Going On An Adventure Trip? Check Out Award-Winning Etihad Airways

A recent study undertaken by specialist travel insurance provider battleface has found that Etihad is the most adventure friendly airline in the world, followed by Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines in 2nd and 3rd position.

With travel disruptions at an all time high, it’s more important than ever to know the policies of the airline you’re booking with. The study involved a rigorous methodology, investigating the top global destinations for adventure travel activities (listed below), triangulated the closest airports and the airlines serving those airports. Then airline data including baggage fees, special items consideration for each activity, first bag fee and Airhelp global airline ranking scores.

A shortlist of 25 airlines was created and the top 10 is as follows:

1. Etihad Airways

2. Qatar Airways

3. Japan Airlines

4. Singapore Airlines

5. Qantas

6. LOT Polish Airlines

7. Lufthansa

8. All Nippon Airways

9. Air France

10. Delta Air Lines

The activities investigated are the nine “adventure travel” activities that battleface provides coverage for. Those activities are: Surfing, sailing, kitesurfing, golfing, kayaking/canoeing, scuba diving, mountaineering/trekking, mountain biking, ski/snowboarding. These activities were then into four main sports types: watersports, winter sports, golf, and cycling.

Here is some info, for example, on the Top Three.

Etihad Airways

Etihad flies to nearly all the top destinations in the world for adventure sports including ski/snowboarding, mountaineering, scuba diving, kitesurfing, sailing, kayaking, surfing, sailing, and mountain biking. It also has one of the most generous baggage policies, with two free checked bags and allows for a range of sports equipment—including bikes, kayaks, skis, and snowboards—in its standard baggage allowance, making it the best airline for bikes, among other activities.

Qatar Airways

Qatar services the top destinations for all nine sports and activities included in the survey, including golf, the one which Etihad lacks. It also allows for a generous baggage allowance of two checked bags per passenger on an economy ticket. As part of the OneWorld Alliance, it’s an attractive option for frequent fliers within that network.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines also generously allows a range of sports equipment—bikes, kayaks, skis/snowboards, scuba gear etc—to be included as part of its standard free baggage policy. Plus, it flies to all but one of the top destinations for the nine sports on the list.

So get out your passport and have fun!

Battleface, Inc. is a full-stack global travel insurance company.

For more about my Wanderlust and Wellness travels, please Follow me on Instagram at @DebbiKickham.