Trazees Awards 2017: Winners, Highlights, and Red Carpet Moments

According to Internet Marketing Inc.’s report “Millennial Travel Trends: A Look at the Largest Generation’s Habits,” travelers aged roughly 18–35 show distinct preferences that shape how the travel industry markets and delivers services. Social media is a dominant influence: 87 percent of millennials turn to Facebook for inspiration, 97 percent share their travel experiences online, and 46 percent book trips using smartphones or tablets. This group typically compares multiple sites before booking, favors loyalty programs that offer strong rewards, often purchases add-ons to upgrade trips, and nearly half (49 percent) take last-minute getaways.

For travel providers, these behaviors mean reaching millennials across multiple channels and offering compelling last-minute deals and loyalty incentives. Trazee Travel asked its readers to name the brands that succeed at engaging this audience, and the results are presented here as the winners of the third annual Trazees awards.

Trazee Travel, the sister site to Global Traveler, serves millennial travelers with daily updates on news, tips, and reviews. For the third year, Trazee Travel collected reader nominations and contributor suggestions from December 2016 to March 2017; FX Express Publications’ management then selected the final winners.

Below is a look at the companies and destinations that resonated most with millennial travelers worldwide.

Airlines remain central to millennial travel, and several carriers earned top recognition. Delta Air Lines proved especially popular, winning Favorite International Airline for the second year in a row and Favorite Frequent-Flyer Program with Delta SkyMiles. The oneworld alliance—whose members include American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and LATAM—was named Favorite Airline Alliance, while the Airbus A350, a modern long-haul jet, took Favorite Aircraft Type. Qatar Airways again won Favorite Airline in the Middle East.

Millennials’ preference for mobile booking highlights the importance of travel websites. Jetblue.com won Favorite Airline Website for the third straight year, and Kimpton.com was named Favorite Hotel Website. In North America, Alaska Airlines was voted Favorite Airline while Southwest took the title of Favorite Budget Airline. Regionally, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aer Lingus, South African Airways and Korean Air were top picks in South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, respectively.

Environmental initiatives matter to younger travelers. Lufthansa was named Favorite Green Airline for the second year, and Element Hotels earned Favorite Green Hotel for the third time. Airports that deliver strong passenger experiences also stood out: Munich Airport was voted Favorite Overall Airport in the World for the third time, Singapore Changi won Favorite Duty-Free Shops, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was selected Favorite Airport in North America and, for the first time, Favorite Airport Dining. Denver International Airport took Favorite Airport Shopping.

New Orleans proved popular with millennials, taking two honors: Moxy New Orleans was named Favorite Individual Hotel, while the city itself won Favorite Foodie City. Aloft Hotels & Resorts repeated as Favorite Hotel Chain, while Kimpton Hotels claimed Favorite Boutique Hotel Chain and Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle was named Favorite Individual Lifestyle Hotel.

Other hotel winners included ME Miami for Favorite Individual Boutique Hotel, Barceló Hotel Group as Favorite Hotel Chain in Latin America, Fiesta Americana as Favorite Hotel Chain in Mexico, and Vida Hotels and Resorts as Favorite Hotel Chain in the Middle East. IHG Rewards Club was again voted Favorite Hotel Rewards Program.

Spain retained its long-standing appeal and was named Favorite Country for the third consecutive year, reflecting its wide range of experiences and visually striking destinations. Athens appeared for the first time as Favorite Worldwide City, drawing millennial travelers with its history and photo-worthy locations. Thailand topped Favorite Adventure Destination, popular among travelers seeking memorable, shareable experiences.

Other destination winners included Turks & Caicos for Favorite Honeymoon Destination; Dubai for Favorite Shopping Destination; Bangkok for Favorite Nightlife Destination; Atlanta for Friendliest City; and Rio Carnival as Favorite Event Around the Globe.

Millennials still use car rentals when needed, and National Car Rental was voted Favorite Car Rental Company. BlueSmart emerged as Favorite Luggage Brand for its tech-forward, trackable suitcase, and Chase Sapphire Rewards won Favorite Credit Card.

New to this year’s survey, Royal Caribbean International was named Favorite Cruise Line. Overall, these winners highlight brands and destinations that connect with millennial travelers through social engagement, convenience, value and memorable experiences.

WINNERS’ CIRCLE

FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE
1. Delta Air Lines
2. American Airlines
3. United Airlines
4. Alitalia
5. Aer Lingus

FAVORITE AIRLINE ALLIANCE
1. oneworld
2. SkyTeam
3. Star Alliance

FAVORITE AIRCRAFT TYPE
1. Airbus A350
2. Airbus A380
3. Boeing 787 Dreamliner
4. Boeing 777

FAVORITE AIRLINE WEBSITE
1. Jetblue.com
2. Delta.com
3. United.com
4. AA.com
5. Southwest.com

FAVORITE FREQUENT-FLYER PROGRAM
1. Delta SkyMiles
2. United MileagePlus
3. Southwest Rapid Rewards
4. American Airlines AAdvantage
5. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN NORTH AMERICA
1. Alaska Airlines
2. JetBlue
3. United Airlines
4. Delta Air Lines
5. American Airlines

FAVORITE BUDGET AIRLINE
1. Southwest Airlines
2. JetBlue
3. Spirit Airlines
4. Frontier
5. West Jet

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN SOUTH AMERICA
1. Aerolineas Argentinas
2. LATAM Airlines
3. Aeromexico
4. Avianca

