Business Travel’s Best Companies: 2012 Leading Edge Awards

Executive Travel’s readers honor the companies that are getting it right on the road. Hats off to the winners of this year’s Leading Edge Awards.

Business travelers are the savviest of customers. And they’re the best customers of airlines, hotels and rental car companies. But not all companies get it right for these customers. The Leading Edge Awards were developed to honor travel providers that offer the most innovative, high-quality products to business travelers. To that end, Executive Travel readers vote for their favorite travel providers each year. Below are the 2012 winners.

Domestic Airlines:

Best Domestic Airline Overall:	Gold: Virgin America Silver: Alaska Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines
Best Domestic Airline Customer Service:	Gold: Virgin America Silver: Southwest Airlines Bronze: Alaska Airlines
Best Domestic Airline Airport Lounges:	Gold: Delta Air Lines Silver: United & Continental Airlines Bronze: Alaska Airlines
Best Domestic Airline Frequent-Flyer Program:	Gold: Alaska Airlines Silver: Frontier Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines
Best Domestic Airline Premium-Class Service:	Gold: Virgin America Silver: Alaska Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines

International Airlines:

Best International Airline Overall:	Gold: Emirates Silver: Cathay Pacific Bronze: Virgin Atlantic Airways
Best International Airline Customer Service:	Gold: Emirates Silver: Cathay Pacific Bronze: Singapore Airlines
Best International Airline Airport Lounges:	Gold: Emirates Silver: Virgin Atlantic Airways Bronze: Singapore Airlines
Best International Airline Frequent-Flyer Program:	Gold: Cathay Pacific Silver: Korean Air Bronze: Asiana Airlines
Best International Airline Premium-Class Service:	Gold: Emirates Silver: Virgin Atlantic Airways Bronze: Singapore Airlines

Flight Experience:

Best Flight Experience To Canada:	Gold: Air Canada Silver: United & Continental Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines
Best Flight Experience To Caribbean:	Gold: American Airlines Silver: Delta Air Lines Bronze: United & Continental Airlines
Best Flight Experience To Mexico:	Gold: Delta Air Lines Silver: American Airlines Bronze: United & Continental Airlines
Best Flight Experience To Central/South America:	Gold: American Airlines Silver: United & Continental Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines
Best Flight Experience To Europe:	Gold: British Airways Silver: Delta Air Lines Bronze: United & Continental Airlines
Best Flight Experience To Asia:	Gold: Singapore Airlines Silver: United Airlines Bronze: Delta Air Lines
Best Flight Experience To Australia/New Zealand:	Gold: Qantas Airways Silver: Air New Zealand Bronze: United Airlines
Best Flight Experience To Middle East:	Gold: Emirates Silver: Delta Air Lines Bronze: United Airlines
Best Flight Experience To Africa	Gold: Delta Air Lines Silver: South African Airways Bronze: British Airways

Airports:

Best Domestic Airport:	Gold: Atlanta (Hartsfield-Jackson) Silver: Denver Bronze: Charlotte (Douglas)
Best International Airport:	Gold: London (Heathrow) Silver: Amsterdam (Schiphol) Bronze: Singapore (Changi)

Hotels:

Best Hotel Overall:	Gold: Jumeirah Silver: Andaz by Hyatt Bronze: Mandarin Oriental
Best Hotel Business Travel:	Gold: Jumeirah Silver: Mandarin Oriental Bronze: Andaz by Hyatt
Best Hotel Meeting Facilities:	Gold: Mandarin Oriental Silver: Gaylord Bronze: Taj
Best Hotel Customer Service:	Gold: Jumeirah Silver: Mandarin Oriental Bronze: Andaz by Hyatt
Best Hotel Frequent Guest Program	Gold: Marriott Rewards Silver: Hilton HHonors Bronze: Hyatt Gold Passport

Miscellaneous:

Best Aircraft Type:	Gold: Boeing 777 Silver: Boeing 747 Bronze: Boeing 787
Best Private Jet Service:	Gold: Delta Private Jets Silver: NetJets Bronze: Flexjet by Bombardier
Best Credit Card Rewards Program:	Gold: Membership Rewards Program from American Express Silver: Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express Bronze: United Airlines MileagePlus Explorer Visa
Best Rental Car Company Overall:	Gold: Hertz Silver: National Bronze: Enterprise

Methodology: A questionnaire developed by the editors of Executive Travel, in association with ROI Research, Inc., was made available to Executive Travel readers at roiresearch.com/leadingedgeawards from January 31, 2012, through April 1, 2012. Readers were invited to participate through dedicated email invitations, the March/April issue of Executive Travel magazine, the Executive Travel CheckIn newsletter and social media.

Editor Picks

While Leading Edge Awards are reader-voted, Executive Travel editors honor these additional companies for innovation in 2012.

• Uber: In just two years, this car service has wowed a league of users. Here’s how it works: Set up an account with your credit card. Text your location, or use the iPhone or Android app. A black car arrives in minutes. Your credit card is charged automatically—no need to sign or compute tip. Downside: It’s available only in a handful of cities. So simple, so elegant.

• Heathrow Express: More than 16,000 travelers a day take this train from London Heathrow to the city center or back. In March the company announced a major investment of about $26 million that will upgrade the trains, service and branding—on what was already an excellent product. While the project will take three years to roll out, the initial upgrade comes just in time for the London Olympics.

• Starwood Preferred Guest : The Starwood’s loyalty program was revamped in 2012 with some new, innovative benefits, particularly for its most frequent guests. Its highest-level members now have the ability to check in or out anytime, the availability of lifetime status and an expanded personal concierge program. Members with lower status levels have had benefits added as well. Starwood’s decision to innovate for its best guests is sharp, indeed.

• Global Entry and Pre-Check: These initiatives from the Department of Transportation promise to make the most stressful part of any trip a snap for frequent flyers. Global Entry, offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, expedites preapproved passengers through customs. Pre-Check, run by the Transportation Security Administration, allows a lighter screening for preapproved passengers, with a special line and no need to remove shoes or laptop. We applaud the DOT’s initiatives to reduce some of the hassle of the airport experience.

• Incheon International Airport: Thanks to innovative marketing initiatives by Seoul’s airport (e.g., 15-percent-off coupons for debarking passengers in duty-free shops) and the growth of its hub airlines Korean and Asiana, the airport has become a key gateway into Asia. In fact, Incheon has more flights to Japanese destinations than Tokyo Narita International Airport and more flights to Chinese destinations than Hong Kong International Airport. Amenities include a golf course, ice-skating rink, private sleeping rooms and spa.

• Special Travel Heritage Award: TravelPro This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Rollaboard bag, which changed the way we travel. In 1987 Robert Plath, a Northwest Airlines pilot, invented the bag in his garage, founded Travel Pro and began marketing the Rollaboard to flight crews. Perhaps no other travel accessory has become so ubiquitous and necessary. Remember when you actually carried your carry-on? Our backs thank you, TravelPro.