Before you check into a stunning hotel or explore a new city, chances are your travels will begin at the airport. And the journey is just as important as the destination. That’s why Forbes Travel Guide is launching its first Verified Air Travel Awards to celebrate the best airline and airport experiences.
The 22 awards highlight a range of categories—from fine airport dining and lavish lounges to top-of-the-line first-class suites and in-flight cocktail bars. For those who prefer traversing the globe in a more exclusive style, the Air Travel Awards also cover private jet and private airport services.
Emirates and Delta Air Lines were named Best International Airline and Best U.S. Airline, respectively. Singapore Changi Airport earned the title of Best International Airport, while LaGuardia’s renovation landed it the Best U.S. Airport accolade. And the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) picked up Innovation of the Year for introducing facial recognition at major U.S. airports.
FTG’s air travel experts scoured the globe to come up with a list of nominees. Then the Verified Air Travel Award winners were decided by an invitation-only survey of 5,000 of the most well-traveled people in the hospitality industry, including luxury travel advisors and FTG’s most frequent fliers, its incognito inspectors and training team. The results were validated by the experts at FTG, known for the integrity and objectivity of its 66-year-old Star Ratings system (which relies on incognito inspections by expert inspectors to determine the annual ratings of hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships).
“Too many travel industry awards are the result of a somewhat suspect popularity contest. The Verified Air Travel Awards are important because the metrics are based on real-world experience and real-world accountability,” says Peter Greenberg, Emmy Award-winning travel journalist and host of Eye on Travel on CBS Radio. “In a world experiencing an explosion of luxury brands, it’s not about pretty pictures or mission statements, but the unbiased opinions of veteran travelers coupled with reliable facts that lead to a credible and relevant definition of excellence.”
Related: Read Peter Greenberg’s interview with Forbes Travel Guide CEO Hermann Elger on trends in air travel
Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for takeoff with these worldwide winners:
Best International Airline
Emirates
Boasting prime perks like the most legroom in all cabins and a chauffeur to drive you to and from the airport, Emirates makes flying luxurious.
Best U.S. Airline
Delta Air Lines
The Atlanta-based airline maintains a strong reputation for its consistency, loyalty program and customer service as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2025.
Best Small Airline
La Compagnie
Founded in 2013, La Compagnie offers all-business-class flights between New York and Paris, Milan or Nice, France.
Best Jet
NetJets
The more than 60-year-old company gives you several options to fly private: a shared ownership program, leasing or an all-inclusive jet card.
Best International Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Offering unique touches like a butterfly garden, a rooftop swimming pool and Jacuzzi, and a free 24-hour movie theater, Singapore Changi re-envisions the airport experience.
Best U.S. Airport
LaGuardia Airport
After a recent $8 billion overhaul, the Queens, New York, airport impresses with bright, airy spaces; more check-in kiosks and security lanes; and NYC foodie favorites like H&H Bagels and Junior’s.
Best First Class
Emirates
A first-class ticket grants you a luxurious fully enclosed private suite, dine-whenever-you-desire service — including unlimited caviar and Dom Pérignon — special moisturizing pajamas to prevent dehydrated skin, chauffeured airport transfers and more.
Best International Business Class
Qatar Airways
Available as a single, twin, double or quad suite, the coveted Qsuite comes with a door for privacy, mood lighting, a lie-flat bed and a Diptyque amenity kit.
Best Domestic Business Class
Delta Air Lines
Flying Delta One — the all-suite business class — gives you access to the new Delta One lounges, Missoni amenity kits with Grown Alchemist products and a suite with a door and a 180-degree flatbed seat.
Best Independent Airport Lounge
Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Hamad International Airport
Louis Vuitton’s first airport lounge is a vibrant and verdant culinary destination. Prominent chef Yannick Alléno features French cooking techniques and Qatari ingredients in his à la carte and tasting menus.
Best U.S. Airline Lounge
Delta One, John F. Kennedy International Airport
The first lounge dedicated to Delta One passengers debuted in June with an expansive 39,707-square-foot space that includes a year-round terrace, nine relaxation pods, eight shower suites and a full-service brasserie.
Best International Airline Lounge
Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai
This sprawling 24-hour lounge nearly runs the length of the terminal and offers everything you could need: delicious buffets and à la carte menus, a Moët & Chandon bar, a cigar lounge, fully stocked shower suites and a direct boarding point so you don’t have to run to your faraway gate.
Best Airport Dining
Dubai International Airport
You’ll find an array of dining options, including Italian (Florentine sandwich shop All’antico Vinaio), Lebanese (Comptoir Libanais) and international (The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck). Finish with something sweet from the region’s first Nutella Café or upscale éclair shop L’Éclair de Génie.
Best Wine List
Air France
Air France’s impressive wine list spotlights top French regions and vineyards. It’s overseen by new head sommelier Xavier Thuizat, who also curates the cellar at Five-Star Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris.
Best Culinary Program
Emirates
The changing menus at Emirates might include steak and eggs with truffle hollandaise for breakfast, prawn machbous for dinner and vegan options, like the chickpea crepe stuffed with carrot, peppers, mushroom and tomato concasse — the airline recently added 300 plant-based meals to its vast recipe database.
Innovation of the Year
Transportation Security Administration’s facial recognition technology
TSA’s rollout of facial recognition at major U.S. airports helps make ID checks more efficient for travelers while still ensuring effective security measures.
Best Airport Design
Singapore Changi Airport
Abundant green spaces (from a hedge maze to the famous Rain Vortex waterfall) and bountiful art (from large-scale sculptures to murals) lend Singapore Changi an inviting look and feel.
Best Loyalty Program
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
The complimentary SkyMiles program gives members free Wi-Fi on most domestic flights (and soon international ones), miles without expiration dates and the ability to earn miles with more than 20 partners.
Best In-Flight Cocktail Lounge
Emirates
Go to the plane’s U-shaped bar and order the Breakfast Martini, a signature gin cocktail that gets a morning makeover with marmalade, Cointreau and orange and lemon juices.
Best Private Airport Experience
Heathrow VIP
At Britain’s busiest airport, skip the long lines at immigration and customs with this VIP service, where an agent helps you go seamlessly from jet bridge to chauffeur or curbside to boarding.
Best Airport Wellness Experience
Jewel Changi Airport
Get immersed in nature without leaving the airport amid the lush Shiseido Forest Valley’s 900 trees and 60,000 shrubs and the showstopping Rain Vortex, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at seven stories high.
Best Airline App
Delta Air Lines
The user-friendly app allows you to upgrade your seat, receive the latest gate and flight changes, track your bags, navigate airports, locate Sky Club lounges and more.
The Verified Air Travel Award winners will be honored at The Summit, FTG’s annual event dedicated to travel and luxury, in Monaco in February 2025.
