Airline of the Year 2005
Star Alliance proclaimed as
world's best airline alliance
In a recent passenger survey
conducted by Skytrax, the specialist air transport
research organization, Star Alliance, has been named
the world's best airline alliance. This honour for
Star Alliance comes as part of the 2005 World
Airline Awards and is also the second time in three
years that the alliance has been given this
accolade.
Star Alliance's vision is to be the leading global
airline alliance for the high value international
traveller. In order to achieve this, the alliance
has in the eight years since its inception been
working at better meeting the requirements of the
international traveller.
One such need is global reach. With its 16 member
carriers presently serving 795 destinations in 139
countries, Star Alliance offers the most
comprehensive network of any airline alliance. In
order to provide optimal connections, the alliance
has been working on improving facilities at its key
hubs.
Additionally, research has shown that access to
lounges is extremely important to frequent
travellers. Star Alliance is in a position to offer
its Gold Card holders (top tier customers in the
individual carriers' frequent flyer programmes)
access to more than 620 lounges worldwide.
Star Alliance was established in 1997. The members
are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana
Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines,
Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore
Airlines, Spanair, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways
International, United, US Airways and VARIG
Brazilian Airlines. South African Airways and SWISS
will be integrated during the course of the next 12
months. Overall, the member carriers offer more than
15,000 daily flights to 795 destinations in 139
countries.
Source: Star Alliance
Emirates inflight
entertainment awarded as best in the world
Emirates Airline has won the coveted
World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment 2005 in the
latest World Airline Awards, announced recently by
Skytrax Research of London.
The award was based on the annual Airline Inflight
Entertainment (IFE) Survey conducted by Skytrax between
June 2004 and May 2005 that included more than one
million survey responses from over 85 different
nationalities.
The IFE poll was part of the world's largest airline
passenger survey, executed by Skytrax, which received a
grand total of more than 12 million responses. Emirates
was also declared first in the 'Best Airlines - Middle
East' and 'Best Regional Airline - Middle East and
Africa' categories. It stood second in 'Best Economy
Class (intercontinental)' and received the 'Airline of
the Year Bronze Award'.
The IFE survey measured each airline's inflight
entertainment on different aspects of passenger
satisfaction - overall quality; selection of movies
including choice of languages; video and audio
programmes, games and other interactive options; and the
quality of headsets.
Commenting on the results, Peter Miller, Skytrax
Director of Marketing said: "The whole concept of
inflight entertainment has changed so dramatically in
the last ten years, and the relative importance of
Inflight Entertainment (IFE) to passengers continues to
grow. Choice is paramount, and in the past couple of
years it has become more focussed on giving the customer
control."
He added: "We congratulate Emirates on winning the 2005
Best Airline Inflight Entertainment Award, particularly
in the heat of stiff competition from several other
major airlines. This sector of an airline's product is
now reflective of a dedication to providing customers
the very best quality travel experience, and Emirates
continues to set new benchmarks for the industry to
match."
Patrick Brannelly, Emirates' Vice President: Passenger
Communications & Visual Services said: "We are extremely
gratified by this award as it is an affirmation of what
we have always strived for - to offer the best IFE in
the business. We would like to thank Skytrax and our
passengers, who not only enjoyed our inflight
entertainment but also went the extra mile to vote for
us."
He added: "Ever since Emirates was the first airline in
the world to offer a personal TV in all three classes -
way back in 1992, it has been committed to offering the
very best movies, TV and audio programmes and games.
Today, Emirates typical investment in inflight
entertainment systems equates to nearly US$10 million
per aircraft."
Emirates continues to enhance the inflight entertainment
offering, as it does in every aspect of its operations.
In December 2003, Emirates was the first airline in the
world to broadcast live BBC news headlines to its fleet
of aircraft - with regular updates transmitted during
the flight. Wi-Fi connectivity on the Airbus A340-500
was launched in May 2004, allowing passengers with Wi-Fi
equipped laptops to check their email during the flight.
The latest inflight entertainment system, called ICE for
information, entertainment and communications, features
over 500 channels of entertainment all controllable by
the passenger on-demand. Having met with very positive
passenger reaction, ICE is already installed on over 20
per cent of the fleet, and will be extended to all
future aircraft.
