Global Traveler honors and recognizes the best in the industry for the 14th consecutive year by naming 2024’s Airline of the Year and Hotel of the Year.

This year Delta Air Lines takes home Airline of the Year, while IHG Hotels & Resorts is crowned Hotel of the Year.

To award the prestigious honor, a select group of Global Traveler staff and Advisory Board members choose the winner through a series of considerations and factors. They take a look at each nominee’s financial information, performance records, loading and boarding time, safety procedures, onboard menus and overall image as a brand. Earning this honor as a brand proves rewarding.

DELTA AIR LINES
AIRLINE OF THE YEAR

PHOTO: © DELTA AIR LINES

Dating to 1925, Delta Air Lines, originally named Huff-Daland Duster, started off as the first commercial agricultural flying company. Its 18 planes comprised the largest privately owned fleet in the world, running its crop- dusting operations across the country as well as in Mexico. In 1928, C.E. Woolman, the principal founder of what would become Delta, bought the company and renamed it Delta Air Service.

Over the next couple of years, Delta operated its first passenger flight from Dallas, Texas, to Jackson, Mississippi. Soon after, services expanded to Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Atlanta, Fort Worth and more. After some ups and downs, the company began operating as Delta Air Lines in 1934 and offered its first night service flight with two pilots in 1935.

As the years went on, Delta added new services and flight attendants; moved its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta, Georgia; contributed to the war efforts by providing planes and training Army pilots and mechanics; started a regularly scheduled cargo flight; became the first airline to add a non-stop service; and even welcomed its 1 millionth passenger in 1946. The airline launched international routes in 1953 with flights to the Caribbean and Caracas.

In the 1980s Delta released its first version of a frequent-flyer program and continued to improve by adding new routes and destinations, aircraft, amenities and more — it even created SkyTeam, a global airline alliance.

PHOTO: © DELTA AIR LINES

Flash forward to today: Delta Air Line continues to be one of the most popular airlines in the world.

As a purpose-driven brand, Delta aims to connect people to opportunities all over the world. The airline also focuses on raising the bar for airlines in many ways, including improving its carbon footprint, creating and maintaining a work environment that values diversity and inclusion, and giving back to local communities.

Sustainably, Delta set a long-term goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In the meantime, it works to transition to a more fuel-efficient fleet, reduce waste and offer sustainable products to passengers both in the air and on the ground.

Delta also works toward achieving its sustainability goals through community partnerships. Delta hopes to create sustainable and livable communities by planting trees to increase the tree canopy in urban areas and to create more equitable, healthier neighborhoods. The carrier also created an onboard recycling program that turns recycled plastic and oil into funding for 12 Habitat for Humanity homes.

Despite contributing to The American Red Cross as an Annual Disaster Giving Program Partner, in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes that ripped through Florida and the Carolinas, Delta made a contribution of more than $500,000 to help aid the communities and families affected.

PHOTO: © DELTA AIR LINES

With the future in mind, Delta partnered with more than 100 educational institutions around the globe to help educate tomorrow’s employees, customers and communities with skills and experiences to take on the world. Students can learn financial literacy and work readiness through a reimagined classroom experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional learning and reshapes the talent pipeline to come. The education partnership also supports 51 3DE programs in high schools to re-engineer education to reflect the work world and offers more than 2,300 scholarships to the National Flight Academy to help generate interest in aviation and STEM.

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS
HOTEL OF THE YEAR

PHOTO: © IHG HOTELS & RESORTS

Even though IHG Hotels & Resorts wasn’t created until 2003, its history dates back to 1946, when Pan American Airways founder Juan Trippe created the InterContinental brand to provide luxury accommodations at the end of every flight.

Between those years, the hospitality industry grew with various hotel concepts such as Holiday Inn. The first Holiday Inn opened in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1952 and eventually became the first hotel brand to franchise in 1954, with plans to spread worldwide. In 1972 Holiday Inn became a familiar sight along major U.S. highways through advertising, opening a new hotel every three days.

InterContinental made big strides during that time as well with new hotels opening around the world and celebrities such as Grace Kelly staying on property. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously worked on his “I Have a Dream” speech at InterContinental the Willard Washington D.C.

In 1988 William Bass, a brewery owner, acquired the Holiday Inn portfolio and shortly after expanded it by creating Holiday Inn Express. This acquisition marked Bass’s entrance in the hospitality industry and the creation of many hotel brands under the IHG umbrella. Fast-forward 10 years, when Bass bought the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand and took Trippe’s vision worldwide.

PHOTO: © IHG HOTELS & RESORTS

Which brings us back to 2003, the creation of InterContinental Hotels Group, now IHG Hotels & Resorts, after which things moved quickly with hotel expansions, new brands, boutique hotels, IHG Academy and more.

Today, IHG Hotels & Resorts boasts 6,430 hotels worldwide and owns 19 brands such as Six Senses, Regent, Hotel Indigo, Kimpton, Holiday Inn and many more.

Across all the brands, guests can expect an exceptional stay, thanks to the company’s purpose and motto of True Hospitality for Good being reflected in everything it does. The brand is committed to making a difference for its guests, colleagues, owners and communities. IHG aims to bring loved ones together and create a feeling of belonging for guests and employees.

Notably, IHG created IHG Academy to provide a starting point for anyone interested in starting and developing a career. Students can choose to start at one of three elements: The Discover element provides an educational workshop to help people discover what a career in hospitality offers; the Skills Builder element is for anyone outside of IHG looking to improve their skills or obtain a job within the brand. Lastly, the Career Launcher element is for anyone ready to enter the work field and includes work placements, internships and apprenticeship. Thanks to the academy, IHG has provided job skills and opportunities for those living in its local communities.

© IHG HOTELS & RESORTS

On the guest side, IHG created a popular and rewarding loyalty program. Guests interested in staying at one of IHG’s umbrella brands are encouraged to join IHG One Rewards to make the most out of their stay. This exclusive loyalty program features five tiers where members can enjoy earning points per stay to be redeemed for stays, experiences and more; access to special rates and discounts; free internet during stays; late check-out when available; and member promotions. As you move up each tier, the perks continue to increase and improve.