How does a travel provider stand out to a generation flooded with content and able to discover new bucket-list destinations with a single swipe? That was the question posed to readers of trazeetravel.com, the sister site to Global Traveler and whereverfamily.com. Trazee Travel serves as a daily resource for millennial travelers, offering news, tips and reviews tailored to their interests.
Millennials value experiences: many prioritize travel over buying a home or eliminating debt, and they often define themselves by the trips they take. They seek hidden gems, active adventures and social connections. They want brands that feel different, inclusive and engaged with the world. With those habits in mind, we asked our readers which companies and destinations they find most buzzworthy.
Reader nominations were collected from December 2017 through March 2018. The results make up the fourth annual Trazees—awards presented for and by millennials. Below is a look at the companies, airports, hotels and destinations that earned top recognition from travelers ages 18 to 35. Congratulations to this year’s winners.
In the airline categories, American Airlines was named Favorite International Airline. The carrier also earned top honors for Favorite Airline Website, a key asset for a digitally connected generation. oneworld, American’s alliance, again topped the Favorite Airline Alliance category for the second year running.
Other airline winners include Alaska Airlines, voted Favorite Airline in North America for the third straight year and recognized as Favorite Green Airline; Norwegian, Favorite Budget Airline; Aerolíneas Argentinas, Favorite Airline in South America for the second year in a row; TAP Air Portugal, Favorite Airline in Europe; South African Airways, a four-time winner as Favorite Airline in Africa; Qatar Airways, Favorite Airline in the Middle East for a third consecutive year; and EVA Air, Favorite Airline in Asia.
Additional favorites among readers were United MileagePlus as Favorite Frequent-Flyer Program and the Airbus A380 as Favorite Aircraft Type.
Airport winners reflect a mix of world-class facilities and traveler-friendly amenities. Incheon Airport claimed Favorite Overall Airport in the World and Favorite Airport in Asia. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was voted Favorite Airport in North America for the fourth year in a row and earned recognition for Favorite Airport Dining. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol took Favorite Airport in Europe and Favorite Airport Shopping, while Hamad International Airport in Doha was chosen as Favorite Airport in the Middle East. Dubai International Airport was highlighted for Favorite Duty-Free Shops and Favorite Duty-Free Shopping in the Middle East.
Hotel winners show what appeals to millennial travelers seeking style, sustainability and social moments. Element New York Times Square West was selected Favorite Individual Hotel, and Element Hotels earned its fourth straight win as Favorite Green Hotel. Aloft Hotels won Favorite Hotel Chain, with Tribute Portfolio Hotels & Resorts recognized as Favorite Boutique Hotel Chain and Moxy Hotels named Favorite Lifestyle Hotel Chain. ME Miami received a second consecutive nod as Favorite Individual Boutique Hotel.
Regional hotel favorites include Riu Hotels & Resorts as Favorite Hotel Chain in Latin America, Fiesta Americana as Favorite Hotel Chain in Mexico for the fourth time, and Address Hotels + Resorts as Favorite Hotel Chain in the Middle East. andaz.hyatt.com was voted Favorite Hotel Website, and Radisson Rewards topped the Favorite Hotel Rewards Program in the World category.
Readers also named the destinations they’re most excited to share. Ireland was chosen Favorite Country, and Seoul was named Favorite Worldwide City. Aruba came out on top as Favorite Honeymoon Destination. Other standout picks include Taiwan as Favorite Adventure Destination, Bangkok as Favorite Nightlife Destination and Asheville, N.C., as Favorite Foodie City.
Atlanta earned the title of Friendliest City for the second year running, and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta was voted Favorite Event Around the Globe.
Closing out the list of trending picks: Sixt was voted Favorite Rental Car Company, Samsonite was named Favorite Luggage Brand, and the United MileagePlus Explorer Card from Chase was chosen Favorite Credit Card. Norwegian Cruise Line ranked as Favorite Cruise Line, and Lyft was selected Favorite Ride Share.
With this year’s Trazees revealed, these chart-topping brands and destinations are primed to capture even more attention from millennial travelers. Congratulations to all the winners!