Source: Emirates
2005 World Airline Awards
Survey Results
|
|
|
|
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR
2005 |
|
1 |
Cathay
Pacific |
|
2 |
Qantas Airways |
|
3 |
Emirates |
|
4 |
Singapore
Airlines |
|
5 |
British Airways |
|
6 |
Malaysia
Airlines |
|
7 |
Thai Airways |
|
|
|
WORLDWIDE HEADLINE RESULTS
|
Best Airlines - ASIA |
|
Best Airlines -
AFRICA |
|
1 |
Cathay
Pacific |
|
1 |
South African
Airways
|
|
2 |
Malaysia
Airlines |
|
2 |
Ethiopian Airlines
|
|
3 |
Singapore
Airlines |
|
3 |
Kenya
Airways |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines -
EUROPE |
|
Best Airlines -
AUSTRALASIA |
|
1 |
British Airways
|
|
1 |
Qantas Airways
|
|
2 |
PGA Portugalia
Airlines
|
|
2 |
Air New Zealand
|
|
3 |
Finnair
|
|
3 |
Air Paradise
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines -
MIDDLE EAST |
|
Best Airlines -
NORTH AMERICA |
|
1 |
Emirates
|
|
1 |
Air Canada
|
|
2 |
Qatar
Airways |
|
2 |
JetBlue Airways
|
|
3 |
Gulf Air
|
|
3 |
Continental Airlines
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines - C
America / Mexico /
Caribbean |
|
Best Airlines -
SOUTH AMERICA |
|
1 |
Copa Airlines
|
|
1 |
LAN Airlines
|
|
2 |
TACA
|
|
2 |
TAM Brazilian
Airlines
|
|
3 |
Aeromexico
|
|
3 |
Aerolineas
Argentinas
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines -
PACIFIC |
|
Best Airlines -
Central/Eastern
Europe
|
|
1 |
Air Tahiti Nui
|
|
1 |
CSA Czech Airlines
|
|
2 |
Polynesian Airlines
|
|
2 |
Aeroflot Russian
Airlines
|
|
3 |
Air Pacific
|
|
3 |
Malev Hungarian
|
|
|
|
|
|
REGIONAL AWARDS
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines -
CHINA
|
|
Best Airlines -
INDIA / SOUTH ASIA |
|
1 |
Dragonair
|
|
1 |
Jet Airways
|
|
2 |
Hainan
Airlines |
|
2 |
SriLankan Airlines
|
|
3 |
Shanghai Airlines
|
|
3 |
Air Sahara
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airlines -
NORTHERN ASIA |
|
Best Airlines -
SOUTH EAST ASIA |
|
1 |
Asiana Airlines
|
|
1 |
Malaysia
Airlines
|
|
2 |
ANA All Nippon
Airways
|
|
2 |
Singapore
Airlines |
|
3 |
China
Airlines |
|
3 |
Thai Airways
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Regional
Airline - EUROPE |
|
Best Regional
Airline - N AMERICA |
|
1 |
PGA Portugalia
Airlines
|
|
1 |
Midwest
Airlines
|
|
2 |
Air Nostrum
|
|
2 |
Alaska
Airlines |
|
3 |
Air Dolomiti
|
|
3 |
Frontier Airlines
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Regional
Airline - ASIA |
|
Best Regional
Airline - MIDDLE
EAST/AFRICA |
|
1 |
Bangkok
Airways
|
|
1 |
Emirates
|
|
2 |
SilkAir
|
|
2 |
Gulf Air
|
|
3 |
Air Macau
|
|
3 |
South African
Airways
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Airline -
TRANSATLANTIC |
|
Best Airline -
TRANSPACIFIC |
|
1 |
British Airways
|
|
1 |
Qantas Airways
|
|
2 |
SWISS
|
|
2 |
to be announced
|
|
3 |
Continental Airlines
|
|
3 |
to be announced
|
|
|
|
|
|
BEST LOW-COST
AIRLINES
|
|
|
|
|
World's Best
low-cost Airlines |
|
|
|
1 |
JetBlue Airways
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Air Berlin
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Virgin Blue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best low-fare
airlines : N AMERICA |
|
Best low-fare
airlines : EUROPE |
|
1 |
JetBlue Airways
|
|
1 |
Air Berlin
|
|
2 |
WestJet Airlines
|
|
2 |
Vueling Airlines
|
|
3 |
Frontier Airlines
|
|
3 |
easyJet
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best low-fare
airlines : ASIA |
|
Best low-fare
airlines :
AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC |
|
1 |
Air Asia
|
|
1 |
Virgin Blue
|
|
2 |
Valuair
|
|
2 |
Jetstar Airways
|
|
3 |
Nok Air
|
|
3 |
Freedom Air
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best low-fare
airlines : S AMERICA |
|
Best low-fare
airlines : MIDDLE
EAST/AFRICA |
|
1 |
Gol</ | | |
