Roll out the red carpet: Global Traveler has announced the winners of the 2010 GT Tested Reader Survey. The competition was fierce, with many travel industry leaders delivering standout performances throughout the year.
Over eight months, frequent travelers — our readers — sampled nominees while traveling for business and leisure and cast votes across 61 categories covering airlines, hotels and travel products. The results reflect the preferences of seasoned travelers who evaluate service, comfort and innovation worldwide.
Best Breakthrough Performance
The GT Tested Awards are among the most respected honors in travel, setting standards for excellence for more than seven years. In addition to celebrating established favorites, this year’s survey expanded to recognize breakthrough performances with new categories including Best Airline Cuisine, Best Lifestyle Hotel, Best Hotel Club Floor and Best Tour Operator.
Alitalia earned Best Airline Cuisine for delivering five-star meals at 35,000 feet. Its Magnifica Class menus, created by Italian chefs and inspired by regional specialties, rotate regularly to keep the dining experience fresh.
“We are very proud to receive the award for Best Airline Cuisine because we have made our in-flight dining experience in Magnifica Class, our premium cabin on trans-Atlantic routes, a priority,” said Antonio Temporini, senior vice president, Alitalia. “Customer satisfaction is more than 90 percent for our new menus. The win is further proof that we are meeting our goal of delivering authentic and interesting Italian regional cuisine to discerning travelers.”
Andaz, a Hyatt brand, was named Best Lifestyle Hotel. Andaz properties in New York, West Hollywood, San Diego and London focus on meeting travelers’ needs and preferences rather than requiring guests to adapt to traditional hotel standards. Tristan Dowell, director of brands for Andaz, noted that the brand’s warm, uncomplicated service and strong local flavor help deliver a distinctive guest experience.
Grand Hyatt’s Grand Club won Best Hotel Club Floor, offering complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres and business services that appeal to frequent travelers. Vermont-based Boundless Journeys was selected Best Tour Operator for its curated small-group journeys across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and the South Pacific.
Best Performance In A Leading Role
Winners in leading categories distinguished themselves through outstanding service, thoughtful amenities, comfortable accommodations and continual innovation.
Cathay Pacific claimed Best Airline for First Class for the first time. Scott Mowrer, senior vice president, Americas, emphasized the airline’s focus on personalized service, comfortable suites and high-quality food and wine.
American Airlines again topped Best Domestic First Class, earning acclaim from readers for the fifth consecutive year. Seat design awards highlighted industry leaders: Korean Air won Best Business-Class Seat Design and Swiss International Air Lines took Best First-Class Seat Design for the second year in a row.
Markus Binkert of SWISS said the repeated recognition motivates the airline to continue enhancing its first-class product and services, with plans to deploy a new SWISS First cabin across its long-haul fleet.
Korean Air also ranked highly for airport staff and gate agents, with the airline preparing to launch Airbus A380 service from the U.S. to Asia. OpenSkies made a notable debut as Best All-Business-Class Airline for its focused offering.
Virgin Atlantic was named Best Airline for Premium-Economy Class, recognized for offering added space, comfort and amenities at strong value. Chris Rossi, senior vice president, North America, said the award reflects Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to enhancing the mid-cabin experience.
Regional winners included Avianca as Best Airline in Central/South America and Aeromexico as Best Airline in Mexico. Air Pacific secured Best Airline in the South Pacific for the third consecutive year. LOT Polish Airlines led Eastern Europe, and Etihad Airways topped the Middle East for the second straight year.
Lufthansa repeated as Best Trans-Atlantic Airline and plans continued product upgrades, including a new business-class seat and relaunching FlyNet broadband access. Jens Bischof, vice president, the Americas, said the consecutive wins confirm Lufthansa’s focus on meeting travelers’ expectations.
In Asia, winners included Philippine Airlines (Best Airline in Southeast Asia), Air China (Best Airline in China), All Nippon Airways (Best Airline to Japan) and Jet Airways (Best Airline in Central/South Asia and India). Nikos Kardassis, CEO of Jet Airways, affirmed the airline’s dedication to delivering world-class in-flight service.
Other notable winners included EL AL (Best Airline for Security), Delta Air Lines Sky Club (Best Airport Lounges), oneworld (Best Airline Alliance) and Changi Airport Singapore (Best Airport Dining). Seoul Incheon was voted Best Airport in the World for the fifth consecutive year, and the Boeing 747 was named Best Aircraft Type for the fourth straight year.
Hotel winners included Marriott Hotels and Resorts (Best Domestic Hotel Chain) and Four Seasons (Best European Hotel Chain). Taj Campton Place in San Francisco was voted Best Hotel in the United States, while Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts stood out across Asia for guest-friendly policies such as free internet access and an updated loyalty program.
