Star Alliance, the way the Earth connects, has claimed the Best Airline Alliance title at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. The Alliance also received the Best Airline Alliance Lounge Award for its prestigious Los Angeles Lounge for the second year in row.
Receiving the award, Mark Schwab, CEO Star Alliance said: “I am accepting this award on behalf of more than 430,000 employees who deliver our customer promise to more than 640 million passengers each year. Regaining this accolade shows that investing into technology which facilitates the delivery of our Alliance customer benefits is paying off and that travellers are noticing a difference. Following the recent decision of our Chief Executive Board, we will invest further in modern systems and so continuously improve the Alliance travel experience.”
Star Alliance was the first airline alliance to receive the Best Alliance Award from Skytrax when the category was first introduced in 2005 and has since held the award seven times.
The World Airline Awards are managed by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax Research of London, UK. The transparency and global coverage of the survey distinguish these awards as the most prestigious and respected quality recognition for today’s world airline industry.
The awards are based on the results of the World Airline Survey, which has operated since 1999 and is held in high esteem for its clarity of process and rigorously applied rules of independence. The customer survey ran from August 2015 until May 2016, with a total of 19.2 million eligible customer surveys being completed.
People of more than 104 different nationalities participated in the survey which covered over 280 airlines, from the largest international airlines to smaller domestic carriers. The surveys measure quality standards across 41 key performance indicators of front-line product and service.
Customer satisfaction levels for the passenger experience are rated across Airport and On-board environments – check-in to boarding, arrivals and transfer, lounges, seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food and beverages, inflight entertainment (IFE), staff service and associated air travel features.
Complementing the alliance awards, 13 Star Alliance member carriers also received distinctions.
Five Star Alliance member carriers were ranked in the overall top ten of the world’s best airline category, with Singapore Airlines taking the number three position, followed by ANA (fifth), Turkish Airlines (seventh), EVA Air (eighth) and Lufthansa (tenth).
In addition to the alliance award, 26 individual categories were taken by Star Alliance member carriers:
| Aegean Airlines | Best Regional Airline in Europe |
| Air New Zealand | World’s Best Premium Economy Class Cabin World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airline Seat |
| ANA | World’s Best Airport Services Best Airline Staff Service in Asia |
| Asiana Airlines | World’s Best Economy Class Best Economy Seat Best Economy Class Onboard Catering |
| Austrian Airlines | Best Airline Staff Service in Europe |
| COPA Airlines | Best Airline in Central America / Caribbean Best Regional Airline in Central America / Caribbean Best Airline Staff Service in Central America / Caribbean |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Best Airline Staff Service in Africa |
| EVA Air | Best Airline Transpacific Best Business Class Comfort Amenities |
| Lufthansa | Best Airline in Western Europe Best Airline Transatlantic |
| Singapore Airlines | Best Airline in Asia Best Business Class Airline Seat |
| South African Airways | Best Airline in Africa |
| THAI | World’s Most Improved Airline Best Airline Lounge Spa Facility |
| Turkish Airlines | Best Airline in Europe Best Airline in Southern Europe Best Business Class Airline Catering Best Business Class Lounge Dining |
