[alainboy56]

I have tried to find a thread for this but without success, so I start one here and ask my fellow forum contributors to comment on the above title – which in my humble opinion was/is a complete joke.

Most awards went to EK with a sprinkling to EY including best FFP – does EY still have a FFP??? ETIHAD GUEST is what they call it, but I am sure they must rename it soon, to maybe ETIHAD SUCKER? or ETIHAD FOOL?
Anyway EK won the Best Cabin Crew, I mean really …… come on…………. and Best Biz Class, Best Airline Worldwide, and a few others with titles they just seem to invent.
DXB won Best airport in ME and Best for DF Shopping. FlyDubai won Best LCC in ME (are there any others – actually yes, Al Arabiya – I suppose they share it between themselves each year).
Airport Lounges — many, many mentions including insignificant ones such as the BA Lounge in T1 DXB. I know this and use it sometimes – there is absolutely nothing special or meritable about it all.
LH was ‘voted’ the best European Airline serving the ME. Do they even fly to AUH? The capital of the UAE…..No they do not serve AUH.
Even in the hotel categories there were mentions for hotels in KSA …………… (Yeah sure, as if any businessman on here would ever vote for anything in KSA). If anyone wishes to see the full list , perhaps you can study on-line and chuckle to yourselves
However, ladies and gentlemen of the this respected forum, there was an ‘Elephant in the Room’ at that Award Ceremony, held at the Palazzo Versace in Dubai —- oops there is a little clue, and the event was hosted by Motivate Publishing — this guy Ian Fairservice has been in Dubai for so long, he probably has been given a local passport. He was there making his magazines when I was in Oman in 1984, so that’s nearly 35 years.
Anyway, there was not any mention of THE other airline (IMHO THE best) in the ME, nor the airport which is sublime, or its numerous beautiful Lounges, not even any of the very prestigious hotels in that city/country.
So, and I am aware the editor reads these (and even participates in) these forums, Mr Dominic Ellis, whom also I believe resides in Dubai, would you like to comment on these observations. Or perhaps you should re-title your magazine ‘Business Traveller Middle East edition (except one country)’.

[CathayLoyalist2]

In Asia TTG (Travel Trades Gazette) has its annual trade awards ceremony. With an awards number north of 75 it would be quicker to announce companies who had´nt won an award. At these ceremonies the first few awards are given to a full house and as the evening wears on so the audience dilutes. By award number 40 the room is empty!!. These events are completely meaningless.

[alainboy56]

@Cathayloyalist2 … and I note Mr Dominic Ellis has not been very quick to answer my comments. He knows where his ‘bread is buttered’, or rather, should I say ‘who butters his bread’ to be more precise!

[FDOS_UK]

IMHO these type of awards tend to favour the local airlines, due to familiarity and usage.

Does anyone believe that British Airways is the best short haul carrier?

Business Traveller Awards 2017

Obviously the people who voted it so in the 2017 BT awards did.

[capetonianm]

British Airways is a very good short haul carrier, but I would struggle to consider them better than EZY, KL, or LX. I mostly use EZY, even where BA might be more competitive, simply because EZY are better at making me feel I matter to them, time after time.

I think most of these awards are a farce, if only because opinions are very subjective. And then there’s Skytrax!

[FDOS_UK]

capetonianm

The same BT poll placed first class this way

BEST FIRST CLASS

Emirates
Etihad Airways
Singapore Airlines
British Airways

We all have our favourites, but no way IMO does BA first beat Air France, Lufthansa and arguably Swiss – expect it did for those people who voted for it, possibly because it met their needs at a point, maybe could be booked using Avios earned at Tesco, just generally met their needs for the price point or it was important to fly on a metal tube with a certain flag on the tail – YMMV.

So subjective r us – I agree. I wouldn’t say they are a farce, because people are entitled to vote, but the vox pop may not reflect rational analysis.

[BTMEEditor]

Hi AlAinboy56,
Not ignoring you, only just noticed this post as I’ve been travelling on work.
It’s a readers’ vote. Jacobsons handles the votes and so they don’t come in to Motivate/Panacea.
KSA has always had its own hotel category for as long as we’ve been running the BTME awards.
Fairly sure Air Arabia won one of the LCC categories not so long ago.
Not sure what your point is about Palazzo, they didn’t win anything… yes, they’ve been our venue partner for the last few years.
Best,
Dominic

[alainboy56]

@BTMEEditor Hi Dominic, firstly my point or hint about Palazzo Versace is because its in Dubayyyyy as the ‘Jumeira Janes’ call it, and there is the clue.
So, to the subject, do you mean to tell me that NOT one of the lounges in HIA won any award in that particular section??? …… But BA in DXB in T1 did???
Also that none of the swanky hotels in that same city won any award or mention.
Of the airports in the ME, (and there aren’t that many), there is no mention of that huge new metropolis built on the edge of the Gulf?
And lastly that airline that runs its operations out of there, quite good they are too, but they did not win any awards in any of the airline categories?
Considering imho they are the best of the ME3, perhaps with the exception of EY Residence and the new EK First class, their Biz and Economy and their Cabin Crew did not get a mention.
Anyway my views are only subjective, but are you really trying to tell me that they (the award results) were ‘all above board, kosher and legit’?
As my old late mum used to say “are you pulling my leg”?

P.S. I am deliberately writing in this style as snoopers are out and about forbidding even an opinion, let alone a comment, so this may throw off the scent.

[LuganoPirate]

For me best First Class would be:
Lufthansa
Emirates
Swiss
SIA

[mattgraig33]

Thank you so much @LuganoPirate for the details.

[Author]

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