British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet have all garnered top honours at this year’s Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards.
Readers of the prestigious magazine were asked to choose their favourite airlines, hotels, cities and countries and rate them according to various criteria.
In the Short-Haul Leisure Airline category, British Airways came out on top with a rating of 88.45 per cent. Readers rated the British flag-carrier highly in terms of its range of routes, convenience of scheduling and child-friendliness.
Second and third in this category were bmi (87.32 per cent) and KLM (85.93 per cent).
Virgin Atlantic was the preferred airline for those venturing further afield, as Sir Richard Branson’s airline scooped the Long-Haul Leisure Airline award with 88.25 per cent. Its lounges, pre- and post-flight facilities and in-flight entertainment were particular pluses.
Air New Zealand (88 per cent) and Emirates (85.9 per cent) were second and third for long-haul leisure, with the former offering the best value for money and the latter offering the best punctuality. British Airways came fifth.
EasyJet took home the prize for Best Low-Cost Airline, with 83.64 per cent. Its range of routes and convenience of booking were given the thumbs up by passengers.
Flybe was runner-up with 82.70 per cent, and was praised for luggage handling, while Jet2.com was in third place with 81.74 per cent and gained plaudits for its punctuality. Bmibaby and Southwest Airlines were fourth and fifth respectively.
Meanwhile, in terms of business flying, Singapore Airlines picked up the top Business Class prize, scoring 88.72 per cent and pleasing passengers with its catering and customer service. Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Cathay Pacific rounded out the top five in this class.
Silverjet, with its unrivalled efficiency, beat Eos and MAXjet to take the Business-Class Only prize.
In terms of airports, the UK’s hubs were nowhere to be seen, with Heathrow not making the top 15. Passengers preferred the more modern terminals at Hong Kong International, Changi in Singapore and Dubai International. Amsterdam Schiphol was the top rated European airport and praised for its clear provision of flight information.
And UK cities did not impress either, with London failing to make the grade. It was Sydney (93.5 per cent) that Conde Nast Traveller readers were most impressed by, citing its cleanliness and user-friendliness.
New York, Paris, Rome and Barcelona were also highly praised, with the Big Apple scoring particularly highly in terms of nightlife and entertainment.
The best country to visit was deemed to be India (scoring 94.55 per cent), with culture, value for money and variety of attractions giving it a boost. Italy was in second (with its food whetting the appetite of many) and Thailand came in third.
The world’s best hotel was judged to be the One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah, with an outstanding ambience and top-notch leisure facilities.
Conde Nast Traveller is one of the foremost magazines aimed at people with a passion for travel.
