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Business Traveler Magazine '2007 Best In Business Travel Awards' Show American/Foreign Carriers More Than Oceans Apart When It Comes to Service, Amenities

Posted on: Thursday, 6 December 2007, 09:00 CST

NEW YORK, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The readers of Business Traveler Magazine have spoken. When it comes to the world's best business travel experiences, foreign carriers are extending their dominance over their American counterparts with an ever-increasing array of comforts and amenities that are transforming the travel experience in ways we never dreamed.

"This year's Business Traveler Best In Business Travel Awards survey, compiled solely from the responses of our readers, proves yet again foreign carriers are outpacing their American counterparts by a wide margin when it comes to serving travelers' needs and exceeding expectations," said Eva Leonard, Editor-in-Chief of Business Traveler. "In a domestic airline environment where amenities are disappearing every day, foreign carriers are reinventing the air travel experience for both luxury and economy class travelers."

"Over the last 19 years, our Best in Business Travel Awards have become a trusted symbol of quality for the companies that we honor," said Linda Vaughan, Publisher. "Our readership represents the most experienced and discerning travelers in the marketplace today and companies throughout the industry clearly recognize the inherent value that comes with their endorsement."

Earning top honors as "Best Airline in the World" this year is Singapore Airlines. The airline's business-class passengers enjoy a 34-inch-wide seat that converts to a fully flat bed and nearly 1,000 channels of entertainment, not to mention a custom software collection that includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation options. "The overall business-class market has gone upscale in the last few years," said Ken Bright, Vice President of Marketing for Singapore Airlines. "Today's business class is as good as our first class was 10 years ago."

Singapore won three additional honors this year: "Best Economy Class Service in the World,""Best Airline for International Travel" and "Airline with Best Cuisine/Meals".

Korean Air, which has doubled its route network to China, now serving 22 cities there, was voted "Best Airline in Asia" as well as "Best Business Class to Asia/Pacific". "Service has always been our strong point, and we've taken it to the next level by spending billions to upgrade our product, installing lie-flat beds and AV On-Demand in business class," noted John Jackson, North American director of passenger marketing and sales.

Etihad's "Diamond Zone" service on their new A340-500 aircraft earned it the prestigious "Airline with the Best First Class in the World" award. Described as a "truly regal experience", the seats rotate 180 degrees for informal meetings, and recline into 6-foot 8-inch beds, while their Diamond Suites include 23-inch video screens, a coatroom, minibar and a dinner table.

On the domestic side, it was Continental Airlines earning the nod from readers as "Best Airline for North American Travel" as well as "Best In-Flight Service in North America" and "Best Flight Attendants in North America," partly on the strength of its BusinessFirst service, available on select international flights.

Also on the domestic side, Delta Air Lines earned kudos for "Best Airport Clubs/Lounges", "Best Frequent Flyer Program" and "Best Airline Web Site". Delta maintains a network of more than 40 Crown Rooms and five BusinessElite lounges in 34 airports. The Delta.com website showcases enhancements such as Delta Messenger -which provides email and text messages about flight changes.

More highlights include: -- Asiana Airlines earning the "Best Flight Attendants in the World" and "Best In-flight Services in the World" awards for the second straight year for once again taking the "singing waiter" concept to new heights with the cabin crew performing everything from live magic shows to delivering creative cocktail service and more. -- Middle Eastern airlines continue to be lauded for personalized high-end services exemplified by the ever-expanding Emirates, winner of "Best Airline in the Middle East" and "Best Business Class to the Middle East", which includes chauffer-driven airport transfers on both ends of flights in more than a dozen cities, 78-inch lie-flat seats with high- definition TV's, five-course lunches and dinners and more. "Business travelers tend to be repeat and high-value customers," said Nigel Page, Emirates' senior vice president of commercial operations for the Americas. "They expect a lot, and we try to give them a lot." -- On a regional basis, Air New Zealand scored big with readers, earning the coveted "Best Business Class to Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific" award, due in large part to Business Premier, its top level of service. And across the continental divide, Chile's LAN Airlines was the readers' choice for "Best Business Class to South America", bolstered by its Premium Business Class service on LAN's 767-300 flights between the US and South America. -- When it comes to airports, the readers again looked East, to Singapore, where Singapore Changi Airport, rated "Best Airport in the World", is a destination to itself. It includes a shopping center with 160 stores and 80 restaurants (with 100 more stores and 40 new restaurants on the way!), indoor and outdoor gardens, an outdoor swimming pool and more. Denver International was the leader among North American airports, with readers citing its efficient operations, new destinations added and new passenger records. -- On the lodging front, readers voted Marriott as the "Best Hotel Chain in the World" and "Best Hotel Chain in North America" for a variety of innovations aimed at improving the experience of business travelers. These include flat panel televisions that act as external monitors for laptops and even offer dual-screen options to facilitate multi-tasking. "The Marriott brand appeals to goal-oriented, multitasking business travelers," said Don Semmler, executive vice president of full service brands and operations for Marriott International. -- The "Best Hotel Loyalty Program" was the InterContinental Hotel Group's Priority Club Rewards, through which business travelers can earn and redeem points at a wide variety of hotels, or use them to pay for airline tickets, car rentals, even rooms at competitors' hotels. -- On the services front, Orbitz won for "Best Web site for Booking Travel". AT&T was voted "Best Wireless Provider in the World"; its international packages facilitate calls from more than 195 countries and enable travelers to access data in more than 139 countries worldwide, the most international coverage of any US carrier.

