines of 2023

According to data from January 1 to September 30, 2023, these airlines received the highest ratings in the 2023 AirHelp Score.

1.     Qatar Airways – 8.38

2.     Eurowings – 8.27

3.     LOT Polish Airlines – 8.11

4.     Etihad Airways and All Nippon Airways – 8.09 (tie)

6.     Austrian Airlines – 8.07

7.     American Airlines – 7.97

8.     China Airlines – 7.92

9.     Wideroe – 7.89

10.  United Airlines – 7.88

The 10 lowest-scoring airlines on AirHelp’s 2023 list are:

1.     Tunisair – 4.12

2.     British Airways – 5.03

3.     Frontier Airlines and Pegasus Airlines – 5.18 (tie)

5.     Czech Airlines – 5.20

6.     Air Canada – 5.68

7.     Spirit – 5.69

8.     TAROM and Azores Airlines – 5.71 (tie)

10.  Air Austral – 5.77

Since 2015, Qatar Airways has been at the top of every "AirHelp Score" ranking, except for one. In 2016, the airline fell to second place, behind Singapore Airlines. However, in 2022, Qatar Airways tied for the No. 1 spot with Etihad Airways, according to Pawliszyn, who spoke to CNBC Travel.

The 2023 full list can be found at AirHelp’s website.

Best and worst airlines for passenger claims

The five airlines with the best compensation claim processing are:

• China Airlines and Brussels Airlines – 8.2 (tie)
• United Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and airBaltic – 8.1 (tie)

Those faring the worst in terms of claims resolution are:

• British Airways – 1
• Gulf Air – 1.4
• Czech Airlines, Aircalin and Vietnam Airlines – 1.7 (tie)

Pawliszyn stated that British Airways may have finished last due to being understaffed.

He remarked that, being one of the largest and most popular airlines, they likely deal with a substantial amount of claims.

British Airways responded to CNBC Travel's request for comment by stating that they are working diligently to enhance their response times. They have hired 1,500 new employees and implemented new technology to resolve simpler claims more quickly, with the majority of cases being resolved within seven weeks.

EU compensation claims are the reason for more than half of the outstanding cases, as the airline stated, since these claims require extensive checks to be completed.

The claim processing score of 5.4 pulled Singapore Airlines down to No. 26 on the list of major airlines, while Emirates, another highly regarded airline, also ranked No. 24 for the same reason.

Claims processing is ‘crucial’

AirHelp disclosed to CNBC that it utilizes its own data to track the effectiveness of airlines in handling customer compensation claims.

The organization assists passengers in obtaining compensation for delayed or cancelled flights under various international air passenger rights regulations, including EC 261 in Europe and ANAC 400 in Brazil.

A passenger may be able to make a claim in the following scenarios: flights on a European airline where they arrived over three hours late at their destination or a flight that was canceled by the airline less than two weeks before departure.

Claims processing is crucial as it directly affects both passenger satisfaction and an airline's overall operational efficiency, as stated by him.

Pawliszyn stated that swift resolutions to claims such as lost baggage, flight disruptions, or other inconveniences are crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and customer loyalty, which could prevent passengers from choosing another airline for their future travel plans.