Complain as you may about crazy lines ups at the airport, late and cancelled flights, lost luggage and iffy customer service.
But, Air Canada and WestJet have been awarded the highest honours by passengers that actually fly the airlines.
Air Canada earned the Five Star Global Airline Award at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) 2026 Awards in Long Beach, California.
And WestJet picked up the Four Star Major Airline Award at the same awards ceremony.
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Both airlines fly in and out of Kelowna International Airport.
In fact, WestJet has the most flights and routes out of Kelowna with non-stop service to Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Mazatlan.
Air Canada has non-stops from Kelowna to Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.
From Victoria, WestJet flies to Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Kelowna, Winnipeg, Toronto, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.
From Victoria, Air Canada has non-stops to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
From Kamloops, Air Canada flies to Vancouver and WestJet to Calgary.
From Penticton, WestJet flies to Calgary.
And from Prince George, WestJet has non-stops to Vancouver, Calgary and Puerto Vallarta and Air Canada flies to Vancouver.
The APEX Five Star and Four Star awards are based entirely on passenger feedback gathered through APEX's partnership with the world's most used travel-organizing app -- TripIt from Concur.
For the 2026 awards, over one million flights by 600 airlines around the world were rated by passengers using a one-to-five star scale.
For Air Canada, it was the sixth straight year for five-star certification.
“On behalf of Air Canada's 40,000 global employees, I thank APEX for confirming our status as a leading global carrier by conferring this award and our customers for their demonstrated loyalty in choosing to fly with us," said Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau.
"Thank you for your confidence in Air Canada.”
Air Canada also picked up the 'best inflight connectivity' award for its onboard Wi-Fi sponsored by Bell, which is complimentary for members of its airline loyalty program Aeroplan.
This follows Air Canada's stellar showing at the 2025 Skytrax awards where it won eight trophies, including 'best airline in North America'.
"This recognition is a direct reflection of the passion, dedication, and excellence our frontline teams brought to life this year," said Alex Mitchell, vice-president of guest experience at WestJet.
"It's a huge win for our entire WestJet team—and I couldn't be prouder."
At the APEX Expo, WestJet also had a chance to show off its distinctive uniforms in the airline's colours of navy and teal at the Professional Clothing Industry Association Fashion Show.
"Guest experience is built on global partnerships, and one of the most recognizable parts of that experience comes from WestJet's uniformed employees," said uniforms manager Elise Featherstone.
"The uniform represents more than just attire — it's a symbol of safety, comfort, and trust for every person who travels with us."
