I recently travelled with one of ‘The Worlds Best Airlines’ but I suspect the luggage in the hold had a better experience.

In the airline industry, which are the most respected awards and are the awards really independent?

I don't know the detail behind aviation awards but I presume they are like most industry awards and taking a wild stab in the dark, probably run by media organisations who make money out of advertising from - hmmm, let me think......ah yes - the winners and runners up


The only flying awards I respected were:
1. Virgin Miles
2. BA Miles
3. Flying blue miles

[snicker] Very good strake. As far as I know, all the 'awards' are either industry or 'voted by you the travelling public'. Which means you have no idea who is doing the voting nor what their criteria are. Likewise, any award dealing with airports. Just like the Oscars.

Even the Nobel c'ttees make strange decisions - like the Peace prize to Obama in 2009?

I'd like to see an award for Best Airport Security. Might encourage some airports to improve the experience for passengers and crews..... Oh well, perhaps not. How about Least Worst Airport Security then?

Some others I'd like to see might include:

- Airport Terminal Least Like a Glorified Shopping Centre
- Best Value for Money Airport Taxi Drivers
- Best View from an Airport Viewing Terrace
and (shock horror)
- Best Airline Customer Service

Within the industry the ATW Awards are generally accepted as being the "Oscars": I can accept that this may not reflect the passenger experience.

I agree TightSlot.

However they did give an 'honorary' award last year to the ex-DG of IATA. I suspect that had more to do with advertising revenues, than the view of the industry.

Other than that they do a thoughtful and educated analysis in all their categories.

It's tempting to say they're all a bit of a farce, but based on my own experiences, it seems that SQ and EY fairly consistently win various awards, and EZY for best LCC, and I think these are deserved. I do find some of the runners-up questionable though, and I remember that some years ago Cubana got one - which was for the 'most improved' carrier, which from a pretty low base may have been deserved.

Air Transport Awards ATW Awards | ATWOnline

These are the current set of winners: ATW 38th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards 2012 | ATWOnline

Quite by chance, came across this in the Sydney Morning Herald

Tableview your post really says it all. Award for best inflight meal on the way down.

Thanks everyone.

Last week USA Today published a list of ‘The 10 best airlines you’ve never flown’.

The 10 best airlines you've never flown - USATODAY.com

A curious mixture
1. Alaska
2. Porter
3. Allegiant
4. Turkish
5. LAN
6. Virgin Oz
7. CityJet
8. Icelandair
9. EVA
10. Asiana

Having flown with a few of USAToday's gems, let me offer some comments.

Allegiant: Cheap, but makes FR's business practices look customer-friendly. Has hardly any planes so if something goes wrong (and it did for my mother's flight), you are SOL for at least a day.

Turkish: Food is good, aircraft quality and quality of CC is very variable. Also, they like to change their schedules even up to within 2 weeks of the flight date.

LAN: Quite reasonable. Nothing flashy, but competent.

P.S. There's a reason why USAToday is called McPaper -- you ain't reading the New York Times.

Reliable Airline Awards?

None. Not one. Zero. de nada.

All "Awards" are spin things, arranged by PR folk and attended by spinners, with, every now and then, a real member of staff attending. The PR darlings do need, sometimes, a reason for drinking so much bubbly.

Who has the most uncomfortable seats in economy?

My award goes to Air France. Unbelievably hard in their 777s

I attended a rather big one, representing Europe for my company. There seemed to be quite a few staff from other airlines also attending: Does this mean that other awards would have had none at all since the allocation had been, so to speak, used up?

Bedsted,

Have you NEVER flown American Airlines?

Luton has my vote for the least worst airport security, out of the larger airports anyway. In a stroke of milking-the-public genius, it has a priority lane that you can actually pay to go into to avoid the queue at the ordinary security lanes.

No long walks to any of the gates either.

Luton is not alone in that dubious distinction. I believe in the UK it was initiated by Liverpool John Lennon airport, and recently copied at Bristol.

Thread drift.
Beg to differ, Andratx. The old gates with the low numbers are 15 minutes walk from the main shopping/gathering area. That's at regular speed, not if you are slower or have children in tow.

In fact, the current LLAOL development plans include this - and I quote directly from their website:
Reorganising the internal layout of the terminal building to create a more logical route through the building from check in, through security to passenger waiting lounges and then to the aircraft boarding gates.

My experience at LCY leads me to suggest that the walk to Gate 1 for previous LX flights to Basel is adequate preparation for the London Marathon especially with generous hand baggage .... although the incoming walk to border control seems disproportionately short.

What are members' opinions of the trek to FR's gates at Stansted ... the 10 mins stated on the information boards seems somewhat optimistic. Oh sorry, you folk only use REAL airlines don't you!!