The travel power table: service in the air, loyalty on the ground
30 brands. 4 rankings. Singapore Airlines edges McDonald's, three Asian and Gulf airlines make the World 100, and America has half the list.
“In travel, the most powerful promise is that nothing will go wrong.”
WCRC Intelligence Unit
The finding that frames the industry
30 different travel, hospitality and logistics brands appear across WCRC's four 2026 Most Powerful rankings, with an average Power Score of 70.54. Thirteen are in the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026.
The top of the table is almost a tie. Singapore Airlines (78.18) leads McDonald's (78.11) by 0.07 points. The Golden Arches stand for speed, consistency and value in more than 100 countries, and McDonald's reported revenue of $26.9bn, up 3.7%, as per company filings.
The airlines of Asia and the Gulf
Three airlines from Asia and the Gulf are in the World 100 and in no regional WCRC ranking yet: Singapore Airlines (78.18, #26), Emirates (75.67, #55) and Qatar Airways (73.83, #93). Singapore also places Marina Bay Sands (75.05, #61), the only resort brand in the group.
America's strongest airline, Delta (75.01), regularly tops US on-time rankings. United Airlines (68.24) has the most extensive international network of any US airline.
Hotels, cruises and the loyalty engine
Hotel brands are built on loyalty programmes. Hilton (76.25) has Hilton Honors, Marriott (75.50) has Marriott Bonvoy, and Hyatt (69.92) has World of Hyatt. Hilton's revenue rose 7.7%. Royal Caribbean International (75.90) turned cruise ships into destinations, with revenue up 8.8%. Airbnb (73.94) made living like a local mainstream.
In Europe, Accor (65.96) offers a brand for every budget, from ibis to Pullman. In the UK, IHG (65.04) and Premier Inn (65.04) tie.
Restaurants and coffee
Seven restaurant and coffee brands are in the group, six of them American. Starbucks (76.46) is part of millions of daily routines through its stores, app and rewards programme. Domino's Pizza (74.44) turned itself into a technology company that sells pizza. Chipotle (70.08), Taco Bell (68.88) and KFC (68.68) follow. Britain's Greggs (65.92) has turned the humble bakery into one of the country's most talked-about brands, with revenue up 6.8%.
Europe's carriers and shippers
Europe's five brands are all transport. Maersk (66.68) is one of the largest container shipping companies in the world. KLM (65.36), Lufthansa (65.00) and Ryanair (64.92) follow. Ryanair's power is price, and it carried 208.4m passengers in the year to March 2026. In the UK, Virgin Atlantic (65.52), Jet2 (64.44) and easyJet (63.80) carry the British travel brands.
Logistics
UPS (73.69, #98 in the world) and FedEx (70.72) are the two logistics brands in America's Most Powerful 100. UPS's brown trucks are trusted for reliable delivery, though its revenue fell 2.7% to $88.7bn, as per company filings.
Five things that will define the industry
- Whether McDonald's overtakes Singapore Airlines at the top of the table.
- How Gulf and Asian airlines place when WCRC ranks their home regions.
- Whether loyalty programmes keep hotel brands ahead of Airbnb.
- How low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet turn price into trust.
- Whether UPS and FedEx can grow their brands as parcel volumes shift.
