It’s often been said that you get what you pay for. But that isn’t always true — especially when it comes to air travel.

No less than three discount airlines can hold their own against the best full-fare fliers in the world, according to the newly released Top 10 Airlines in the World tally from TripAdvisor.

3 discounters named among the Top 10 best in the world

Southwest, Jet2.com and Azul claimed the #6, #7 and #9 spot on the TripAdvisor survey alongside better know full-fare competitors like Signapore Airlines, Emirates, Japan Airlines and more.

Southwest may be familiar to many domestic fliers. Money expert Clark Howard has long talked about them because Southwest lets your first and second checked bags fly free. The airline also distinguishes itself from competitors by eliminating change fees when you need to modify your ticket or change your flight altogether.

Jet2 and Azul, meanwhile, are international hard discounters in the mold of easyJet and Ryan Air.

Jet2 is a British carrier that flies to holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and throughout Europe.

Azul, meanwhile, flies to 100+ destinations in its native Brazil and has flights leaving daily from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

TripAdvisor looked at airline reviews submitted from February 2017 to February 2018 to determine its rankings.

How did the full fares do?

Admittedly, full-fare airlines heavily outweigh discounters on the TripAdvisor survey.

Here’s the full 2018 list of TripAdvisor’s top 10 airlines in the world:

Singapore Airlines
Air New Zealand
Emirates
Japan Airlines
EVA Air
Southwest Airlines
Jet2.com
Qatar Airways
Azul
Korean Air

So Singapore Airlines beat out every other carrier in the world! That’s a tremendous accomplishment.

But if the renowned carrier’s fares are too rich for you, we’d like to suggest an alternative —

Did you know that Singapore Airlines owns a budget carrier called Scoot Air through its Budget Aviation Holdings subsidiary? We recently brought Scoot Air to your attention here at Clark.com in our piece on 4 airlines that offer 'no kids' seating for a quiet and peaceful flight.

Turn outs Scoot has a special seating section called the ScootinSilence quiet zone that bans kids under 12!

It offers 33 seats with adjustable headrests sectioned off between business and economy class for the traveler who just wants a little piece and quiet.

Scoot doesn't list a cost for this special seating on its fares and fees page. But one recent media report from Down Under suggests you could pay as little as $15 extra to enjoy peace and quiet on a flight between Melbourne (MEL) and Singapore (SIN).

So by flying Scoot, you could potentially benefit from the trickle-down effect of Singapore Airlines’ superior business model without having to pay through the nose!