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The World’s Best Airports 2009
The Business Travel Guide
Seoul Incheon International Airport
The world’s air travelers have spoken. According to a survey of 8.6 million passengers at 196 airports by U.K.-based Skytrax Research, Seoul Incheon has grabbed top honors as World’s Best Airport 2009, followed by Hong Kong International and Singapore Changi, with Zurich and Munich placing best in Europe and in the top five overall. Other winners around the globe include Cape Town, Auckland, Tel Aviv, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Lima.
Skytrax’s survey measured how well each facility performed against customer expectations. In every case, the high marks achieved by the highest scorers stemmed largely from convenience-based innovations that are making what was traditionally the most vexing part of the trip into an experience that is increasingly smooth, comfortable and productive.
The key areas in which 2009’s winners excelled include the following:
- Convenience in getting to and from airport. The airports sitting atop the “World’s Best” list offer numerous superior public transportation options that are well known for their speedy efficiency.
- Terminal comfort, ambience and general design. This includes layout and convenient gate access and the location and quality of business, retail and entertainment facilities. Seoul Incheon scored big on its free transit lounge with shower facilities, Internet terminals and sleeper chairs.
- Connection efficiency, as well as good track records in on-time departures. Airport-wide wireless broadband earned big points everywhere, while newer facilities such as Hong Kong International, with multiple runways and plenty of gates, garnered the best on-time records.
- Priority check-in options that speed passengers through security and minimize time from car to plane. The best airports feature scores of self-serve airport kiosks that allow travelers to quickly view, edit and print boarding passes, while elite lounges located behind security checkpoints and nearer gates, such as those offered by Lufthansa at Munich, add even more value.
- Convenient and speedy immigration and security systems. At airports such as Seoul Incheon, officials identify which checkpoints are most crowded with customers, then immediately assign more staff there to shorten waiting times.
The best airports aren’t always limited to major hubs. Smaller legacy airports such as Dallas’s Love Field, Midway in Chicago and London City are earning high marks from frequent business travelers as well, thanks to terminal upgrades that offer the same winning customer amenities as their larger counterparts, but with easier parking, quick access to rental cars, close-in locations with shorter travel times and major airline service to key cities.
Ultimately, as local governments and airlines compete more vigorously for travelers — especially frequent business fliers — options for customer convenience, productivity and even no-holds-barred luxury are trending upward in ever more of the world’s air destinations. That means that the good news for 2009’s top-rated airports translates to winning results for everyone..
Making the Best Airports Even Better
Frankfurt’s First Class Lounge
Lufthansa’s acclaimed lounges make many of the planet’s most popular airports even better, offering quiet and luxurious havens where you can optimize and even savor your time. And the outlook continues to improve: Lufthansa has opened or totally renovated 17 new facilities for HON Circle and Senator members of Miles & More as well as First and Business Class passengers during the past 12 months alone, with plans to invest about $200 million in a worldwide effort by 2013. Just consider the possibilities in these recent openings:
Frankfurt’s First Class Lounge offers an exclusive spa with six superior-quality shower rooms (two of them with Jacuzzis), and — for the first time at a Lufthansa lounge — two massage rooms. Culinary delights abound in the restaurant and bistro area, where you can choose delicious offerings from the buffet or order freshly prepared meals cooked to order before a limo service takes you directly to your aircraft.
Frankfurt’s Tower Lounge provides a spectacular view of the tarmac through its panoramic windows. Of course, that’s in addition to the deep leather chairs, the bistro buffet with drinks and a variety of snacks, five modern and refreshing showers, and its fully equipped private workstations and business services.
Frankfurt’s Welcome Lounge
The Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt’s Arrivals Area B is a hidden gem for those who know about it. Here a concierge assists with your every travel need, while a bistro offers savory snacks and a breakfast buffet. You can also use one of 30 luxury showers, sink into a deep armchair in the comfort zone or catch up on business at one of the workstations.
Munich’s First Class Lounge is designed to make your experience at one of 2009’s World’s Best Airports even better. From its lower level you can be chauffeur-driven to your aircraft, while on both the upper and lower floors you can freshen up in the Jacuzzi or luxury showers and enjoy the gourmet restaurant featuring regional organic produce, international specialties and superb sushi. Even the beverage selection is top-shelf, with 80 blends of whisky, 43 vintage Armagnacs and German beer on draught.
Other new and recently refurbished lounges include the three-story flagship complex at New York’s JFK International, offering preflight dinners and its own bar; as well as Senator and Business Lounges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Mumbai, Washington Dulles and Detroit’s North Terminal — all boasting delightful amenities, more space and entrance areas located behind the security checkpoint so that you can reach your gate more quickly.
Providing these relaxing oases is central to Lufthansa’s value proposition. “Our aim is to fulfill the expectations of our premium and status customers,” says Jens Bischof, Lufthansa’s Vice President, The Americas. “Our investments in these areas underline our commitment that traveling with Lufthansa should be as pleasant and as comfortable as possible.”