Travel
African aviation industry fails to impress in Forbes’ 2024 inaugural luxury air travel awards
Forbes said the awards rely on the proficiency of its 66-year-old Star Ratings system (which relies on incognito inspections by expert inspectors to determine the annual ratings of hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships).
Unfortunately, in all the 22 award categories mentioned, no African aviation stakeholder made it. The awards ranged from the Best International Airline, Best U.S. Airline, Best International Airport, Best In-Flight Cocktail Lounge to Best Airline App.
African airlines have however, made their marks globally as seen in the last Skytrax awards where airlines from the continent demonstrated a commendable performance.
The Skytrax awards which assessed how stakeholders in the aviation industry performed between September 2023 and May 2024, evaluated over 325 airlines customers of over 100 different nationalities.
The 22 award categories recognize and celebrate the visual appeal and design of airports, including the initial impression that passengers form when entering the terminal building, whether it’s a private or public airport.
Forbes describes it this way “Before you check into a stunning hotel or explore a new city, chances are your travels will begin at the airport. And the journey is just as important as the destination”
The global ranking body revealed that Forbes Travel Guide’s (FTG) air travel experts toured the globe to come up with a list of nominees. Also, an invitation-only survey team of 5,000 of the most well-traveled people in the hospitality industry, including luxury travel advisors and FTG’s most frequent fliers sourced and picked the list of the Verified Air Travel Award winners.
“Too many travel industry awards are the result of a somewhat suspect popularity contest. The Verified Air Travel Awards are important because the metrics are based on real-world experience and real-world accountability,” says Peter Greenberg, Emmy Award-winning travel journalist and host of Eye on Travel on CBS Radio.
The winners of the 2024 Forbes Travel Guide Verified Air Travel Awards are highlighted below:
| S/N | Award | Winner | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Best International Airline |
Emirates |
Dubai |
|
2 |
Best U.S. Airline |
Delta Air Lines |
US |
|
3 |
Best Small Airline |
La Compagnie |
Paris |
|
4 |
Best Jet |
NetJets |
US |
|
5 |
Best International Airport |
Singapore Changi Airport |
Singapore |
|
6 |
Best U.S. Airport |
LaGuardia Airport |
US |
|
7 |
Best First Class |
Emirates |
Dubai |
|
8 |
Best International Business Class |
Qatar Airways |
Qatar |
|
9 |
Best Domestic Business Class |
Delta Air Lines |
US |
|
10 |
Best Independent Airport Lounge |
Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Hamad International Airport |
Qatar |
|
11 |
Best U.S. Airline Lounge |
Delta One, John F. Kennedy International Airport |
US |
|
12 |
Best International Airline Lounge |
Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai |
Dubai |
|
13 |
Best Airport Dining |
Dubai International Airport |
Dubai |
|
14 |
Best Wine List |
Air France |
France |
|
15 |
Best Culinary Program |
Emirates |
Dubai |
|
16 |
Innovation of the Year |
Transportation Security Administration (for implementing facial recognition at major U.S. airports) |
US |
|
17 |
Best Airport Design |
Singapore Changi Airport |
Singapore |
|
18 |
Best Loyalty Program |
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles |
US |
|
19 |
Best In-Flight Cocktail Lounge |
Emirates |
Dubai |
|
20 |
Best Private Airport Experience |
Heathrow VIP |
UK |
|
21 |
Best Airport Wellness Experience |
Jewel Changi Airport (for the Forest Valley and Rain Vortex gardens) |
Singapore |
|
22 |
Best Airline App |
Delta Air Lines |
US |
The major winners include the US with eight awards, Dubai carted away six awards, while Qatar, Singapore and France took home two awards each.
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