Global Traveler Reveals 2024 Airline and Hotel of the Year Winners

Global Traveler honors and recognizes the best in the travel industry for the 14th consecutive year by naming the 2024 Airline of the Year and Hotel of the Year.

This year Delta Air Lines is named Airline of the Year, while IHG Hotels & Resorts earns Hotel of the Year.

A select group of Global Traveler staff and Advisory Board members determine the winners after evaluating a range of factors. Considerations include financial performance, operational records, boarding and loading efficiency, safety protocols, onboard dining, guest experience and overall brand reputation. Receiving this recognition reflects sustained excellence across many areas of service and corporate responsibility.

DELTA AIR LINES
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR

Founded in 1925 as Huff-Daland Duster, Delta began as an agricultural flying company and grew into one of the world’s leading airlines. In 1928 C.E. Woolman purchased the company and renamed it Delta Air Service. Early passenger service launched between Dallas and Jackson, and the carrier soon expanded to cities including Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Atlanta and Fort Worth. Operating officially as Delta Air Lines by 1934, the airline introduced night service with two pilots by 1935.

Over the decades Delta expanded routes, added cabin crew and grew its corporate presence, moving its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta, Georgia. The airline supported wartime efforts by providing aircraft and training for military pilots and mechanics, inaugurated scheduled cargo services, launched nonstop routes, and celebrated milestones such as its one-millionth passenger in 1946. Delta opened international routes in 1953, beginning service to the Caribbean and Caracas.

In the 1980s Delta launched its loyalty program and continued to expand its network, fleet and onboard amenities. The carrier also played a leading role in creating SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that fosters cooperation among member airlines.

Today Delta remains one of the world’s most recognized and widely used airlines. With a purpose-driven approach, the company focuses on connecting people to opportunities while raising service and sustainability standards. Delta is committed to improving its environmental performance, fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and supporting communities through philanthropy and partnerships.

Delta has set a long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In pursuit of that objective, the airline is modernizing its fleet for greater fuel efficiency, cutting waste, and offering more sustainable products and practices both onboard and on the ground.

The airline supports community resilience through initiatives such as urban tree-planting programs to enhance local environments and improve neighborhood health. Delta also established an onboard recycling program that helps generate funding for Habitat for Humanity homes.

In response to major natural disasters, Delta has provided substantial financial and logistical support. Following recent hurricanes that hit Florida and the Carolinas, the carrier contributed more than $500,000 to aid affected communities and families, building on ongoing partnerships with relief organizations.

Preparing the next generation for careers in aviation and related fields, Delta collaborates with more than 100 educational partners worldwide. The airline supports programs that teach financial literacy and workplace readiness, funds scholarships for the National Flight Academy, and helps run 3DE programs in high schools to better align education with the needs of today’s workforce.

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS
HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Although IHG Hotels & Resorts was formally established in 2003, its heritage stretches back to 1946 when Juan Trippe, founder of Pan American Airways, launched the InterContinental brand to provide luxury accommodations at international destinations. The hospitality landscape evolved through subsequent decades with brands such as Holiday Inn, which opened its first property in Memphis in 1952 and became the first hotel to franchise in 1954.

Holiday Inn grew rapidly, becoming a familiar presence along U.S. highways and expanding worldwide. InterContinental also expanded globally, attracting notable guests and playing a role in important historical moments. In 1988 William Bass acquired the Holiday Inn portfolio and later added Holiday Inn Express, marking a new era of growth and brand diversification under what would become the IHG umbrella.

By 2003 the InterContinental Hotels Group emerged as a global hospitality company. Since then, IHG has continued to expand its footprint with a mix of full-service, boutique and luxury brands, along with programs focused on talent development and community engagement.

Today IHG operates thousands of hotels around the world under 19 distinct brands, including Six Senses, Regent, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton and Holiday Inn. Across these brands, the company emphasizes a consistent guest experience guided by its purpose, True Hospitality for Good, which aims to deliver meaningful service while benefiting guests, colleagues, owners and local communities.

IHG Academy is a key example of that commitment. The program supports career pathways in hospitality through three elements: Discover, which introduces hospitality careers through workshops; Skills Builder, which helps people gain job-ready abilities; and Career Launcher, which connects participants to internships, apprenticeships and placements. Through the academy, IHG provides training and employment opportunities that support community development.

IHG also operates a global loyalty program, IHG One Rewards, designed to enhance the guest experience. The program features tiered membership levels that allow members to earn points for stays redeemable for free nights and experiences, access member-only rates and promotions, enjoy complimentary internet and benefit from late check-out when available. As members progress through the tiers, they receive increasing benefits that reward loyalty and encourage repeat stays.

Both Delta Air Lines and IHG Hotels & Resorts demonstrate how long-term vision, operational excellence and community-focused initiatives can combine to create exceptional travel experiences. Their recognition as Airline and Hotel of the Year reflects sustained performance, innovation and commitment to passengers, guests and the communities they serve.