Emirates, Virgin America top Airline Passenger Choice awards
United States (AHN) – Emirates and Virgin America airlines has been found to give the best in-flight passenger experience among all global airline carriers today.
Emirates Airline topped the best overall passenger experience, based on an online survey conducted by the Airline Passenger Experience Association. Its’ 2011 Passenger Choice Awards awarded Emirates the top rank among airlines with a fleet of more than 50 planes outfitted with in-flight entertainment, while Virgin America led those with a fleet of less than 50 planes.
The awards survey had 14 categories, where both airlines lorded in most of them, including best in their respective regions and best in-flight video and ground experience for Virgin America.
V Australia, Virgin America’s sister airline, won for the best user interface in the skies, while Oman Air took the best in-flight connectivity award. Oman Air is the first global airline offering long-haul broadband.
For overall best cabin ambiance, American carrier JetBlue got the title, while the best single achievement in passenger experience went to Air New Zealand, for the fold-flat economy ‘Skycouch’ seats it introduced last year.
The awards were voted on only by the traveling public, in association with Nielsen.
The winners of the 2011 Passenger Choice Awards are:
- Best Overall Passenger Experience (Over 50 IFE EQUIPPED IN FLEET) – Emirates
- Best Overall Passenger Experience (Up to 50 IFE EQUIPPED IN FLEET) – Virgin America
- Best in Region: Africa – South African Airways
- Best in Region: Americas – Virgin America
- Best in Region: Asia and Australasia – V Australia
- Best in Region: Europe – Virgin Atlantic
- Best in Region: Middle East – Emirates
- Best Inflight Publication – Avianca
- Best IFE User Interface – V Australia
- Best Inflight Connectivity & Communications – Oman Air
- Best Inflight Video – Virgin America
- Best Cabin Ambiance – JetBlue
- Best Food & Beverage in conjunction with IFSA – V Australia
- Best Ground Experience – Virgin America
Meanwhile, Virgin America announced it will be introducing a new in-flight entertainment system, called Red, in late 2012. The airline will partner with Lufthansa Systems, whose BoardConnect platform will replace the traditional hard-wired arrangement with a WiFi-based network. Passengers will be able to access entertainment via a seat-back screen, at the same time an option to use their personal electronic devices.
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