Awards

And the Winner Is . . .

by Kimberly Krol

Let’s have a rip-roaring round of applause for our 2009 GT Tested Award winners.

Unprecedented and, at times, turbulent, 2009 presented more than its share of challenges to the travel industry. Diminished capacities, significant losses, less business travel — all the adversity reshaped the industry, but several companies continued to excel with an unending dedication to service and to the customer.

And, of course, GT readers, a group of people who define the term “frequent flyer,” continued to plow through and continued to travel. Who better than this esteemed group of travelers to vote for the best of the best in the travel industry?

For the sixth consecutive year, we asked, you answered. An impressive 25,951 respondents voted for the best in business and luxury travel during our annual GT Tested Awards survey. This year’s survey included 60 categories. Find out who was voted the best of the best on the following pages.

The Newbies

The GT Tested Awards are the most sought-after in the industry. Over the past six years, our consistent, unbiased reporting has continued to set the bar for the best in the travel industry. In an effort to help identify more of the best and to keep our survey fresh, we review, adapt, add and delete categories from year to year. This year we added the following: Best All-Business-Class Airline, Best First-Class Seat Design, Best Business-Class Seat Design, Best Airline to Japan, Best Airport Staff and Gate Agents, Best Airport Dining, Best WiFi Service and Best Travel Gadget.

The all-business-class concept has seen its fair share of ups and downs in the past few years. From the surge of all-business airlines, including MaxJet and Silverjet, the concept has developed into a select group of established airlines offering business-class-only flights on select routes. The best of the bunch? Singapore Airlines’ all-business-class service. This is the first of this type of service on this route, complete with fully flat seats, enhanced dining and plenty of entertainment options.