An in-depth analysis of this year's Business Traveler 2007 Best in Business Travel Awards winners is available in the December 2007 issue of the magazine, on select newsstands December 5. To set up interviews related to the awards, contact Alison Ross at The PM Group, Tel 212-583-2712 or 203-243- 0203; email rossa@pmgroup.bz.

Airline Awards Award Winner Best Overall Airline in the World Singapore Airlines Best Airline for North American Travel Continental Airlines Best Airline for International Travel Singapore Airlines Best First Class Service in the World Etihad Airways Best Business Class Service in the World Qatar Airways Best Airline in Asia Korean Air Best Airline in the Middle East Emirates Best Airline in Canada Air Canada Best Airline in Mexico AeroMexico Best Airline in Central and Eastern Europe Czech Airlines Best Business Class to Europe/Tran-Atlantic (tie) British Airways & Lufthansa Best Business Class to Asia/Trans-Pacific Korean Air Best Business Class to the Middle East Emirates Best Business Class to South America LAN Best Business Class to Nordic Countries SAS Scandinavian Airlines Best Business Class to Australia/ New Zealand/South Pacific Air New Zealand Best Business Class to South Africa South African Airways Best Premium Economy Class in the World United Airlines Best Economy Class Service in the World Singapore Airlines Best All-Business Class Airline Eos Airlines Best Low Cost Airline in North America JetBlue Flight Service Awards Best Flight Attendants in the World Asiana Airlines Best In-Flight Services in the World Asiana Airlines Best In-Flight Services in North America Continental Airlines Best Flight Attendants in North America Continental Airlines Best Cuisine/Meals Singapore Airlines Best Frequent-Flyer Program Delta SkyMiles Best Airline Alliance Program SkyTeam Airport Awards Best Airport Clubs/Lounges Delta Air Lines Best Airport in the World Changi Airport Best Airport in North America Denver International Airport Hotels Awards Best Hotel Chain in the World Marriott Best Hotel Chain in Asia Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Best Hotel Chain in the Middle East Jumeirah Best Hotel Chain in Europe Sofitel Best Hotel Chain in North America Marriott Best Hotel Chain in Eastern Europe Hilton Best Hotel Chain in Latin America Sheraton Latin America Best Hotel Loyalty Program Priority Club Rewards Travel Booking Awards Best Web Site for Booking Travel Orbitz.com Best Airline Web Site Delta.com Best Hotel Web Site Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Travel Services Awards Best Credit Card for Business Travel American Express Best Credit Card Rewards Program American Express Membership Rewards Best Rental Car Company Avis Best Overall Luggage for Business Travel Travelpro Best Domestic Overnight Courier Service FedEx Best International Courier Service DHL Best Wireless Service Provider In The World AT&T About Business Traveler

Based in New York, Business Traveler is a leading authority on business and corporate travel. As part of the Business Traveller publishing brand with ten editions worldwide, Business Traveler services the North American market and offers unparalleled resources for the traveling executive. In addition to the magazine's monthly features, visitor guides, lifestyle reports and weekend guides, each issue also includes special reports ranging from business etiquette to the growing trend of mixing business with vacations. Business Traveler is printed 10 times yearly, with combined issues in July/Aug and Dec/Jan issues. http://www.btusonline.com/

Business Traveler Magazine

CONTACT: Alison Ross, +1-212-583-2712, rossa@pmgroup.bz

Web site: http://www.btusonline.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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