Welcome to the results of the Business Traveller Awards 2009. Once again you, our readers in the UK, voted to reward those companies whose products and services you really value.
This year’s star-studded ceremony took place at the London Hilton on Park Lane hotel, with the awards being presented by British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who conquered Mount Everest earlier this year at the age of 65.
Co-sponsored by the Global Hotel Alliance and American Express, the Business Traveller Awards are voted for by readers of the magazine with the results authenticated by an independent audit and, as such, are widely accepted and recognised as the market’s benchmark for excellence. A fixture of the business travel and hospitality calendar for over 25 years, this year’s hotly contested awards produced a few surprises for the 450 industry leaders at the event.
British Airways reclaimed the title of Best Airline from Singapore Airlines, an accolade it had held from 1994 to 2007. BA also won Best Short-Haul Carrier and Best Frequent Flyer Programme. Singapore Airlines also impressed, garnering five awards for Best Long-Haul Airline, Best Business Class, Best Economy Class, Best Cabin Staff, and Best Asian Airline. Virgin Atlantic won best Premium Economy Class, easyJet took Best Low-Cost Airline, and Emirates was the surprise winner of Best First Class for the first time.
Another unexpected winner was Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts which stole the crown for Best Business Hotel Chain Worldwide from the Sheraton group, which has held the title every year since 1994. The Hilton group swept the awards for Best Business Hotel Chain in the UK and Europe, with Marriott winning Best Business Hotel Chain in North America for the fourth consecutive year, Jumeirah in the Middle East for the fifth consecutive year, and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts continuing its dominance in Asia-Pacific for an impressive 15 uninterrupted years.
The Best Airport in the World was once again awarded to Singapore’s Changi Airport, which has yet to be unsaddled from this seat, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport won Best Airport in Europe, and London Heathrow was awarded Best Airport for Duty-Free Shopping, for the first time since 2001. In another closely contested category, Hertz snatched the Best Car Rental Company Worldwide crown from Avis this year.
Commenting on the awards Business Traveller’s editorial director, Tom Otley, said: “There’s no arguing that 2009 is proving a challenging year for the industry with the recession forcing many companies to review travel costs. However, it’s reassuring that recent surveys show that despite the dramatic downturn in the economy, only 7.5 per cent of companies have instigated a ban on business travel.
“In a separate survey, 83 per cent of the business traveller respondents said that developing personal relationships was still the most important element of doing business and that web-conference and telepresence technology were poor substitutes for this.”
Below is a full rundown of this year’s results.
AIRLINES
Best Airline
1. British Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Emirates
5. Cathay Pacific
Best Short-Haul Carrier
1. British Airways
2. Eurostar
3. bmi
4. Lufthansa
Best Long-Haul Airline
1. Singapore Airlines
2. British Airways
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Emirates
Best Frequent Flyer Programme
1. British Airways Executive Club
2. Lufthansa Miles & More
3. bmi Diamond Club
4. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Best First Class
1. Emirates
2. Singapore Airlines
3. British Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
Best Business Class
1. Singapore Airlines
2. British Airways
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Air New Zealand
5. Qatar Airways
Best Premium Economy Class
1. Virgin Atlantic
2. British Airways
3. Qantas
4. Air New Zealand
Best Economy Class
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Qatar Airways
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. British Airways
Best North American Airline
1. Continental Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. United Airlines
4. Air Canada
Best Eastern European Airline
1. LOT Polish Airlines
2. CSA Czech Airlines
3. Malev Hungarian Airlines
4. Aeroflot
Best Cabin Staff
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Virgin Atlantic
3. British Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
