The 6 best airlines in the world right now

Thankfully, there are a lot of quality airlines flying the friendly skies nowadays, but with so many choices, it's not always easy to know which ones offer the best perks and amenities. Is it too much to want a tip-top entertainment system ON TOP of your iPad? No, no it's not.

Here's a cheat sheet to the industry-accepted best airlines out there and what each excels at, from first-class glamour to air-mile mother lodes, for when you're e-booking that last-minute getaway.

Sure, you're armed with Kindles and iPads for your flight, but sometimes you just want to watch the ease of a film from the seat-back entertainment system. And the US flavour of Virgin has more than 50 films and plenty of TV shows, including Game of Thrones and House of Cards.

You can order food and drink to complement your movie right on the screen, and you can even send seat-to-seat messages to share fan theories (handy if you're traveling with someone but not sitting next to them).

Air France has partnered with Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud to create menus for its La Premiere and business classes. Lobster with a coconut curry sauce and braised lamb with root vegetables are a few dishes fliers can expect - along with glasses of champers, of course.

Don't worry, economy class gets a little love, too, as its menus are curated by former Top Chef: France winner Jean Imbert.

We all remember that poor fellow being dragged off his United flight in April. Not good customer service. JetBlue, on the other hand, has ranked number one in customer service for years, according to global research firm JD Power and Associates.

Its survey takes in factors like in-flight services, state of the airplane, the check-in process and ticket prices and fees. Passengers also say they particularly like the free Wi-Fi and unlimited snacks.

Emirates' first-class cabin is legendary in the airline industry. The upper-deck cabin, with lots of gold-plated detailing, has just 14 seats equipped with a mini bar and a state-of-the-art entertainment system.

You can order food whenever you want (anything from caviar to a burger) or hang with your fellow first-class passengers at the horseshoe-shaped bar stocked with Dom Perignon. There are even on-board showers to wash away the booze sweats.

While you'll only be familiar with Southwest if you've flied internally in the US, members of its Rapid Rewards programme can earn points for every dollar spent on Southwest flights (the airline takes in more than 100 destinations), as well as those spent with its hotels, retail and car rental partners.

Other flyer pros include no blackout dates and air miles that never expire. Plus your miles can be used for any available seat on any Southwest flight, not just limited to a single week in winter like some.

If you're lucky (or wealthy) enough to fly first class on Singapore Airlines, you'll be pampered with private suites (complete with sliding doors and an actual bed), plus meals that can be pre-ordered and served on Wedgewood china.

While certainly not as luxe, business and economy classes have comfy seats with lots of leg room and top-tier entertainment systems. Plus, the cabin crew are some of the most accommodating in the industry.