Business Traveler, February 2015

42 n February 2015 Visit businesstravelerusa com n Special Report Best Airport in North America Los Angeles International Readers also made the connection with other top global airport choices plus rental cars and business class service to regions Comfort was a characteristic best expressed by the winners in the lodging categories including Best Business Hotel Chains by regions and the best individual properties for business travel in North America and in the world In the ever diversifying hospitality industry other award categories included Best Extended Stay Best Boutique and Best Luxury Hotel Chain Business Traveler readers voted Four Seasons Hotels Resorts the Hotel Chain with the Best Overall Customer Service and the award for the Best Business Hotel Chain in the World went to Hilton Hotels and Resorts Up in the Air The value proposition for aviation has never been more clear However as any frequent traveler will tell you air travel these days can quickly start to feel like a commodity What sets the experience apart what lends value to air travel are the relationships that develop along the way Thats why the Best in Business Travel Awards honors airlines for every aspect of the customer experience from advertising and customer support to in flight entertainment and cuisine By region by aircraft type and by service class the winners demonstrate the value they bring to business travel every day The fourth attribute of the Best in Business Travel is quality When it comes to air travel quality shines through in every aspect of every trip from service to schedules from booking to baggage claim Quality in air travel was recognized in the awards for the best airline alliance the best in flight experience and the Best Airline Alliance the Best In Flight Experience and the Best Service in the World By Class With suspense building then came the coveted honors for the Best Airline in the World for International Travel Qatar Airways and the readers choice for Best Overall Airline in the World Singapore Airlines Business Travelers of the Year In the industry theres a great deal of talk about business travelers how they view their lives on the road what they expect from their efforts and yours and their search for connection comfort value and quality But its all been in the abstract This year Business Traveler decided to bring this idea to life by creating a new award the Business Traveler of the Year to recognize two individuals who exemplify the best of all business travelers For the final two awards we recognized the Business Travelers of the Year for 2014 Heather Wilson a corporate event marketing manager for Kyocera Communications Inc who travels 175 plus days a year and Andy Abramson founder and CEO of Comunicano Inc a communications public relations and marketing strategy consultancy who puts in 190 plus days of round the world travel each year At the conclusion of the evening amid much applause the audience drank a toast to these and all the millions of business travelers they represent who criss cross the globe every day to achieve their missions BT Molly Hagen Boeing guest and Tony Hagen with Boeing Silvia Deras with Avianca Airlines and Beatriz Gonzalez of Starwood Hotels Resorts Pablo Chiozza of LAN Airlines with Carlos Quijano LAN Airlines guest Mr Il Jo Hyun with Asiana Airlines Joshua Quesada with Avianca Airlines Lark Gould of Business Traveler North America and Michael Burny of United Airlines Star Alliance Jonathan Cowley with Air New Zealand