By DI Bureau
Safe Travel Barometer, said to be the world’s most comprehensive database for COVID-19 traveler health and safety protocols, has released Safe Travel Score for airlines worldwide. This is an industry-first rating initiative, based on an independent audit of more than 150 airlines and 20 traveler health and safety measures announced, as part of airlines renewed pre-boarding, boarding and onboard experiences.
Germany’s Lufthansa has emerged as the world’s leading airline with a Safe Travel Score of 4.5 out of 5, having implemented numerous pro-traveler health and safety initiatives. These include utmost transparency in communication of safety measures with travelers, including mandatory face masks for travelers, frequent cleaning of aircraft before/after every flight and most importantly, blocking middle seats in a bold statement to ease traveler anxiety. More recently, Lufthansa also announced rollout of COVID-19 tests of arriving passengers at Munich and Frankfurt airports.
India’s Vistara and U.S.-based Delta are tied at the second spot with a Safe Travel Score of 4.4 out of 5.
The entry of U.S.based airlines in the top-10 is the most encouraging. Safe Travel Barometer first highlighted the dismal performance of the U.S. carriers in June 2020, when majority of them did not have much (or any) traveler safety protocols in place. The introduction of these measures ever since to coerce travelers back in the air enabled 4
U.S. carriers – Delta (4.4), Allegiant (4.4), Hawaiian (4.2) and Alaska (4.1) – to push ahead of other airlines globally and make it to the top-10 list.
“The fundamental premise of Safe Travel Score is to benchmark travel brands’ initiatives to reduce traveler anxiety,” says Virendra Jain, Co-Founder and CEO, Safe Travel. “Our independent rating centered on traveler health and safety measures establishes a baseline for travel brands, while equally offering travelers a glimpse into what they can expect in their journeys.”
Top 10 Worldwide Airlines for COVID-19 Traveler Safety Measures, August 2020
| Airline | Country | Safe TravelScore* |
| Lufthansa | Germany | 4.5 |
| Vistara | India | 4.4 |
| Delta Airlines | U.S. | 4.4 |
| Allegiant Air | U.S. | 4.4 |
| China Airlines | China | 4.2 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | U.S. | 4.2 |
| AirAsia | Malaysia | 4.2 |
| Emirates | U.A.E. | 4.2 |
| Philippines Airlines | Philippines | 4.2 |
| Alaska Airlines | U.S. | 4.1 |
* Safe Travel Score is based on an independent audit of more than 20 parameters applicable to an air journey, across pre-boarding, boarding and onboard experiences. It includes COVID-19 related hygiene and safety measures announced by airlines for travelers and its crew.
Top 5 North American Airlines for COVID-19 Traveler Safety Measures, August 2020
| Airline | Country | Safe Travel Score |
| Delta Airlines | U.S. | 4.4 |
| Allegiant Air | U.S. | 4.4 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | U.S. | 4.2 |
| Alaska Airlines | U.S. | 4.1 |
| JetBlue | U.S. | 4.1 |
Top 5 European Airlines for COVID-19 Traveler Safety Measures, August 2020
| Airline | Country | Safe Travel Score |
| Lufthansa | Germany | 4.5 |
| Air Caraibes | France | 4.0 |
| Sun Express | Germany | 3.9 |
| Iberia | Spain | 3.6 |
| Vueling | Spain | 3.5 |
Top 5 Asia Pacific Airlines for COVID-19 Traveler Safety Measures, August 2020
| Airline | Country | Safe Travel Score |
| Vistara | India | 4.4 |
| China Airlines | China | 4.2 |
| AirAsia | Malaysia | 4.2 |
| Philippines Airlines | Philippines | 4.2 |
| IndiGo | India | 4.1 |
Top 5 Middle East and Africa Airlines for COVID-19 Traveler Safety Measures, August 2020
| Airline | Country | Safe Travel Score |
| Emirates | U.A.E. | 4.2 |
| Etihad | U.A.E. | 4.0 |
| Jazeera Airways | Kuwait | 3.9 |
| Gulf Air | Bahrain | 3.9 |
| Flyadeal | Saudi Arabia | 3.8 |
About Safe Travel Barometer:
Safe Travel Barometer is an independent subsidiary of VIDEC, a travel industry advisory and consulting firm. Visit www.safetravelbarometer.com for more information on Safe Travel Score, explore other travel industry categories, countries of interest, and partnership enquiries.
Read original story on Destination India.