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