The Qantas Group has been recognised as having the two leading airlines in the Australia-Pacific region in the 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards.
Qantas was awarded Best Airline Australia-Pacific and Jetstar Airways awarded Best Low Cost Airline Australia-Pacific. Qantas was also ranked one of the top ten airlines globally and Jetstar Airways was voted the number two low cost carrier in the world.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the result put Qantas and Jetstar among the best airlines in the world as judged by over 18 million passengers from 160 different countries.
“Skytrax is a leading indicator of passenger satisfaction. For both Qantas and Jetstar Airways to be recognised as two of the best reflects our investment in creating great travel experiences,” said Mr Joyce.
“We now have one of the youngest fleets of any legacy airline in the world. We have invested in more training, new lounges and better on-board products. We pride ourselves on safety and on being the most on-time airline in Australia. The Skytrax result shows how these efforts add up to create a superior experience for passengers.
“We know customer satisfaction is built on service and consistency, so these awards are a credit to all our employees,” Mr Joyce added.
Jetstar Airways was voted Best Low Cost Airline Australia-Pacific for the third consecutive year and Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the result was a credit to its staff.
“Winning this award for the third year in a row is a tribute to our team and their drive to consistently deliver a hassle-free and enjoyable journey,” Ms Hrdlicka said.
“This year we will welcome the Boeing 787 to our international fleet, which will improve the customer experience with inflight entertainment in every seat, a quieter trip and reduced jetlag due to improved cabin humidity.
“Jetstar’s mission is to help more people fly to more places more often, while also delivering the best customer experience in the low fares segment. We’ll keep working until we’re the number one airline in this space.”
Some of the key customer service-related improvements delivered by Qantas on key routes in the past 12 months include: mattresses for international Business Class, updates to menus and wine lists, an all-new lounge in Singapore, the use of iPads to stream inflight entertainment, and benefits of the Qantas+Emirates partnership.
In the same period, Jetstar has completed cabin refurbishments of its A320s, introduced new amenity kits with Bloom Cosmetics and revamped its in-flight catering. On the ground, Jetstar has also introduced online ‘live chat’ to offer customers a more convenient way to answer queries.
oneworld, of which Qantas is a founding member, was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance by Skytrax.