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN EUROPE
1. Aer Lingus
2. Lufthansa
3. Turkish Airlines
4. Alitalia
5. Virgin Atlantic Airways

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN AFRICA
1. South African Airways
2. Royal Air Maroc
3. Ethiopian Airlines
4. Mango

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Qatar Airways
2. EL AL Israel Airlines
3. Etihad Airways
4. Emirates
5. Saudi Arabian Airlines

FAVORITE AIRLINE IN ASIA
1. Korean Air
2. EVA Air
3. Singapore Airlines
4. China Airlines
5. Cathay Pacific Airways

FAVORITE GREEN AIRLINE
1. Lufthansa
2. Alaska Airlines
3. Delta Air Lines
4. Virgin Atlantic Airways
5. Aer Lingus

FAVORITE OVERALL AIRPORT IN THE WORLD
1. Munich Airport
2. Reykjavík Keflavík International Airport
3. Incheon Airport
4. Singapore Changi Airport
5. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

FAVORITE AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
3. San Francisco International Airport
4. Boston Logan International Airport
5. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

FAVORITE AIRPORT DINING
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
2. Singapore Changi Airport
3. Munich Airport
4. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
5. London Heathrow

FAVORITE AIRPORT SHOPPING
1. Denver International Airport
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
3. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
4. New York John F. Kennedy International Airport
5. Los Angeles International Airport

FAVORITE DUTY-FREE SHOPS
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Dubai Duty Free
3. Incheon Airport
4. London Heathrow
5. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL HOTEL
1. Moxy New Orleans
2. Hotel Zaza, Dallas
3. Element New York Times Square West
4. Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix
5. Aloft New York Brooklyn

FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN
1. Aloft Hotels & Resorts
2. Marriott Hotels & Resorts
3. Element Hotels
4. Moxy Hotels
5. W Hotels

FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL BOUTIQUE HOTEL
1. ME Miami
2. INNSIDE New York NoMad
3. Kimpton Muse Hotel
4. Moxy London Excel
5. Kimpton Alexis Hotel

FAVORITE BOUTIQUE HOTEL CHAIN
1. Kimpton Hotels
2. Canopy by Hilton
3. Curio by Hilton
4. Tribute Portfolio
5. EVEN Hotels

FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL LIFESTYLE HOTEL
1. Kimpton Carlyle Hotel Dupont Circle
2. The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton
3. EVEN Hotels, Brooklyn
4. The London EDITION
5. Hotel G Beijing

FAVORITE HOTEL WEBSITE
1. Kimpton.com
2. Marriott.com
3. Hilton.com
4. Westin.com
5. Hyatt.com

FAVORITE HOTEL REWARDS PROGRAM
1. IHG Rewards Club
2. Starwood Preferred Guest
3. Hilton Honors
4. Marriott Rewards
5. World of Hyatt

FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN LATIN AMERICA
1. Barceló Hotel Group
2. Sheraton Latin America
3. Four Seasons
4. Hilton Hotels
5. Meliá Hotels & Resorts

FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN MEXICO
1. Fiesta Americana
2. Live Aqua
3. Rosewood Hotels
4. Westin Hotels & Resorts
5. Camino Real

FAVORITE HOTEL CHAIN IN THE MIDDLE EAST
1. Vida Hotels and Resorts
2. Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts
3. Address Hotels + Resorts
4. Starwood Hotels & Resorts
5. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

FAVORITE GREEN HOTEL
1. Element Hotels
2. Sofitel
3. Earth Lodge, Antigua, Guatemala
4. Jean-Michel Cousteau, Fiji
5. Hilton Hotels

FAVORITE COUNTRY
1. Spain
2. Ireland
3. Greece
4. Italy
5. Thailand

FAVORITE WORLDWIDE CITY
1. Athens
2. Bangkok
3. Dublin
4. London
5. Sydney

FAVORITE HONEYMOON DESTINATION
1. Turks & Caicos
2. Greece
3. Aruba
4. Cook Islands
5. Hawai’i

FAVORITE ADVENTURE DESTINATION
1. Thailand
2. India
3. Costa Rica
4. New Zealand
5. Australia

FAVORITE EVENT AROUND THE GLOBE
1. Rio Carnival
2. Running of the Bulls
3. Oktoberfest
4. Full Moon Parties
5. South by Southwest

FAVORITE SHOPPING DESTINATION
1. Dubai
2. Paris
3. London
4. New York City
5. Milan

FAVORITE NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION
1. Bangkok
2. Barcelona
3. Miami
4. London
5. Las Vegas

FAVORITE FOODIE CITY
1. New Orleans
2. Chicago
3. Rome
4. Paris
5. New York City

FRIENDLIEST CITY
1. Atlanta
2. Copenhagen
3. Chicago
4. Toronto
5. Boston

FAVORITE CAR RENTAL COMPANY
1. National Car Rental
2. Hertz
3. Avis
4. Enterprise
5. Budget

FAVORITE LUGGAGE BRAND
1. BlueSmart
2. Samsonite
3. Rimowa
4. Tumi
5. TravelPro

FAVORITE CREDIT CARD
1. Chase Sapphire Rewards
2. Venture Card from Capital One
3. American Express BlueSky
4. United MileagePlus Explorer Card by Chase
5. Bank of America Rewards

FAVORITE CRUISE LINE
1. Royal Caribbean International
2. Carnival Cruises
3. Disney Cruise Line
4. Norwegian Cruise Line
5. Princess Cruises