BUSINESS TRAVELLER’S ‘CELLARS IN THE SKY‘ GIVES ONEWORLD THE THUMBS UP
(Posted 23rd February 2017)
Judges at a leading international wine-tasting competition have raised their glasses to oneworld® as the best airline alliance for the wines served in-flight by its member airlines for the eighth year in a row.
The Cellars in the Sky Awards, now in their 31st year, are run by Business Traveller, the multi-national magazine group, in association with the International Wine Challenge.
The 2016 awards were presented last night at a ceremony in London, following blind tastings by a panel of four leading experts of hundreds of wines served on longhaul flights by 33 airlines from around the world.
This latest accolade consolidates oneworld’s position as the world most highly prized airline alliance, as the current holder also of six of the leading overall “best airline alliance” awards presented internationally.
oneworld’s member airlines also flew high in the Cellars in the Sky 2016 awards, taking top places in nine of the 13 categories for individual carriers. In total, oneworld members received 11 gold medals, eight silver medals, and 10 bronzes – more than twice as many awards as received by airlines in both other global alliances combined.
Taking top honours, with the Best Overall Cellar, was British Airways, with its oneworld partners Qantas and Qatar Airways in second and third places respectively. Fellow oneworld member Malaysia Airlines walked away with the title of Best First Class Cellar, with alliance partners American Airlines second and Qantas and Qatar Airways joint third.
The gold medallists among oneworld member airlines were:
- British Airways for Best Overall Cellar. It also won three silvers and a bronze.
- Qatar Airways for Joint Best First Class Sparkling and Best Business Class Fortified/Dessert. It also received two bronze medals.
- Cathay Pacific for Joint Best First Class Sparkling and Best Presented First Class Wine List. It also gained one bronze medal.
- Malaysia Airlines for Best First Class Cellar and Joint Best First Class White. It also added a silver and a bronze medal to its haul.
- American Airlines for Joint Best First Class White, along with two silver medals.
- Japan Airlines, for Best First Class Red.
- Finnair, for Best Business Class White.
Joining them were Qantas with three silver medals and three bronze medals, and LATAM, with one bronze medal.
The judges included luminaries from the world of wine, led by co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge Charles Metcalfe.
For the results in full, see businesstraveller.com
Other “best airline alliance” awards currently held by oneworld include:
- FlightStats’ Airline Alliance On-Time Performance Service Award for 2016, for the fourth year running.
- Global Traveler magazine’s 2016 GT Tested Reader Survey – for the seventh year in a row.
- Business Traveller’s 2016 Best Airline Alliance for the fourth year running.
- Business Traveler North America’s 2016 Best in Business Travel Awards, for the second consecutive year.
- World Travel Awards’ World’s Leading Airline Alliance 2016 for the 14th year running.
- Premier Traveler’s Best of 2015 Awards – for the third year running.
