Singapore Airlines has taken the top spot as the world's best airline in TripAdvisor's 2018 Travelers' Choice Awards.

In addition to the world list, the Traveler's Choice awards recognize the best airlines in seven regions including Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, South Pacific & Oceania, Africa & Indian Ocean, and the Middle East. The awards also recognize the top airlines in four distinct service classes: International First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy.

Winners were determined by the quantity and quality of airline reviews, along with ratings provided by flyers over a 12-month period on TripAdvisor Flights. Flyers were asked to rate their carrier on legroom, customer service, cleanliness, entertainment, and food.

Of the world's best airlines, passengers chose Air New Zealand as number two, followed by Emirates, which ranked number 1 in last year's survey.

Southwest is the only American carrier to make the list at number 6, placing it 1st among North American airlines.

"It's an honor to receive several TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards for Airlines including being the only U.S.-based carrier named a top ten airline in the world," said Ryan Green, Southwest Airlines vice president and chief marketing officer. "The real winners today are our more than 120 million customers who put their trust in Southwest to get them to where they need to be safely, on time, and with the world-renowned hospitality our 60,000 Southwest employees provide."

Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and WestJet also earned top honors among North American airlines, with both American and United notably absent from the list.  

In the European market, Virgin Atlantic was rated number 1 by travelers, followed by a surprise appearance from Aeroflot at number 2.  

Singapore also earned top honors for best first class as well as best economy class.

The complete list of the world's top 10 airlines includes:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Air New Zealand
3. Emirates
4. Japan Airlines
5. EVA Air
6. Southwest Airlines
7. Jet2.com
8. Qatar Airways
9. Azul
10. Korean Air

Above image via Shutterstock