The groups behind the badges
- Yum! Brands, Inc.: 2 ranked brands (Taco Bell, KFC)
The combined table: all 30 brands by score
| # | Brand | World | US | UK | Europe | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Singapore Airlines | #26 | — | — | — | 78.18 |
| 02 | McDonald's | #27 | #12 | — | — | 78.11 |
| 03 | Starbucks | #44 | #17 | — | — | 76.46 |
| 04 | Hilton | #47 | #18 | — | — | 76.25 |
| 05 | Royal Caribbean International | #51 | #19 | — | — | 75.90 |
| 06 | Emirates | #55 | — | — | — | 75.67 |
| 07 | Marriott | #56 | #21 | — | — | 75.50 |
| 08 | Marina Bay Sands | #61 | — | — | — | 75.05 |
| 09 | Delta | #62 | #23 | — | — | 75.01 |
| 10 | Domino's Pizza | #74 | #32 | — | — | 74.44 |
| 11 | Airbnb | #91 | #40 | — | — | 73.94 |
| 12 | Qatar Airways | #93 | — | — | — | 73.83 |
| 13 | UPS | #98 | #44 | — | — | 73.69 |
| 14 | FedEx | — | #72 | — | — | 70.72P |
| 15 | Chipotle | — | #83 | — | — | 70.08P |
| 16 | Hyatt | — | #85 | — | — | 69.92P |
| 17 | Taco Bell | — | #92 | — | — | 68.88P |
| 18 | KFC | — | #93 | — | — | 68.68P |
| 19 | United Airlines | — | #96 | — | — | 68.24P |
| 20 | Maersk | — | — | — | #79 | 66.68P |
| 21 | Accor | — | — | — | #86 | 65.96P |
| 22 | Greggs | — | — | #42 | — | 65.92P |
| 23 | Virgin Atlantic | — | — | #47 | — | 65.52P |
| 24 | KLM | — | — | — | #92 | 65.36P |
| 25 | IHG | — | — | #53 | — | 65.04P |
| 26 | Premier Inn | — | — | #54 | — | 65.04P |
| 27 | Lufthansa | — | — | — | #95 | 65.00P |
| 28 | Ryanair | — | — | — | #99 | 64.92P |
| 29 | Jet2 | — | — | #63 | — | 64.44P |
| 30 | easyJet | — | — | #70 | — | 63.80P |
P Provisional score. Unmarked scores are published scores carried over from the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 or validated by WCRC.
The industry in full, ranking by ranking
World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026
13 Travel, Hospitality & Logistics brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #026 | Singapore Airlines | — | — | 78.18 | See ranking page |
| #027 | McDonald's | McDonald's Corporation | 1940 | 78.11 | $26.9bn revenue (FY2025, +3.7%) |
| #044 | Starbucks | Starbucks Corporation | 1971 | 76.46 | $37.9bn revenue (FY2026, year to Sep, +2.0%) |
| #047 | Hilton | Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. | 1919 | 76.25 | $12.0bn revenue (FY2025, +7.7%) |
| #051 | Royal Caribbean International | Royal Caribbean Group | 1968 | 75.90 | $17.9bn revenue (FY2025, +8.8%), group revenue of Royal Caribbean Group |
| #055 | Emirates | — | — | 75.67 | See ranking page |
| #056 | Marriott | Marriott International, Inc. | 1927 | 75.50 | $26.2bn revenue (FY2025, +4.3%) |
| #061 | Marina Bay Sands | — | — | 75.05 | See ranking page |
| #062 | Delta | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 1925 | 75.01 | $63.4bn revenue (FY2025, +2.8%) |
| #074 | Domino's Pizza | Domino's Pizza, Inc. | 1960 | 74.44 | $4.9bn revenue (FY2025, +5.0%) |
| #091 | Airbnb | Airbnb, Inc. | 2008 | 73.94 | $12.2bn revenue (FY2025, +10.3%) |
| #093 | Qatar Airways | — | — | 73.83 | See ranking page |
| #098 | UPS | United Parcel Service, Inc. | 1907 | 73.69 | $88.7bn revenue (FY2025, -2.7%), group revenue of United Parcel Service, Inc. |
America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026
15 Travel, Hospitality & Logistics brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #012 | McDonald's | McDonald's Corporation | 1940 | 78.11 | $26.9bn revenue (FY2025, +3.7%) |
| #017 | Starbucks | Starbucks Corporation | 1971 | 76.46 | $37.9bn revenue (FY2026, year to Sep, +2.0%) |
| #018 | Hilton | Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. | 1919 | 76.25 | $12.0bn revenue (FY2025, +7.7%) |
| #019 | Royal Caribbean International | Royal Caribbean Group | 1968 | 75.90 | $17.9bn revenue (FY2025, +8.8%), group revenue of Royal Caribbean Group |
| #021 | Marriott | Marriott International, Inc. | 1927 | 75.50 | $26.2bn revenue (FY2025, +4.3%) |
| #023 | Delta | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | 1925 | 75.01 | $63.4bn revenue (FY2025, +2.8%) |
| #032 | Domino's Pizza | Domino's Pizza, Inc. | 1960 | 74.44 | $4.9bn revenue (FY2025, +5.0%) |
| #040 | Airbnb | Airbnb, Inc. | 2008 | 73.94 | $12.2bn revenue (FY2025, +10.3%) |