New Mexico won Best Domestic Tourism Destination, while India was selected Best International Tourism Destination. For business travel, New Orleans was named Best Domestic Business City for the third straight year and Bangkok was voted Best International Business City.
Services and products that ease travel were also honored: T-Mobile won Best WiFi Service, Verizon Wireless took Best Wireless Service in the World, Langham Huntington Spa won Best Spa, Briggs & Riley was named Best Luggage Brand, Garmin won Best Travel Gadget, and Dubai Duty Free was voted Best Duty-Free Shops.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Global Traveler readers also recognized long-term contributions across the industry.
Singapore Airlines was named Best Airline in the World for the seventh consecutive year. Asiana Airlines, a seven-time winner for Onboard Service and Flight Attendants, took a record three awards this year, including Best Trans-Pacific Airline and Best Airline in North Asia.
British Airways earned Best Airline for Business Class for the sixth straight year, credited to its lie-flat business-class beds and ongoing cabin enhancements. Simon Talling-Smith, executive vice president, Americas, thanked readers for their votes.
Air Canada and InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards entered the GT Hall of Fame as six-time winners. Other multi-year honorees included Qantas (Best Airline to Australia and New Zealand), South African Airways (Best Airline in Africa) and Chicago O’Hare (Best Airport in North America). United Mileage Plus again led Best Frequent-Flyer Program.
Park Hyatt was voted Best International Hotel Chain for the seventh year in a row, Sheraton remained a standout in Latin America, and American Express Membership Rewards topped Best Credit Card Rewards Program for the seventh consecutive year.
Most Sparkling Performances 2010
Results from Wines on the Wing, Global Traveler’s annual airline wine competition, were released in the August 2010 issue. Twenty-six airlines submitted samples and a panel of 30 wine experts judged the entries. Winners included Austrian Airlines (Best Wines on the Wing), Qatar Airways (Best White Wine), Jet Airways (Best Sparkling Wine), Iberia (Best Red Wine) and regional honors for American Airlines, Virgin America and others. Oneworld was named Best Alliance Wines on the Wing.
Congratulations to all 2010 winners — your performances resonated strongly with the global traveling community.
Selected Rankings
Best Airline in the World
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Korean Air
3. British Airways
4. Etihad Airways
5. Lufthansa
6. Swiss International Air Lines
7. Asiana Airlines
8. Emirates
9. Virgin Atlantic Airways
10. Qantas
Best Airline for First Class
1. Cathay Pacific Airways
2. Lufthansa
3. British Airways
4. Etihad Airways
5. Emirates
6. Korean Air
7. Qantas
8. Singapore Airlines
9. Jet Airways
10. Qatar Airways
Best Airline for Business Class
1. British Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Korean Air
4. Cathay Pacific Airways
5. Lufthansa
6. Emirates
7. Jet Airways
8. LAN Airlines
9. Air Canada
10. United Airlines
Best All-Business-Class Airline
1. OpenSkies
2. Singapore Airlines
3. British Airways
4. Swiss International Air Lines
5. Lufthansa
Best Airline for Premium-Economy Class
1. Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy
2. British Airways World Traveller Plus
3. EVA Air Elite Class
4. All Nippon Airways Premium Economy
5. United Airlines Economy Plus
Best Airport in the World
1. Seoul Incheon Airport
2. Singapore Changi International Airport
3. Amsterdam Schiphol
4. Hong Kong International Airport
5. London Heathrow Airport
Best International Hotel Chain
1. Park Hyatt
2. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
3. InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
4. Westin Hotels and Resorts
5. Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts
Best Domestic Hotel Chain
1. Marriott Hotels and Resorts
2. Westin Hotels and Resorts
3. Park Hyatt
4. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
5. InterContinental Hotels and Resorts
Best Lifestyle Hotel
1. Andaz Hotels
2. W Hotels and Resorts
3. Hotel Indigo
4. Kimpton Hotels
5. Affinia Hotels
Best Tour Operator
1. Boundless Journeys
2. Austin-Lehman Adventures
3. African Travel, Inc.
4. Classic Journeys
5. Geographic Expeditions
Best Luggage Brand
1. Briggs & Riley
2. Delsey
3. Samsonite
4. Tumi
5. Hartmann
Best Travel Gadget
1. Garmin GPS
2. Sony Reader
3. Amazon Kindle
4. iPad
5. iPod
For a full list of winners across all categories, the reader survey results reflect the preferences of frequent travelers worldwide and provide a snapshot of industry leaders in 2010.