Air New Zealand this week achieved second place in the Conde Nast Traveller Awards, in the category 'Favourite Leisure Airline'.
The awards, now in their tenth year, celebrate the best of the travel industry. Overall the airline came 96th in the magazine's list of the top 100 travel experiences in the world.
With an average score of 88 out of a possible 100 across various voting criteria, such as punctuality, in-flight entertainment and passenger service, readers considered Air New Zealand the best 'Value For Money'. The airline narrowly missed out on the overall top spot. This went to Virgin Atlantic, which won by a tiny margin with an average score of 88.25 out of 100. Air New Zealand frequently fares well in these awards and took first place in the 'Favourite Leisure Airline' category in 2004.
Air New Zealand, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of UK flights, flies twice daily from the UK to Auckland, via Hong Kong and LA, and is the only airline to offer a round the world service from London. Its Business Premier and Pacific Premium Economy services have won over business and leisure travellers alike with their generous leg room, fully lie flat beds (in Business Premier), and excellent menus designed by top Kiwi chef Peter Gordon. Its Pacific Economy class is also immensely popular, offering the same excellent service as premium classes and the airline's trademark relaxing Kiwi atmosphere at affordable prices.
Scott Carr, Air New Zealand's General Manager Europe, commented: "We're delighted to receive this award - another fantastic achievement for Air New Zealand. The Conde Nast Traveller Awards are prestigious and this accolade carries particular significance as it's our passengers who vote. The in-flight and ground teams who have made this achievement possible should be proud of themselves. We look forward to continuing to improve our passenger experience, and maintaining our position against these much larger airlines."
Air New Zealand's home country also fared well in the awards, taking fifth place in the 'Destination' category for its breathtaking scenery.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Sarah Hopkins, Air New Zealand Communications Manager, Europe:
+ 44 (0) 208 600 7657 or mobile + 44 (0) 7768 232 518
Grayling PR: Victoria Pilkington-Miksa on 020 7255 5418 Kate Woods on 020 7255 5428
NOTE: The content of all Air New Zealand media releases are accurate at the time of issue, as stated at the top of each release. For updates on any changes, please contact Air New Zealand.
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award, Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Blue1, bmi, Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Aegean Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines and TAM have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers 19,500 daily flights to 1,071 airports in 171 countries.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com.
