Tuesday, August 27, 2024 Forbes Travel Guide launches its first Verified Air Travel Awards, highlighting top luxury airlines and their unparalleled global experiences. Forbes Travel Guide (FTG), renowned as the global authority on luxury hospitality, will introduce the first-ever Verified Air Travel Awards on October 22. This event will be shaped by insights from the world’s leading luxury travel advisors and distinguished global travelers.
The awards will feature an exclusive panel of 5,000 highly skilled travel advisors, FTG’s incognito inspectors, and Learning & Development experts with extensive travel experience. They will cast their votes across more than 20 categories, including Best Airlines, Best Airports, and Best Private Jet Services. The results will be verified by FTG experts, celebrated for the integrity and impartiality of their esteemed 66-year-old Star Ratings system.
“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,” said 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.
” Jeff Arnold, Forbes Travel Guide Chairman of the Board, emphasized a holistic approach to luxury travel: “In today’s luxury travel landscape, the quality of both air and hotel experiences is inseparable for a seamless journey. Our Verified Air Travel Awards are a natural extension of FTG’s commitment to excellence, ensuring discerning travelers can trust the highest standards of service and comfort from takeoff to landing.” The nominees for large airlines include Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
Among the small airline nominees are Beond, BermudAir, Cape Air, La Compagnie, and Starlux. Private jet service nominees include Flexjet, NetJets, Tradewind Aviation, VistaJet, and Wheels Up. The winners will be honored at The Summit in Monaco in February 2025, FTG’s prestigious annual event focused on luxury brands and travel.
Although the Verified Travel Awards benefit from FTG’s extensive expertise, they will function independently of Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star, Four-Star, and Recommended Ratings. These ratings are exclusively given to hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean cruise ships worldwide, following thorough, anonymous, in-person inspections..
