For the fourth consecutive year, Global Traveler recognizes those in the industry whose leadership and values truly stand out from the crowd through innovative thinking and superb hospitality with the Airline of the Year and the Hotel of the Year awards. The 2014 winners of these highly coveted awards are United Airlines, Airline of the Year, and Marriott Hotels, Hotel of the Year.

A selected panel of Global Traveler employees and Advisory Board members chose the winners, based on information provided by the individual airlines and hotels, outside research and experience.

Airlines and hotels are invited to participate, and only those invited can be considered for the honor. Participants fill out an application and submit pertinent information including financial data, occupancy rates, load factors, on-time figures, safety records and menus. Airlines and hotels that do not submit the required information are evaluated solely on the independent research of the committee. Once an airline or hotel is selected, it is ineligible to participate for three years. This year, a total of 18 airlines and 20 hotels were asked to participate. The selection event took place Sept. 25 at Philadelphia’s Union League.

“The Airline and Hotel of the Year awards are the pinnacle of success in the industry. Choosing the winners involves painstaking review of the many nominated airlines and hotels,” said Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO, Global Traveler. “The team at Global Traveler and members of the Advisory Board review each nomination carefully and thoughtfully and vote for the best in each category at an annual meeting in which factors such as performance, customer experience and brand image are highly considered.”

We are pleased to introduce the 2014 Airline and Hotel of the Year winners.

United Airlines © United Airlines

United Airlines

Airline of the Year 2014

With unmatched service, supreme comfort and the finest amenities, United Airlines soars above the competition. In the air and on the ground, the carrier continues to make significant investments to enhance its flyer-friendly customer experience, leading the industry with modern conveniences and comforts, personalized customer service and eco-friendly initiatives.

In-air comforts in United Business and BusinessFirst are ample, with 180-degree flat-bed seating available on many aircraft, along with extensive on-demand entertainment and premium-cabin menus. The carrier took the transcontinental travel experience to new heights when it became the first airline in the world to offer all flat-bed seats in BusinessFirst between New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco on its fully refreshed p.s. fleet. United Airlines is also launching redesigned menu concepts through mid-2015 to offer premium passengers an enhanced culinary experience with chef-inspired flavor combinations and fresh ingredients.

As described in its Airline of the Year submission form, the carrier’s “unmatched customer experience is not limited to 35,000 feet.” From booking to baggage claim, top frequent flyers and premium passengers enjoy supreme comfort and convenience. On the ground, United Airlines’ excellent service qualities are exemplified at its new Global Services reception lobby locations in Newark, Chicago and San Francisco, offering its most frequent travelers one-on-one customer service, private check-in and front-of-line security access.

In its continuing effort to offer premium passengers exclusive experiences and valued amenities, United Airlines also unveiled two new state-of-the-art lounges in the new Queen’s Terminal at London Heathrow, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the airfield; luxurious and vintage aviation-themed décor; and complimentary food, beverages and WiFi.

Dedicated to saving customers time, United Airlines rolled out its Mercedes- Benz tarmac transportation service at all of its U.S. hub airports, further demonstrating its commitment to providing more of the comforts top passengers appreciate by offering chauffeured convenience at more airports than any other carrier.

Coupled with its top-notch, personalized customer service initiatives is United’s intense cabin crew training program. The industry-leading program combines service, regulatory and innovative security training to provide flight attendants the opportunity to learn the highest standards of service and practice managing non-routine events to keep passengers safe at all times.

Along with enhancing the guest experience in the air and on the ground, United Airlines is constantly expanding its already extensive route network to more cities and growing its modern fleet of aircraft. With U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; New York/Newark; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C., the carrier operates more than 700 aircraft to 374 airports across six continents and will take delivery of 35 new Boeing aircraft this year, including the 787-9 Dreamliner as the North American launch customer. As a founding member of Star Alliance, United Airlines offers passengers service to 192 countries via 27 member airlines.

United Airlines © United Airlines

United Airlines is also flying toward a greener future with its pledge to practice environmental stewardship and sustainability across all its operations in the air, on the ground and at its facilities. The carrier positions itself as a green leader in air travel with its four-pillar commitment to the environment: Reduce fuel use and improve fuel efficiency, invest in environmentally responsible and cost-efficient alternative fuels, reduce waste and work with employees and partners to protect the environment. United Airlines improved aircraft fuel efficiency by 33 percent since 1994 and recycled 27.8 million pounds of aluminum cans, paper and plastic over the past seven years. Sustainable design elements like energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems were introduced in several facilities, as were recyclable eco-friendly hot beverage cups made from up to 50 percent recycled plastic water bottles on board aircraft.