| #044 | UPS | United Parcel Service, Inc. | 1907 | 73.69 | $88.7bn revenue (FY2025, -2.7%), group revenue of United Parcel Service, Inc. |
| #072 | FedEx | FedEx Corporation | 1971 | 70.72P | $94.7bn revenue (FY2026, year to May, +7.7%) |
| #083 | Chipotle | Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. | 1993 | 70.08P | $11.9bn revenue (FY2025, +5.4%) |
| #085 | Hyatt | Hyatt Hotels Corporation | 1957 | 69.92P | $7.1bn revenue (FY2025, +6.8%) |
| #092 | Taco Bell | Yum! Brands, Inc. | 1962 | 68.88P | $8.2bn revenue (FY2025, +8.8%), group revenue of Yum! Brands, Inc. |
| #093 | KFC | Yum! Brands, Inc. | 1930 | 68.68P | $8.2bn revenue (FY2025, +8.8%), group revenue of Yum! Brands, Inc. |
| #096 | United Airlines | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | 1926 | 68.24P | $59.1bn revenue (FY2025, +3.5%) |
UK's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026
6 Travel, Hospitality & Logistics brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #042 | Greggs | Greggs plc | 1939 | 65.92P | £2.2bn revenue (FY2025, 52 weeks to 27 Dec 2025, +6.8%), group revenue of Greggs plc |
| #047 | Virgin Atlantic | Virgin Atlantic Limited | 1984 | 65.52P | £3.4bn revenue (FY2025, year to Dec 2025, +3.0%) |
| #053 | IHG | InterContinental Hotels Group PLC | 2003 | 65.04P | $5.2bn revenue (FY2025, year to Dec 2025, +5.4%), group revenue of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IFRS total revenue) |
| #054 | Premier Inn | Whitbread PLC | 1987 | 65.04P | £2.9bn revenue (FY2026, year to Feb 2026, +0.0%), group revenue of Whitbread PLC |
| #063 | Jet2 | Jet2 plc | 2003 | 64.44P | £7.5bn revenue (FY2026, year to Mar 2026, +4.0%), group revenue of Jet2 plc |
| #070 | easyJet | easyJet plc | 1995 | 63.80P | £10.1bn revenue (FY2025, year to Sep 2025, +9.0%), group revenue of easyJet plc |
Europe's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026
5 Travel, Hospitality & Logistics brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #079 | Maersk | A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S | 1904 | 66.68P | US$54.0bn revenue (FY2025) |
| #086 | Accor | Accor SA | 1967 | 65.96P | €5.64bn revenue (FY2025, +0.6%) |
| #092 | KLM | Air France-KLM | 1919 | 65.36P | KLM Group €13.21bn revenue (FY2025, +3.9%); Air France-KLM €33.0bn |
| #095 | Lufthansa | Deutsche Lufthansa AG | 1926 | 65.00P | €39.6bn revenue (FY2025, +5%) |
| #099 | Ryanair | Ryanair Holdings plc | 1984 | 64.92P | €15.54bn group revenue; 208.4m passengers (FY to 31 March 2026, +11%) |
Questions people ask
- What is the most powerful travel brand in 2026?
- Singapore Airlines, with a WCRC Power Score of 78.18 and #26 in the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026.
- What is the most powerful restaurant brand in 2026?
- McDonald's, with a score of 78.11. It ranks #12 in America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 and #27 in the world.
- What is the most powerful hotel brand in 2026?
- Hilton, with a score of 76.25. It ranks #18 in America's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 and #47 in the world.
Methodology in brief
This analysis groups every brand from WCRC's Most Powerful Brands rankings of 2026 into newsroom industries and compares them on the scores, ranks and facts published in those rankings. The WCRC Power Score rates each brand from 0 to 100 across five pillars: Brand Positioning and Recall, Consumer Trust and Sentiment, Product, Innovation and Delivery, Sustainability, Governance and ESG, and Digital Presence and Financial Soundness. The detailed methodology is available on request.
About WCRC. WCRC (World Centre for Research and Consulting) is an independent research and consulting organisation. It publishes brand rankings including the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands, regional and national Most Powerful 100 Brands rankings, and national Most Trusted D2C Brands rankings, through its sites wcrcint.com, wcrcleaders.com and mostvaluablebrands.com. The WCRC Intelligence Unit publishes research briefings and industry analysis.
© 2026 World Centre for Research and Consulting (WCRC). This article may be quoted with attribution to WCRC and a link to this page.