Winners of 2014 GlobeRunner Awards Announced at Event in New York City
By Jeremy Del Nero on 22 July 2014
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Lufthansa, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, Hertz, LOT Polish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Transaero Airlines have been named best in class by readers of Frequent Business Traveler.
At the 2014 GlobeRunner Awards presentation in New York City on Tuesday, Jonathan Spira, Frequent Business Traveler’s editorial director, announced the winners. The awards honor the world’s top hotel groups, airlines, car rental agencies, travel websites, and more. The awards ceremony, held at Seäsonal Restaurant & Weinbar in midtown Manhattan, was attended by top airline and hotel executives and took guests for a two-hour visit to Vienna, Austria and its cuisine.
The winners were selected by online voting, which took place between March 14 and May 31. During the balloting period, readers cast over 150,000 votes for their favorite travel companies, a 40% year-over-year increase.
For the third year in a row, Hilton swept the hotel category, voted by readers as the Best Hotel Chain in the Americas, Asia/Pacific (APAC), and Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA). In addition, readers said that Hilton had the Best Hotel Dining Program as well as the Best Hotel Loyalty Program.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines tied for Best Airline in the Americas, the second GlobeRunner win for United in three years and the first tie in GlobeRunner history. LOT Polish Airlines won the award for Best Airline in Europe/Middle East/Africa, and, for the third year in a row, Singapore Airlines won for Best Airline in the Asia/Pacific region.
Lufthansa continued its three-year streak for Best First Class Lounges as well as Best Frequent Flyer Program, while Transaero received recognition for Best Airline Food and Wine. Etihad Airways was recognized for having the Best Business Class Lounges.
Hertz was named Best Rental Car Chain, while honors for Best Airport in the Americas went to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Top recognition also went to BMW as the Best Automobile Manufacturer. All three were previous winners as well.
Two new categories on the ballot this year were Best General Travel Blog and Best Points and Miles Blog, won by One Mile at a Time and Frequent Miler respectively.
The complete list of GlobeRunner award winners is:
- Best Airline in Asia/Pacific: Singapore Airlines
- Best Airline in Europe/Middle East/Africa: LOT Polish Airlines
- Best Airline in the Americas: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines (tie)
- Best First Class Lounges: Lufthansa
- Best Business Class Lounges: Etihad Airways
- Best Airport in Asia/Pacific: Singapore Changi Airport
- Best Airport in Europe/Middle East/Africa: Dubai International Airport
- Best Airport in the Americas: John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Best Airline Alliance: Star Alliance
- Best Frequent Flyer Program: Lufthansa Miles & More
- Best Airline Food and Wine: Transaero Airlines
- Best Hotel Chain in Asia/Pacific: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Best Hotel Chain in Europe/Middle East/Africa: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Best Hotel Chain in The Americas: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Best Hotel Chain/Group Loyalty Program: Hilton HHonors
- Best Hotel Chain Dining/Restaurant: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Best Credit/Charge Card Points Program: American Express Membership Rewards
- Best Mobile Phone Coverage in North America: AT&T
- Best Web Site for Booking Travel: Expedia
- Best General Travel Site: FlyerTalk
- Best Car Rental Chain in the World: Hertz
- Best Car Manufacturer in the World: BMW
- Best Luggage Maker: Samsonite
- Best Travel Tool or App: Google Maps
- Best General Travel Blog: One Mile at a Time
- Best Points and Miles Blog: Frequent Miler
Click here to continue to Page 2 – Photos of the Awards Being Presented
