Taking Flight With The Verified Air Travel Awards

Forbes Travel Guide announced the winners of its inaugural Verified Air Travel Awards today, highlighting the best experiences in air travel, including airlines, airports and private jet services. (View the complete list of winners here.)

Multiple Emmy Award-winning reporter and CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg will join Forbes Travel Guide CEO Hermann Elger in Monaco in February 2025 to honor the winners at The Summit, Forbes Travel Guide’s annual event dedicated to luxury brands and luxury hospitality.

In advance of The Summit, Greenberg sat down with Elger to learn more about what inspired the Verified Air Travel Awards.

Peter Greenberg: Hermann, you say this is a milestone for Forbes Travel Guide. What led to the creation of the Verified Air Travel Awards?

Hermann Elger: At Forbes Travel Guide, we’ve always focused on identifying, qualifying and celebrating the best luxury hospitality experiences, and air travel has always been an important part of that. But it was never really examined with a discerning eye. And as the industry has evolved rapidly, with some airlines and airports beginning to offer a level of luxury on par with luxury hotels, it felt like the perfect time for the industry as well as for consumers to have us apply our expertise to this field.

Peter Greenberg: How were the awards decided?

Hermann Elger: Forbes Travel Guide’s reputation has been built on rigorous, anonymous inspections of the world’s best hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships, which is how we determine our prestigious Star Ratings that are announced annually in February.

As we discussed air travel experiences, we realized that trying to assess them with the same inspection process would be a moving target — both literally and figuratively — because there are simply too many flights and airports are so big that no single person could evaluate them with the level of detail we require.

And so, for the Verified Air Travel Awards, we took a different approach, enlisting an invitation-only panel of 5,000 highly qualified and trusted travelers, including luxury travel advisors and FTG’s own always-on-the-road teams of inspectors and trainers. We are tapping into that collective intelligence — and that global experience — to identify best-in-class.

Peter Greenberg: What trends are you noticing among the winners?

Hermann Elger: The focus on personalization and innovation stands out. Whether it’s TSA’s implementation of facial recognition at U.S. airports or the bespoke service offered by NetJets and Emirates, the industry is adapting to provide travelers with more tailored, seamless experiences. Sustainability and well-being are also becoming a bigger factor, and I expect that we’ll see even more emphasis on healthier and evolved eco-friendly travel in the future. For example, in the luxury category, some airlines are reconfiguring their cabins and their seats that more honestly reflect the real travel experience, with an emphasis not just on space, but on everything from color and lighting to fabrics and temperature. It’s not just the wine list.

Peter Greenberg: How do you see the Verified Air Travel Awards evolving in the coming years?

Hermann Elger: I think we’ll continue to see airlines and airports push the boundaries of luxury, as they realize the luxury travel experience doesn’t just start at the hotel level, but begins when the travel experience begins, at airports and, of course, the airlines. It’s not just about getting an upgrade on a flight, but the design and efficiencies of airport lounges and the delivery of luxury experience. And, as travel becomes more personalized and technology continues to play a larger role, the definition of luxury will not just expand, but will be more critically defined. And that’s where Forbes Travel Guide will be at the forefront of recognizing those brands that not only meet but exceed the expectations of tomorrow’s travelers.

About Peter Greenberg

Peter Greenberg is a multiple Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and travel editor, known as America’s most recognized, honored and respected front-line travel news journalist. He is the travel editor for CBS News, PBS, Amazon and Apple TV. He also hosts the national CBS News EYE ON TRAVEL radio show, broadcast each week from another location around the world. Greenberg’s career spans decades of in-depth reporting from over 150 countries. His work has been instrumental in uncovering issues in the travel industry while highlighting global destinations and trends, making him a trusted voice in luxury and travel journalism.

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