
The 2018 Business Traveller Awards were announced at a luncheon at London’s Royal Garden hotel on Monday, October 15, by the publishers of Business Traveller magazine, Panacea Media, and presented by special guest Rt Hon Michael Portillo.
Sponsored by Panasonic, the Business Traveller Awards are voted for by readers of the magazine, with the results authenticated by an independent auditing company, and are widely recognised as the market’s benchmark for excellence. A fixture of the business travel and hospitality calendar for more than 30 years, this year’s hotly contested awards were attended by more than 250 industry leaders.
The winners and finalists in the airline categories were:

Best Airline
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates
- Cathay Pacific
- British Airways

Best Short-Haul Carrier
- British Airways
- easyJet
- Swiss
- Aegean Airlines

Best Long-Haul Airline
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
Best Frequent Flyer Programme
- British Airways Executive Club
- Lufthansa Miles & More
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- United Airlines MileagePlus

Best First Class
- Emirates
- Singapore Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- British Airways

Best Business Class
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Virgin Atlantic
- Cathay Pacific

Best Premium Economy Class
- Virgin Atlantic
- Singapore Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- British Airways

Best Economy Class
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Japan Airlines
- Qatar Airways

Best North American Airline
- Delta Air Lines
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Air Canada

Best Eastern European Airline
- Aeroflot
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Wizz Air
- Czech Airlines
Best Airline Alliance
- oneworld
- Star Alliance
- SkyTeam

Best Cabin Staff
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Qatar Airways
- Cathay Pacific

Best Low-Cost Airline
- easyJet
- Norwegian
- AirAsia
- Jet2

Best Asian Airline
- Singapore Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- All Nippon Airways
- Japan Airlines
Best Middle Eastern Airline
- Qatar Airways
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- El Al

Best African Airline
- South African Airways
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Kenya Airways
- Comair (British Airways)

Best Airport Lounge
- British Airways Concorde Room, London Heathrow T5
- Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, London Heathrow
- Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge at Hamad International Airport
- Cathay Pacific, 1st Class, The Pier, Hong Kong