Besieged Qatar ‘world’s best’
Under-siege Qatar Airways has been named the world’s best airline and the Air New Zealandoperated Star Alliance lounge at Los Angeles has won in the World Airline Awards.
The Star Alliance lounge in the Tom Bradley terminal won the best airline alliance lounge title at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, voted for by passengers.
It is the third year running the lounge has taken the top award.
Air New Zealand manages the lounge at LAX on a day-to-day basis and this includes having an Air New Zealand manager on duty.
The 675sqm space is used by about a dozen Star Alliance carriers.
The lounge offers a bar area for socialising, library space, den, study, media room and has eight shower rooms.
It also has an open air terrace with panoramic views of the northern runway towards the Hollywood Hills. This space includes fire pits and a water wall.
Air New Zealand said it offered a variety of globally inspired dishes and beverages as well as New Zealand wines throughout the year (alongside other international wines), and from time to time Kiwi-inspired dishes, including bacon and egg pies, kiwifruit smoothies and lolly cake.
Qatar Airways was named the best airline in the world for the fourth time.
The airline — which is facing a blockade from some of its Middle Eastern neighbours — also won the World’s Best Business Class, the World’s Best First Class Lounge and the Best Airline in the Middle East.
The latest Skytrax Research survey was conducted between August 2016 and May 2017, attracting 19.87 million el i gible entries with participants from 105 nationalities. It covered more than 325 airlines.