Delta Air Lines and the St. Regis hotel brand were among winners of the Leading Edge Awards for 2013, given out by Executive Travel magazine.
The award for "Best Overall Domestic Airline" went to Delta Airlines. The company beat out JetBlue and Southwest airlines. Last year, the award went to Virgin America.
Korean Air won "Best International Airlines Overall," beating out Singapore Airlines. Last year's winner was Emirates Air.
Other winners included Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport in the category of "Best Domestic Airport," London Heathrow as "Best International Airport," and Delta Private Jets in the category of "Best Private Jet Service." The "Best Aircraft Type" went to Boeing's 777 wide body jet, beating out the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380.
In hotel categories, the St. Regis Hotel won "Best Hotel Overall," and National was named the "Best Rental Car Company Overall." American Express Membership Rewards received "Best Credit Card Rewards Program."
The winners are chosen by the readers of Executive Travel magazine.
The magazine's editors also awarded six "Editor's Picks." The recipients included Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Chicago O'Hare Airport, Hertz, Langham International Hotels and Trip-It.
"The Executive Travel Leading Edge Award Editor's Picks were selected primarily for their innovation and creativity," Janet Libert, the Editor in chief of Executive Travel told Today In the Sky. "We also considered the impact these companies have on the travel lines of our Executive Travel readers who are among the most frequent travelers on the planet.
"Our readers are on a plane virtually every week of the year and spend 103 nights a year in a hotel," Libert continued.
The editors provided details as to how they chose some of their editors' picks.
"Trip-It knows business travelers pain points and is committed to finding easy intuitive solutions for the time starved business traveler," the editors said. "This organization is open to ideas and is flawless in execution."
They also praised O'Hare for its farm to table dining options and commitment to sustainability, including an aeroponic garden, vegetated roofs and 28 beehives.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
