The Skytrax World Airline Awards are the Golden Globes of the sky. Winning a title is the global benchmark of airline excellence. Any airline is that any airline strives to pick up an award. Okay, you get it. Now for the grand reveal…
World’s Best Airlines: Qatar Airway
The winning factor: Qatar has been impressing everyone with the epic Boeing 787 Dreamliner that carries up to 335 passengers. The bonus fresh flowers and Giorgio Armani amenity kits on board a plane with leather seats and chandeliers, can’t hurt either.
Second place: Singapore Airlines
Last year’s winner: Cathay Pacific
World’s Best Business Class Airline: Singapore Airlines
The winning factor: The extremely spacious seats transform into a fully flat bed, an office an entertainment multiplex and a gourmet restaurant. You can even pre-order your own special gourmet meals with the Book the Cook service. Why would you even want to get off the plane?
Second place: Qatar Airways
Last year’s winner: Cathay Pacific
World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat: Qatar Airways
The winning factor: There’s so much privacy in your own little nest, where you’ll sleep, work, and dine on dark leather seats. There are laptop power sockets, ample storage space, noise-cancelling headphones, but more impressive — the OnAir mobile services, Oryx inflight entertainment system and Salvatore Ferragamo washbag.
Second place: Japan Airlines
Last year’s winner: Singapore Airlines
World’s Best Business Class Lounge: Turkish Airlines
The winning factor: The open air, dome-like design of Lounge Istanbul is enough to win the title, but that’s nothing compared to the billiards table, movie room with a popcorn machine, kids room with video games, and countless food and alcohol stations.
Second place: Singapore Airlines
Last year’s winner: Qatar Airways
World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment: Emirates
The winning factor: Without a doubt, the Emirates’ “ICE” system is a clear winner. It stands for Information, Communication and Entertainment, and allows passengers to watch live TV, send emails and keep up with the news… but also track the progress of the flight and take in the view from the plane’s external cameras.
Second place: Qatar Airways
Last year’s winner: Emirates
World’s Best First Class: Etihad Airways
The winning factor: They call it the ‘Residence Class’, and everything about the three-room “penthouse” experience is grand — at the airport, a Savoy Hotel-trained butler will meet you and arrange meals, drinks and spa treatments in the First Class lounge. In your seat, you’ll have a 7ft by 5ft double bed, and a 27-inch television.
Second place: Singapore Airlines
Last year’s winner: Cathay Pacific
World’s Best Cabin Crew: Garuda Indonesia
The winning factor: Currently, Garuda Indonesia ranks seventh in the list for the “The World’s Best Airlines”, but to many, it was a clear winner in ‘World’s Best Cabin Crew’ category. Bringing the Indonesian hospitality we love on board, the crew is known to be extremely polite, friendly, and very helpful!
Second place: Cathay Pacific
Last year’s winner: Garuda Indonesia