11 Best Airlines for Flights to India, Ranked for Comfort & Service

Planning a trip to India from the United States means balancing price, routing, and how well you can sleep, eat, and relax on a long flight. This guide lists the 11 best international carriers serving India, ranked for comfort and service, so North American travellers can choose flights that fit their needs. Airlines were selected and ordered using Skytrax 2025 standings, recent industry awards, seat and cabin specifications where available, passenger-review patterns, and hub convenience for US–India itineraries. We focused on measurable comfort metrics — like seat pitch, seat width, and IFE quality — and real-world service indicators such as awards and consistent passenger praise. Practical routing notes are included to help travellers pick the best connections from major US gateways like New York/Newark, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. There are short, labeled passenger-review summaries and quick loyalty-program notes for each airline, so you know which frequent-flyer benefits matter on India trips. Think of this as the tiffin box of flight choices: each compartment holds something useful — legroom, meals, or smooth connections — and together they make the journey more comfortable. Read the sections for the airline that matches your priorities: lowest jetlag, best business-class sleep, overall value in premium economy, or easiest single-stop routing.

1. Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways tops global lists and offers one of the most widely recommended experiences for travellers to India. Skytrax named it the world’s best airline in 2025, and Doha’s Hamad International Airport provides smooth connections from U.S. gateways to multiple Indian cities (Skytrax 2025). The carrier’s business-class Qsuite remains a standout for privacy and lie-flat comfort, which is a real benefit on overnight flights from New York or Chicago to Mumbai and Delhi. Economy passengers also report above-average comfort on newer A350 and 787 aircraft, with well-regarded in-flight entertainment and attentive service during long sectors. Recent awards highlight in-flight service and cabin experience, which shows up consistently in passenger reviews praising crew professionalism and meal quality (Travel and Tour World, Skytrax). Subjective summary: passengers often call the service polished and consistent, especially on long-haul sectors via Doha. Frequent-flyer note: Privilege Club members can earn and redeem miles across oneworld partners and partner airlines, which helps US–India travellers book upgrades or lounge access on connecting flights. For a New York–Mumbai itinerary, a Doha connection gives one of the shortest total travel times while preserving comfort.