TTG TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 SPECIAL EDITION 39
Airline Awards
To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something.
But to fly is everything.
– Otto Lilienthal
Best Full Service
Carrier
Singapore Airlines Best Airline –
Best Boutique Airline
Business Class
Bangkok Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
W K Lim
Regional vice president South East Asia,
Singapore Airlines Kendrick Ko
Country manager Thailand,
Cathay Pacific Airways Varong Israsena Na Ayudhya
Vice president – sales,
Bangkok Airways
What does this award mean to you? What does this award mean to you? What does this award mean to you?
While we do not measure our success by the
number of awards that we garner, it is nice
that our efforts to provide our customers the
best products and services we can offer
are recognised. To receive any award is special but to be named
Best Airline – Business Class for the second con-
secutive year is very encouraging and reflects the
pride our Cathay Pacific teams take in providing
our customers with the products and services
they truly value.
Improving our customers’ experience with
us is always our inspiration and we are thankful
to both them and our people for making this
award possible. We hold this award in high regard and are ex-
tremely humbled to have won it.
Not only does this award validate our overall
credibility within the aviation industry but it is
also a reminder of the exemplary dedication
of our airline staff, who made this possible,
in providing the highest quality service for
our passengers.
We promise to be consistent with our service
standards to underline our commitment as Asia’s
Boutique Airline.
How will you continue to outshine your competitors
in the marketplace next year and beyond?
We have always taken the view that we can never
rest on our laurels, and must always be invest-
ing heavily to continue delivering the world’s
best travel experience to our customers, while
ensuring we are constantly adapting to structural
change in our industry.
We are set to launch the world’s longest com-
mercial nonstop flight from Singapore to New
York with the arrival of the world’s first Airbus
A350-900 ULR (Ultra Long Range) variant later
this year. On the digital front, we have also set
our sights on becoming the world’s leading digi-
tal airline with many digital initiatives in place
such as the recent launch of Singapore Airline’s
Digital Innovation Blueprint, as well as KrisPay,
an innovative miles-based digital wallet.
What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category?
It is an honour for Singapore Airlines to receive
this award and we are grateful to those who have
voted for us.
Our employees and stakeholders around the
world strive to deliver only the best travel experi-
ence for our customers and this award is a posi-
tive affirmation of their efforts and hard work.
At the same time, we would like to reiterate
our commitment to drive innovations and set
service standards that will continue to redefine
premium air travel.
How will you continue to outshine your competitors
in the marketplace next year and beyond?
We are committed to continually invest in order
to enhance the experience our customers have
when they travel with Cathay Pacific.
We continue to enhance our products both
on the ground – we unveiled our newest lounge,
The Deck, in Hong Kong earlier this year – and
in the air. We are rolling out wi-fi across all our
long-haul aircraft and a new business class din-
ing service on our long-haul routes.
We have, or are in the process of launching,
nine new destinations this year alone, includ-
ing exciting new routes to Copenhagen, Dublin,
Cape Town and Washington DC.
How will you continue to outshine your competitors
in the marketplace next year and beyond?
We believe by providing full service or what
we like to call “boutique” service, we are able
to diversify and shine on our own rather than
outshine others through comparison.
We have operated with commitment to make
every flight an exceptional journey, ranging from
lounge access for all passengers to inflight meals
curated by one of Thailand’s best chefs, all with
the assistance of our highly trained staff. Ad-
ditionally we will explore more untried destina-
tions and offer passengers more unique choices
and experiences.
What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category? What would you like to say to the travel agents who
voted you as the best in your category?
We greatly appreciate and value the work of our
travel agency partners. Travel agencies have long
been instrumental in providing personalised
services and industry expertise to our customers
across Asia and indeed the world. Cathay Pacific
is grateful for another effective point of contact
between the customer and ourselves, which
complements our own distribution capabili-
ties. – Maggie Yeung, regional general manager
South-east Asia, Cathay Pacific Airways We would like to thank them for the effort
put into voting for us. We are honoured to be
granted this opportunity to gain such a highly
esteemed award. Furthermore, we would like
to thank them for their hard work within the
aviation industry. Without these travel agents,
our airline would not be able to run as smoothly
or maximise the comfort of all our customers.
– Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, president,
Bangkok Airways