Forbes Travel Guide this week revealed the winners of its first Verified Air Travel Awards. The 2024 awards spotlight the best experiences in air travel, including airlines, airports and private jet services.
The 22 awards highlight a range of winners, including Emirates as Best International Airline, La Compagnie as Best Small Airline, Singapore Changi as Best International Airport, Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno in Doha as Best International Airport Lounge, Delta Air Lines as Best U.S. Airline and LaGuardia as Best U.S. Airport.
The Verified Air Travel Awards were decided by an invitation-only survey of 5,000 of the most well-travelled people in the hospitality industry, including highly qualified luxury travel advisors, FTG’s jet-setting incognito inspectors and FTG’s Learning & Development experts.
Subscribe to LATTE’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury travel industry.
Forbes Travel Guide, known for the integrity of its 66-year-old Star Ratings system for hospitality, validated the results. Winners will be celebrated at The Summit in Monaco in February 2025, FTG’s annual conference dedicated to luxury brands and luxury travel.
“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,” said Peter Greenberg, Emmy Award-winning travel journalist and host of “Eye on Travel” on CBS Radio.
“In a world experiencing an explosion of luxury brands, it’s not about pretty pictures or mission statements, but the unbiased opinions of veteran travellers coupled with reliable facts that lead to a credible and relevant definition of excellence.”
“In today’s travel landscape, travellers have high expectations,” said Hermann Elger, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “They don’t want to wait until they arrive at a luxury hotel to experience exceptional dining, cocktails, comfort and, most especially, world-class service. The Verified Air Travel Awards help guide these discerning travellers to the best experiences.”
FTG notes that its Verified Air Travel Awards are not a star rating, nor a result of an incognito inspection. “Rather, it is a unique award designation decided by an invitation-only survey of luxury travel advisors and highly qualified hospitality experts and validated by Forbes Travel Guide.”
The categories and individual winners were as follows:
Best International Airline: Emirates
Best US Airline: Delta Air Lines
Best Small Airline: La Compagnie
Best Jet: NetJets
Best International Airport: Singapore Changi Airport
Best US Airport: LaGuardia Airport
Best First Class: Emirates
Best International Business Class: Qatar Airways
Best Domestic Business Class: Delta Air Lines
Best Independent Airport Lounge: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Hamad Int’l Airport
Best US Airline Lounge: Delta One, John F. Kennedy International Airport
Best International Airline Lounge: Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai
Best Airport Dining: Dubai International Airport
Best Wine List: Air France
Best Culinary Program: Emirates
Innovation of the Year: Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) facial recognition technology
Best Airport Design: Singapore Changi Airport
Best Loyalty Program: Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
Best In-Flight Cocktail Lounge: Emirates
Best Private Airport Experience: Heathrow VIP
Best Airport Wellness Experience: Jewel Changi Airport
Best Airline App: Delta Air Lines
Lead image: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Hamad International Airport