LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this
week at APEX TECH, the Airline Passenger Experience
Association (APEX), the leading international airline
association focused on passenger experience, awarded regional
Passenger Choice Awards (PCAs) to airlines in North America, South
America, and Europe. The
awards recognize airlines for excellence in seat comfort, cabin
service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.
The regional winners were selected based on neutral, third-party
passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX's
partnership with TripIt® from Concur®, the world's
highest-rated travel-organizing app. Using a five-star scale,
nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across 428
airlines from around the world between 24
October 2016 and 31 July 2017. First, passengers rated
their overall flight experience and then were given the
opportunity to provide ratings in five subcategories: seat
comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and
Wi-Fi.
The overall ratings were certified by an external auditing
service hired by APEX and used to establish the airline's Official
Airline Ratings™, with the ratings from the five subcategories
being used to determine the Passenger Choice Awards. Airlines
were evaluated using three categories to determine the Best in
Region:
- Global Airlines: Airlines with a large number of wide-body
aircraft covering the globe
- Major Regional: Airlines covering a significant region of the
globe
- Low-Cost Carriers: Airlines that self-identify as being
low-cost carriers
"Regional airlines around the world constantly strive to set new
standards of in-flight excellence for their passengers; from
regional content selections to elevated meals, faster Wi-Fi, or
service with a personal touch," said APEX CEO, Joe Leader. "Airlines hold the feedback of
their passengers in high regard, which is why they value receiving
an honor like the APEX Passenger Choice Award, which represents the
collective verified voice of their travelers."
APEX honored the following airlines with regional Passenger
Choice Awards at APEX TECH:
NORTH/SOUTH AMERICA
- Best Seat Comfort: Virgin America
- Best Cabin Service: Southwest
- Best Food and Beverage: Alaska
- Best Entertainment: Virgin America
- Best Wi-Fi: JetBlue
- Best Overall in Region: North Americ
-
- Best Global: Delta
- Best Major Regional: Alaska
- Best LCC: Southwest
- Best Overall in Region: South
America
-
- Best Global: LATAM
- Best Major Regional: Avianca
- Best LCC: Azul
EUROPE
- Best Seat Comfort: Aeroflot Russian Airlines
- Best Cabin Service: Virgin Atlantic
- Best Food and Beverage: Virgin Atlantic
- Best Entertainment: Icelandair
- Best Wi-Fi: Norwegian Air
- Best Overall in Region: Europe
-
- Best Global: Aeroflot Russian Airlines
- Best Major Regional: Olympic Air
- Best LCC: Norwegian Air
The following airlines were also honored with Passenger Choice
Awards at ceremonies earlier this year:
GLOBAL PASSENGER CHOICE AWARDS
- Best Seat Comfort: Virgin America
- Best Cabin Service: Qatar Airways
- Best Food & Beverage: Qatar Airways
- Best Entertainment: Emirates
- Best Wi-Fi: JetBlue
REGIONAL: ASIA &
SOUTH PACIFIC
- Best Seat Comfort: EVA Air
- Best Cabin Service: Japan Airlines
- Best Food & Beverage: EVA Air
- Best Entertainment: Cathay Pacific
- Best Wi-Fi: Japan Airlines
- Best in Overall in Region: EVA Air
REGIONAL: MIDDLE
EAST
- Best Seat Comfort: Qatar Airways
- Best Cabin Service: Qatar Airways
- Best Food & Beverage: Qatar Airways
- Best Entertainment: Emirates
- Best Wi-Fi: Emirates
- Best in Overall in Region: Emirates & Qatar (tied
to one-hundredth of a
percentage point; first tie in the history of PCA's)
REGIONAL: AFRICA
- Best Seat Comfort: South African Airways
- Best Cabin Service: South African Airways
- Best Food & Beverage: South African Airways
- Best Entertainment: Ethiopian Airlines
- Best in Overall in Region: South African Airways
The recipients of the 2019 Global Passenger Choice Awards will
be announced 24 September at APEX's Award Ceremony during APEX
EXPO. During the ceremony, which will be hosted by Brian
Kelly, CEO and Founder of The Points Guy, APEX will also recognize
four- and five-star-rated airlines with Official Airline Ratings,
as well as award the APEX CEO Lifetime Achievement Award, APEX
Outstanding Contribution Award, the APEX Cool Award, and the APEX
Awards.
To learn more about all of the upcoming industry events for
APEX, Click here. For more information about APEX, please
visit apex.aero, sign up for the APEX Daily Experience
e-newsletter, or follow APEX
on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
For all media inquiries regarding this press release, please
contact:
Robin Applebaum / rapplebaum@apex.aero /
1.678.303.2980
About The Airline Passenger Experience (APEX)
APEX encompasses a network of businesses and professionals that
are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for
passengers around the globe. As a non-profit, APEX reinvests all of
its resources to better serve its members. Every day, APEX members
evaluate the passenger experience through an influential community
and are improving every aspect of the airline experience: from
designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and
communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges
and in-flight dining. For more than four decades, APEX has worked
to strengthen the industry and enable business opportunities
through education, innovation, networking and recognition.
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/northsouth-american-and-european-airlines-honored-at-apex-tech-with-passenger-choice-awards-300670441.html
SOURCE Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)