“We are pleased that our customers recognize the progress that United Airlines is making. United Airlines is building the world’s most flyer-friendly airline. We are investing in the products and services that matter to our customers, on board our planes, in our airports and in our digital channels. Plus, we continue to advance our top-rated MileagePlus program and co-brand credit cards,” said Thomas F. O’Toole, senior vice president, marketing and loyalty, and president of MileagePlus.

Hats off to an airline continually growing its reach, enhancing the passenger experience with unparalleled amenities and supreme hospitality and flying the eco-friendly skies.

AIRLINE OF THE YEAR 2014
United Airlines

HONORABLE MENTION
Delta Air Lines
Air Canada

Marriott Hotels

Hotel of the Year 2014

“Travel Brilliantly.” With an ensemble of more than 500 unique hotels and resorts in nearly 60 countries around the world, Marriott International’s flagship brand Marriott Hotels is hailed for the industry advancements and creative initiatives it has developed with these two words in mind.

From the beaches of Hawai’i and Australia to the center of New York City to the deserts of Egypt and New Mexico, the pioneering brand boasts unrivaled service and a variety of modern facilities to meet the needs of all guests, whether traveling for business or leisure.

Dedicated to defining the future of travel, Marriott Hotels launched under its new innovative Travel Brilliantly campaign several unique initiatives that marry work and play, offer more choice and flexibility, and foster dialogue with today’s traveler to improve the travel experience. Marriott was overwhelmingly selected Hotel of the Year for these types of investments in overall service, particularly regarding restaurant and bar options and experiences and unique farm-to-table concepts.

To cater to the modern business traveler, the brand introduced industry-leading concepts such as the Greatroom Lobby design, providing a space for guests to handle their business and unwind with comfortable seating, ample food and beverage options and free WiFi in the lobbies of properties around the world. Another fresh idea: Workspring at Marriott, the industry’s first purpose-built suite of integrated spaces and common areas designed for small meetings in Seattle.

As an industry leader in hosting meetings and events, the brand also offers new concepts designed for today’s mobile worker. Workspace on Demand makes booking both free and paid reserved Greatrooms and meeting rooms as easy as booking a room overnight. Red Coat Direct, a mobile app, enables meeting organizers to send service requests to on-site event managers to make pre- and mid-event communication painless.

Beyond providing them with comfort, convenience and warm hospitality, Marriott Hotels strives to engage and invite guests to share ideas with its new website, travelbrilliantly.com. In a little more than a year, visitors answered the call to join Marriott Hotels in co-creating the future of travel, with approximately 2,500 ideas submitted to the campaign to improve the travel experience across design, culinary services and technology.

Marriott Hotels © Marriott Hotels

Traveler-inspired innovations brought to life include nutritious vending machines and wireless chargers. Currently available at Chicago Marriott O’Hare, the working prototype of the vending machine offers guests healthy options on the road whenever they want, including handcrafted salads, sandwiches and snacks. To eliminate the struggle for power on the road, portable charging stations for all Apple, Android and Windows mobile devices are available in the Greatroom lobbies of several of its hotels this year.

As mobile as today’s travelers, the brand offers greater convenience at the touch of a button with mobile check-in and check-out, available now throughout the world for members of the award-winning Marriott Rewards program. The longest continuously operating hotel loyalty program boasts more than 45 million members across 14 participating Marriott brands.

“We are gratified by this recognition as further proof the investments we are making in the company’s flagship Marriott Hotels brand are paying off for our guests. In just the past year, we have expanded mobile check-in and check-out to all our hotels globally and will continue our focus on technology with the expansion of two-way texting between guests and our hotel staff early next year,” said Paul Cahill, senior vice president for brand management, Marriott Hotels. “We are in the second year of our Travel Brilliantly campaign that invites guests to co-create the future of travel with us by submitting ideas on travelbrilliantly.com. In 2014, Marriott Hotels launched two more traveler-inspired ideas: a healthy vending machine offering fresh, locally sourced food items, and wireless chargers in our Greatroom lobbies that eliminate the anxiety travelers feel when searching for a place to power up their smartphones and tablets. These are just a few of the many products, services and amenities we are working on to ensure Marriott Hotels continues to lead the industry in innovating for travelers everywhere.”

Congratulations to an innovative hotel brand leading the future of hospitality with its groundbreaking initiatives, pioneering concepts, sophisticated accommodations and boundless amenities. We are pleased to celebrate your win as the Hotel of the Year 2014.

HOTEL OF THE YEAR 2014
Marriott Hotels

HONORABLE MENTION
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts