TripAdvisor: World's Top 10 Airlines

Emirates voted the best airline in the world

With all the much deserved fuss that is bedeviling United Airlines for the appalling treatment of passengers following this week's overbooking incident, I had planned to add a major post about that controversy to this blog. However, I have decided instead to add this much more positive post, which is essentially a media release from TripAdvisor, in which they announce the Top Ten best airlines as chosen by their reviewers. It is surely no surprise that United Airlines does not appear in the Top Ten.

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TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site recently announced the 2017 Travelers' Choice Awards for Airlines, Based on Flyer Reviews

Emirates is the #1 Airline in the World; Delta and JetBlue Top North American Lists

1 Emirates: "Excellent Experience" Dale B > "My experience was excellent. Food was great, inflight entertainment was top notch, very modern and up to date system."

TripAdvisor, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its first annual travelers' Choice awards for airlines, recognizing travelers' favorite carriers around the globe. Emirates was named the top airline in the world, followed by Singapore Airlines and Azul.

The awards honor 50 airlines overall, including top lists for the World, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa; as well as 16 regional winners. The awards also highlight top airlines by level of service, covering First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of airline reviews and ratings submitted by travelers worldwide, over a 12-month period. The hallmarks of Travelers' Choice award winners are outstanding service, quality and value.

"We are proud to announce the inaugural Travelers' Choice awards for airlines, to help travelers make the most well-informed air travel decisions, based on the experiences of the global TripAdvisor community," said Bryan Saltzburg, senior vice president and general manager for TripAdvisor Flights. 

"The airline industry is investing billions of dollars in new aircraft and service enhancements to differentiate the flying experience and these awards recognize the carriers offering the very best experiences and value to the traveling public."

"We are honored to be named the Best Airline in the World in the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards for Airlines 2017," said Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airlines. "The fact that the awards are a result of unbiased reviews and feedback speaks to our commitment to deliver a superior travel experience for our customers. We want travelers to continue making Emirates their first choice whenever they think to travel. That is why we continue to invest in products and services across all classes, and why our service teams work hard and put their hearts into providing the very best experience for our customers both onboard and on the ground every day."

"Our mission of inspiring humanity sets us apart from every other airline," said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue executive vice president of customer experience. "This recognition by TripAdvisor and our customers demonstrates once again, that we are on the right path.  Thanks to our 20,000 crewmembers who live and breathe our unique values every day. It's our culture that inspires us to provide exceptional service, while we continue to build upon the product our customers love."

Singapore Airlines came in at the number two spot

Among the top 10 global list, Asia holds the highest number of individual winners, with total of five (Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, Thai Smile and Garuda Indonesia); followed by the United States, with two airlines in the top rankings: JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, in fourth and ninth places, respectively.

Top 10 Airlines in the World:

1.      Emirates, United Arab Emirates
2.      Singapore Airlines, Singapore
3.      Azul, Brazil
4.      JetBlue, United States
5.      Air New Zealand, New Zealand
6.      Korean Air, South Korea
7.      Japan Airlines, Japan
8.      Thai Smile, Thailand
9.      Alaska Airlines, United States
10.  Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia

2 Singapore Airlines: "My preferred airlines. Great food, really helpful flight crew. The best." Anne B > "I love travelling with Singapore airline. It is a real pleasure. The flight crew are always caring and courteous. The in flight food excellent. Good leg room. Definitely my preferred airline."

Class of Service Global Winners:

Best First Class: Emirates, United Arab Emirates
Best Business Class: Aeroflot, Russia
Best Premium Economy Class in the World: Air New Zealand, New Zealand
Best Economy Class in the World: Emirates, United Arab Emirates

Jet Blue was named the best of the American airlines

North America Awards:

Top Major Airline in North America:
Delta Air Lines, United States

Top Mid-Size & Low Cost Airlines in North America:

1.      JetBlue, United States
2.      Alaska Airlines, United States
3.      Southwest, United States
4.      Virgin America, United States
5.      Westjet, Canada

4 JetBlue: "Awesome!" Cheryl T. B > "The crew was just awesome. From their greeting to their smiles. The flight was smooth and the seats were amazingly comfortable."

For the complete list of winners from the 2017 Travelers' Choice awards for airlines, visit  www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Airlines. Travelers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #TravelersChoice.

TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site**. Travelers can read millions of reviews and opinions and book their next trip at: www.tripadvisor.com.

Methodology: Winners were based on airline reviews submitted on TripAdvisor Flights from February 2016 to February 2017.

Because In The End...

"Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn."

New York City Arts Round-Up #2

I have often wondered, as I wandered around many an art gallery’s modern art wing, how it was that curators of exhibitions could tell which way was the right way to hang paintings that had no obvious clues to their orientation. Should they be hung vertically or horizontally? In the video embedded below, MoMA curator Sarah Meister and master framer Peter Perez analyze several photographs by Brazilian artist Gertrudes Altschul to determine how they should be oriented for the upcoming exhibition Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction.

The exhibition (April 15—August13, 2017), shines a spotlight on the stunning achievements of women artists between the end of World War Two (1945), and the start of the Feminist movement (around 1968). Learn more here.

For MoMA’s latest videos, and invitations to live events Subscribe here…
Explore MoMA’s collection online…
Plan your visit in-person…

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Judith Leiber: Crafting a New York Story

Now through August 6, 2017

Museum of Arts and Design

2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan.

Judith Leiber’s jeweled, embellished and patterned clutches are the subject of this exhibition, which highlights Leiber’s skillfully crafted handbags. These works of art are influenced by both art deco style and techniques Leiber learned in Europe. Her bags are known for their boundary-pushing qualities from Swarovski crystal–covered pieces to those made with fabrics and material from India, Asia and Africa. Read more here…

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The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s

Now through August 20, 2017

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

2 E. 91st St., Manhattan.

In the 1920s American style of dress came to define the jazz era. This is the first major museum exhibition to focus on American taste during the creative explosion of the 1920s. The Jazz Age will be a multi-media experience of more than 400  examples of interior design, industrial design, decorative art, jewelry, fashion, architecture, music, and film. Giving full expression to the decade’s diversity and dynamism, The Jazz Age will define the American spirit of the period. Read more here…

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Storming the Gate (detail). Elizabeth Mateer and Alexander Peters

Dancers Among Us: A Celebration Of Joy In The Everyday

Now through May 5, 2017. Free to attend.
Brookfield Place, Level 2.

230 Vesey Street, Manhattan.

Jordan Matter’s Dancers Among Us presents one thrilling photograph after another of dancers leaping, spinning, lifting, kicking—but in the midst of daily life: on the beach, at a construction site, in a library, a restaurant, a park. With each image the viewer feels buoyed up, eager to see the next bit of magic. Organized around themes of work, play, love, exploration, dreaming, and more, Dancers Among Us celebrates life in a way that’s fresh, surprising, original, universal. There’s no photoshopping here, no trampolines, no gimmicks, no tricks. Just a photographer, his vision, and the serendipity of what happens when the shutter clicks. The exhibition at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey Shops, 2nd level) features twenty large-scale aluminum and vinyl prints, and an incredible video compilation of behind-the-scenes film.

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Not Only — But Also…

Best April Events in New York City From NYCGO

Along with the first real taste of spring, April in New York City means the return of Mets and Yankees baseball, the Tribeca Film Festival and premieres courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico and the New York City Ballet. New art exhibitions celebrate the photography of Irving Penn and Henri Cartier-Bresson and the colorful blown-glass creations of Dale Chihuly. For details on these happenings and many more, read on…

More April Events From the Village Voice

Since it is impossible for one website to list every conceivable event in New York City, here are more listings from the Village Voice…