For the second year in a row, Vietnam Airlines has soared past the competition to claim the top spot on our list of Southeast Asia’s top 10 travel brands. Certified as a four-star carrier by Skytrax, the national airline of Vietnam has served some 350 million passengers over its 30-year history, owing its longevity in the turbulent aviation business to strong brand loyalty in the domestic market.
Vietnam Airlines secured the highest overall brand score of 79.2%, edging out regional competitors Garuda Indonesia (71.7%) and Philippine Airlines (71.4%). Garuda Indonesia rose four spots from last year’s rankings, maintaining customer trust and a positive brand perception even as it undergoes restructuring to address debt and cost management challenges. Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines slipped to third place despite an ambitious cabin retrofit programme that has significantly improved its in-flight experience, particularly with premium classes and long-haul routes.
The airline also scored top marks across key metrics: purchase frequency (74%), recommendation (87%), buying experience (91%), customer service (91%), quality of touchpoints (90%), and brand loyalty (89%).
Its leading position is driven by a strong focus on international expansion, recently launching new routes to major European cities like Milan and Copenhagen and offering flights to over 230 destinations. Buoyed by rising demand in core international markets like Japan and South Korea, the flag carrier has sustained an average annual growth rate of 19%, boosting its half-year profit to US$221.8 million (5.55 trillion Vietnamese dong) and exceeding its profit target by 20.3% amidst the region's strong recovery in the commercial aviation market.
This year’s top 10 list sees a greater presence of digital booking platforms alongside aviation brands as Southeast Asia’s travel industry continues its steady post-Covid rebound, showing consistent year-on-year growth. Airlines, in particular, have benefited from rising intra-ASEAN demand, expanding regional routes and increasing flight frequencies across both full-service and low-cost carriers. Booking platforms too are experiencing a surge in demand, with online travel spending in the region expected to balloon to $76 billion this year.
New entrants and rising stars: Traveloka (67.7%) ranks fifth, Tiket.com (65.8%) sixth, VietJet Air (61.9%) seventh, and Agoda (61.7%) rounds out the top 10. Thai AirAsia, Korean Aerospace Industries, NokAir, and Cebu Pacific dropped out of the 2025 list.
High-profile international concerts are boosting travel bookings, with over 40% of music tourists flying overseas for events featuring artists like Lady Gaga, Blackpink, and Maroon 5. Tiket.com, Agoda, and Traveloka reported surges during peak months such as May and June, highlighting the link between entertainment and travel demand. Tourism from emerging markets, especially India, is further driving traffic to destinations like Bali, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.The ranking comes from our authoritative Southeast Asia Top 50 Brands list, developed with Pureprofile, covering six markets: Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore. Brands were scored on awareness, purchase frequency, quality, customer service, trust, innovation, digital and offline touchpoints, and advocacy. We have provided a comprehensive analysis of the top brands by sector in Southeast Asia, including finance, beauty, food, electronics, telcos & streaming, ecommerce, transport & delivery, and automotive.
The chart below shows the scores of Southeast Asia’s top 50 travel brands in Southeast Asia. Below it, you’ll find the top 10 travel brands in individual markets, followed by a brief analysis of the region's leading performers.
In charts: Travel brands breakdown by market
Let’s have a closer look at the top 10 SEA performers
1. Vietnam Airlines
Despite placing 62nd on Skytrax's 2025 list of the world's top 100 airlines, Vietnam Airlines continues to enjoy exceptional domestic brand perception. Among the top 10 travel brands in Vietnam, the flag carrier outperformed booking platforms Traveloka, Agoda, and Booking.com by at least 10%. Compared to last year, Vietnam Airlines improved by 3% overall in its domestic score, reflecting an upward trajectory in consumer experience as it expands its fleet with at least 50 new aircraft. The carrier's branding leans heavily on Vietnamese hospitality, with liveries featuring national imagey like the Lac bird and takes on a premium approach to customer service.
2. Garuda Indonesia
Certified a five-star airline by Skytrax, Garuda Indonesia ranked 46th on the consultancy's global list of top 100 airlines in 2025. Despite its legacy status, the flag carrier only placed second among Indonesia's top 10 travel brands, trailing Traveloka by nearly 10% in brand score. But Garuda Indonesia has shown consistent year-on-year improvement, rising more than 14% in overall score in the regional top 50 list. The airline is praised for its standout first-class service and high-quality customer service in its long-haul flights. Its marketing efforts are rooted in Indonesian culture, with aircraft sporting liveries adapted from the popular local comics Tahilalats and a special edition featuring stylised Sundanese batik.
3. Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines, a four-star carrier per Skytrax, outperformed local competitor Cebu Pacific by over 10% on the domestic top 10 travel brands list. While the airline did not make Skytrax's top 100 airlines this year, it maintains strong consumer favor domestically (71.4%), outscoring heavyweight airlines like Qatar Airways (58.8%) and Cathay Pacific (54.2%). As Southeast Asia's first established airline, its brand messaging positions itself as 'the heart of the Filipino', using iconic Filipino phrase like 'Mabuhay' that continues to resonate with a loyal domestic frequent flyer base.
4. Thai Airways
Certified a four-star airline by Skytrax, Thai Airways placed 29th on the consultancy's list of top 100 airlines this year. Ranked among the top five carriers from the region, the flag carrier was one of the founding members of Star Alliance, the world's oldest global airline alliance. Domestically, it ranked second (72.6%) on the top 10 travel brands list, behind Agoda (76.2%), and just ahead of Trip.com (62.2%) and Booking.com (60.4%). Known for its 'Thai touch' branding, Thai Airways incorporates regal motifs and traditional customs in its messaging, including drawing on national symbols like the Royal Barge, an iconic motif in Thai art.
5. Traveloka
Traveloka is one of Southeast Asia's biggest travel platforms, boasting over 50 million active monthly users. It retained top spot this year among the top 10 travel brands in Indonesia, with a score of 80.6%, ahead of Garuda Indonesia (71.7%), Tiket.com (65.8%), and Agoda (58.7%). As a tech unicorn, Traveloka's localisation stratregy has consistently retained a loyal user base thanks to its wide range of offerings, including hotels, flights, and experiences, underpinned by competitive pricing.
6. Tiket.com
With more than 50 million monthly active users, Tiket.com ranked third in Indonesia's top 10 travel brands this year, scoring 65.8%. That's a notable step up from last year, when it placed fourth (44.1%), behind Traveloka, Garuda Indonesia, and Korean defence manufacturer KAI. Beyond flights and hotels, Tiket.com is also a go-to platform for concerts, events, and activities, building on the trend of consumers traveling overseas for concerts.
7. Singapore Airlines
Certified a five-star airline by Skytrax, Singapore Airlines consistently ranks among the best airlines in the world. This year, the flag carrier finished second in Skytrax's list of the world's top 100 airlines. Domestically, it leads the top 10 travel brands in Singapore, scoring 80%, some 30% higher than runner-up Agoda. Known for its strong branding, from the slogan 'A Great Way to Fly' to the signature batik kebaya uniform, the airline is key in building Singapore's position as a global hub, with a loyal following among local and international frequent flyers.
8. VietJet Air
VietJet Air, a three-star low-cost carrier per Skytrax, is streadily gaining traction among budget-conscious travellers in the region. The airline placed fifth in Vietnam's top 10 travel brands this year, just ahead of competitor Bamboo Airways. With Vietnam experiencing a surge in inbound regional travel, VietJet has successfully grown a frequent flyer base of nearly nine million members.
9. Malaysia Airlines
Once a leading airline in Southeast Asia, Malaysia Airlines is certified four stars by Skytrax. Previously a five-star carrier, the airline continues its strong recovery in consumer trust a decade on since the tragedies of 2014. On Skytrax's top 100 airlines list this year, Malaysia Airlines ranked 27th, the highest among all regional carriers bar Singapore Airlines. It remains a respected brand at home, edging out competitor AirAsia on Malaysia's top 10 travel brands by three tenths. Its branding, 'Time For', emphasises Malaysian hospitality, differentiating itself from the low-cost carrier Air Asia by offering more premium service and a more personalised approach to customer service.
10. Agoda
Agoda is one of the world's leading booking platforms, with over 80 million monthly active visitors. It ranked first in the top 10 travel brands in Malaysia (63.3%) and Thailand (72.6%), edging out national carriers Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways. Having only ranked 27th on last year's top 50 travel brands list, Agoda leapt into the top 10 this year, driven by humour-led marketing, price-cutting offers, and adoption of AI in its ads.