Best Airport Lounge
1. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, London Heathrow
2. British Airways T5, London Heathrow
3. Singapore Airlines Silverkris Lounge, Singapore
4. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong
Best Airline Alliance
1. Star Alliance
2. Oneworld
3. SkyTeam
Best Low Cost Airline
1. easyJet
2. Air Berlin
3. Flybe
4. bmi baby
Best Asian Airline
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Asiana
4. Malaysian Airlines
Best Middle Eastern Airline
1. Emirates
2. Qatar Airways
3. Etihad Airways
4. Gulf Air
Best African Airline
1. South African Airways
2. Kenya Airways
3. Comair/BA
Best Indian Airline
1. Jet Airways
2. Kingfisher Airlines
3. Air India
Best UK Domestic Train Service
1. Virgin Trains
2. National Express
3. Heathrow Express
4. East Midlands Trains
HOTELS
Best Business Hotel Chain Worldwide
1. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
2. InterContinental
3. Sheraton
4. Hilton
5. ShangriLa Hotels and Resorts
Best Business Hotel Chain in the UK
1. Hilton
2. Malmaison
3. Marriott
4. Holiday Inn
Best Business Hotel Chain in Europe
1. Hilton
2. Sheraton
3. Marriott
4. InterContinental
Best Business Hotel Chain in North America
1. Marriott
2. Four Seasons
3. Hilton
4. Sheraton
Best Business Hotel Chain in Middle East
1. Jumeirah
2. InterContinental
3. Hilton
4. Sheraton
Best Business Hotel Chain in Asia Pacific
1. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
2. Mandarin Oriental
3. InterContinental
4. Hyatt
Best Business Hotel Chain in India
1. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
2. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
3. Hilton/Trident Hilton
4. Sheraton
Best Budget Hotel Chain
1. Express by Holiday Inn
2. Premier Inn
3. Ibis
4. Travelodge
Best Luxury Hotel Chain
1. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
2. Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
3. Ritz-Carlton
4. Jumeirah
Best Hotel Loyalty Scheme
1. Starwood Preferred Guest
2. Hilton HHonors
3. InterContinental Priority Club
4. Marriott Rewards
Best Serviced Apartment Company
1. Ascott
2. Citadines
3. Marriott
4. Staybridge Suites
Best Smaller Hotel Chain
1. Malmaison
2. Hotel du Vin
3. Rocco Forte Hotels
4. Von Essen
Best Business Hotel Worldwide
1. Shangri-La, Singapore
2. The Peninsula Hong Kong
3. The Oriental, Bangkok
4. Raffles Singapore
Best New Business Hotel
1. Sofitel, London Heathrow
2. The Address, Dubai
3. St Regis Singapore
4. W Hong Kong
Best Business Hotel in Western Europe
1. Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin
2. Four Seasons George V Paris
3. Hotel Arts, Barcelona
4. Hilton Arc De Triomphe Paris
Best Business Hotel in Eastern Europe
1. Four Seasons, Prague
2. Hilton Prague
3. Park Hyatt Moscow
4. Kempinski Corvinus, Budapest
Best Business Hotel in North America
1. Mandarin Oriental, New York
2. Waldorf Astoria, New York
3. Four Seasons Hotel, New York
4. Intercontinental, The Barclay New York
Best Business Hotel in Middle East
1. Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai
2. Grosvenor House, Dubai
3. Burj Al Arab, Dubai
4. Shangri-La, Dubai
Best Business Hotel in Asia Pacific
1. Shangri-La, Singapore
2. The Peninsula, Hong Kong
3. The Oriental, Bangkok
4. Conrad Hong Kong
Best Resort Hotel
1. Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah, Muscat
2. Madinat Jumeirah Dubai
3. Conrad Bali
4. Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Best Airport Hotel
1. Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong
2. Sofitel, London Heathrow
3. Hilton, London Heathrow
4. Crowne Plaza Singapore
Best Business Hotel in the UK
1. Hilton Park Lane, London
2. Intercontinental London
3. Sofitel Heathrow
4. Claridges London
AIRPORTS
Best Airport in the World
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok
3. Dubai International Airport
4. Amsterdam Schiphol
Best Airport for Duty Free Shopping
1. London Heathrow Airport
2. Singapore Changi Airport
3. Dubai International Airport
4. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Best Airport in Europe
1. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
2. Munich
3. Zurich
4. London Heathrow Airport
CAR RENTAL
Best Car Rental Company Worldwide
1. Hertz
2. Avis
3. Budget
4. Sixt
Best Car Rental Rental Company in Europe
1. Avis
2. Hertz
3. Europcar
4. Sixt
Best Car Rental in North America
1. Hertz
2. Avis
3. Alamo
4. Budget
OTHER
Favourite Luggage Brand
1. Samsonite
2. Tumi
3. Delsey
4. Antler