WINNERS’ CIRCLE
FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE
1. American Airlines
2. United Airlines
3. Asiana Airlines
4. Delta Air Lines
5. Qatar Airways
FAVORITE AIRLINE ALLIANCE
1. oneworld
2. Star Alliance
3. SkyTeam
FAVORITE AIRCRAFT TYPE
1. Airbus A380
2. Airbus A350
3. Boeing 777
4. Boeing 787
5. Airbus A330
FAVORITE AIRLINE WEBSITE
1. aa.com
2. united.com
3. delta.com
4. jetblue.com
5. southwest.com
FAVORITE FREQUENT-FLYER PROGRAM
1. United MileagePlus
2. American Airlines AAdvantage
3. Delta SkyMiles
4. Alaska Mileage Plan
5. JetBlue TrueBlue
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN NORTH AMERICA
1. Alaska Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. United Airlines
4. American Airlines
5. JetBlue
FAVORITE BUDGET AIRLINE
1. Norwegian
2. WOW air
3. JetBlue
4. Southwest Airlines
5. Frontier
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN SOUTH AMERICA
1. Aerolineas Argentinas
2. LATAM Airlines
3. Avianca
4. Aeromexico
5. Copa Airlines
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN EUROPE
1. TAP Air Portugal
2. Brussels Airlines
3. Austrian Airlines
4. Turkish Airlines
5. British Airways
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN AFRICA
1. South African Airways
2. Ethiopian Airlines
3. Air Seychelles
4. Kenya Airways
5. Air Namibia
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Qatar Airways
2. Emirates
3. Royal Air Maroc
4. Saudi Arabian Airlines
5. EL AL Israel Airlines
FAVORITE AIRLINE IN ASIA
1. EVA Air
2. Asiana Airlines
3. China Airlines
4. Korean Air
5. Hong Kong Airlines
FAVORITE GREEN AIRLINE
1. Alaska Airlines
2. Lufthansa
3. TAP Air Portugal
4. American Airlines
5. Delta Air Lines
FAVORITE OVERALL AIRPORT IN THE WORLD
1. Incheon Airport
2. Munich Airport
3. Singapore Changi Airport
4. Hamad International Airport, Doha
5. San Francisco International Airport
FAVORITE AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
3. Denver International Airport
4. San Francisco International Airport
5. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston
FAVORITE AIRPORT IN ASIA
1. Incheon Airport
2. Singapore Changi Airport
3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport
4. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan
5. Osaka Kansai International Airport
FAVORITE AIRPORT IN EUROPE
1. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
2. Munich Airport
3. Vienna International Airport
4. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
5. Rome Fiumicino Airport
FAVORITE AIRPORT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Hamad International Airport, Doha
2. Dubai International Airport
3. Abu Dhabi International Airport
4. Bahrain International Airport
5. Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Medina
FAVORITE AIRPORT DINING
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. Singapore Changi Airport
3. Hamad International Airport, Doha
4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
5. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
FAVORITE AIRPORT SHOPPING
1. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
2. Denver International Airport
3. Dubai International Airport
4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
5. Hamad International Airport, Doha
FAVORITE DUTY-FREE SHOPS
1. Dubai Duty Free
2. Hamad International Airport, Doha
3. Incheon Airport
4. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
5. Hong Kong International Airport
FAVORITE DUTY-FREE SHOPPING IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Dubai Duty Free
2. Hamad International Airport, Doha
3. Abu Dhabi International Airport
4. Bahrain Duty Free
5. Amman Queen Alia International Airport, Jordan
FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL HOTEL
1. Element New York Times Square West
2. Hotel Zaza, Dallas
3. Moxy New Orleans
4. COQ, Paris
5. Aloft Brooklyn
FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN
1. Aloft Hotels & Resorts
2. Kimpton Hotels
3. Canopy by Hilton
4. Hyatt Place
5. EVEN Hotels
FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
1. ME Miami
2. Moxy London Excel
3. INNSIDE New York NoMad
4. Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle
5. The Logan, Philadelphia
FAVORITE BOUTIQUE HOTEL CHAIN
1. Tribute Portfolio Hotels & Resorts
2. Canopy by Hilton
3. Curio by Hilton
4. Kimpton Hotels
5. EVEN Hotels
FAVORITE LIFESTYLE HOTEL CHAIN
1. Moxy
2. W Hotels
3. Indigo Hotels
4. Tribute Portfolio Hotels & Resorts
5. Canopy by Hilton
FAVORITE HOTEL WEBSITE
1. andaz.hyatt.com
2. intercontinental.com
3. marriott.com
4. westin.com
5. hilton.com
FAVORITE HOTEL REWARDS PROGRAM IN THE WORLD
1. Radisson Rewards
2. IHG Rewards Club
3. Hilton Honors
4. Starwood Preferred Guest
5. Marriott Rewards
FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
1. Riu Hotels & Resorts
2. Westin Hotels & Resorts
3. Sheraton Latin America
4. Sol Meliá
5. Barcelo Hotels & Resorts
FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN MEXICO
1. Fiesta Americana
2. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
3. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
4. Westin Hotels & Resorts
5. W Hotels
FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Address Hotels + Resorts
2. The Ritz-Carlton
3. Marriott International
4. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
5. Jumeirah International
FAVORITE GREEN HOTEL
1. Element Hotels
2. Sofitel Hotels & Resorts
3. Hilton Hotels
4. Marriott International
5. Starwood Hotels & Resorts
FAVORITE COUNTRY
1. Ireland
2. Mexico
3. Spain
4. South Africa
5. United Kingdom
FAVORITE WORLDWIDE CITY
1. Seoul
2. Bangkok
3. Singapore
4. Dublin
5. Hong Kong
FAVORITE HONEYMOON DESTINATION
1. Aruba
2. Greece
3. Napa Valley, Calif.
4. Turks & Caicos
5. St. Lucia
FAVORITE ADVENTURE DESTINATION
1. Taiwan
2. India
3. Thailand
4. New Zealand
5. Austria
FAVORITE EVENT AROUND THE GLOBE
1. Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Albuquerque, N.M.
2. Rio de Janeiro Carnival
3. Oktoberfest
4. Full Moon Parties
5. South by Southwest
FAVORITE NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION
1. Bangkok
2. Nashville, Tenn.
3. Barcelona
4. London
5. Las Vegas
FAVORITE FOODIE CITY
1. Asheville, N.C.
2. Chicago
3. Rome
4. Paris
5. New York City
FRIENDLIEST CITY
1. Atlanta
2. Copenhagen
3. Chicago
4. Nashville, Tenn.
5. Denver, Colo.
FAVORITE CAR RENTAL COMPANY
1. Sixt
2. Hertz
3. National Car Rental
4. Avis
5. Enterprise
FAVORITE LUGGAGE BRAND
1. Samsonite
2. Swiss Army
3. Tumi
4. Delsey
5. TravelPro
FAVORITE CREDIT CARD
1. United MileagePlus Explorer Card by Chase
2. American Express Green
3. American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles
4. Venture Card from Capital One
5. Chase Ink
FAVORITE CRUISE LINE
1. Norwegian Cruise Line
2. Royal Caribbean International
3. Carnival Cruises
4. U by Uniworld
5. Princess Cruises
FAVORITE RIDE SHARE
1. Lyft
2. Juno
3. Uber
4. Curb
5. Via