Methinks you may have missed the point of the "CO bashing" on this forum. Most of the "bashing" has been against NonePass, not the airline per se.

Personally, I don't think there is any such thing as a "best airline." Different airlines are best for different people. For example, Singapore Airlines may very well have the best intl. FC in the world, but that doesn't do much for the primarily domestic flyer; nor for the individual who can't afford a full-fare FC ticket, as Singapore almost never upgrades.

Skytrax rates the airline, NOT the frequent flyer program! I don't think anyone here berates CO for being a lousy airline per se. They have some of the newest planes in the sky, they served food when others have cut back, and have a good on-time and safety record. And BizFirst is better than most Business Class products. But for those who pay for their own tickets or work for companies who watch the bottom line, that fine product is pretty much unavailable!

The ugly facts for we of the Great Unwashed:

1. Getting an upgrade to BizFirst is equal in difficulty to Clint Eastwood's trip back to L.A. in "The Gauntlet." Upgrade costs are outrageous, and the process is more than uncertain. Getting an intl. upgrade on AA or even UA is relatively a "piece of cake."

2. Domestic upgrades have gotten substantially more difficult because CO has flooded the ranks of Platinums by handing out tons of "Instant Platinum" cards to contracted companies, Centurion card holders, and direct mailings. Thus, someone who works for the right company or is on the right mailing list, but has never flown CO will trump a loyal CO Gold who flew 50K miles on CO last year.

3. Now due to EQM, the discount flyer is now almost instantly relegated to the back of the plane, even if s/he flies exclusively with CO.

4. Despite all the positives, CO still has one of the worst Economy classes in the sky! If you've gotta fly in the back of the plane, UA and AA are far superior!!! In fact, mauld, I remember you once writing a very positive review of UA's Economy Plus. If you were forced into the back of the plane, would you STILL prefer CO to AA or UA???

5. Getting a Standard Award on CO is virtually impossible!!! I've been burning most of my CO miles on partners. It was far easier to get a reward flight on the AF Concorde than it was on the CO transcon!!! And ditto with QF's intl. FC, which blows CO's BF right outta the water!!!

So, I guess I might pay attention to SkyTrax if I was a wealthy CEO, with my ticket paid for by the corporation. But, as a leisure flyer who pays for his own tickets, CO has simply not been an option since HoKeY was first implemented!