A likely story; "The world's favourite airline" - countless British Airways ads

Like the Carlsberg claim - "probably the best lager in the world" - BA's assertion is an easy one to make: there is no scientific standard for judging mass-produced lager or air travel. But for British long-haul leisure travellers surveyed by Austravel, "the world's favourite" barely rates a mention.

The questionnaire, completed by 15,000 flyers, covered five categories on more than 20 airlines. For politeness, Austravel has published only the top 10 in each category. British Airways scrapes in at number 10 for "helpfulness and manner of cabin crew"; to BA's chagrin, its charter rival Britannia is third, behind Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airlines of Japan. These also rate highly in the categories where BA is absent: catering, comfort, entertainment and value for money. The last category was won easily by All Nippon, which may want to adopt the slogan: "We'll take more care of you".