This year's TPG Awards has come and gone, and it was a night that attendees and travel companies won't forget any time soon.
That's especially true for Emirates, which took home two awards Monday night — the only airline to win two trophies.
The Dubai-based carrier won awards for having the world's best first-class and premium economy products. If you've ever flown in these cabins, odds are you'll probably agree with these picks.
And if you haven't, here's a look at why Emirates went home with two shiny new pieces of hardware.
When I was ready to start traveling again during the pandemic, I was looking for international destinations that were open to tourists.
Once Dubai announced that all you needed was a negative test to enter the city, I immediately started looking for flights to the Gulf megopolis.
And then, when I saw that Emirates was flying its so-called Game Changer first-class product to the U.S., I knew it was meant to be. (Emirates typically deploys this product on much shorter routes to Europe.)
The Game Changer, found on just nine Emirates Boeing 777-300ERs, is one of the holy grails of premium-cabin products.
Much like a roomette on a train, the Game Changer is a fully enclosed suite — making it the only first-class product in the world to offer complete privacy. Plus, with just six individual suites, the cabin feels stately and intimate.
During my flight in the middle suite, I marveled at the virtual windows — a novelty that Emirates pioneered with this product. Furthermore, I loved the video call "room service" feature that allows you to virtually place a food or drink order with the cabin crew.
Other bells and whistles include customizable mood lighting, personal climate controls, a pair of $250 Steiner binoculars to use during the flight and much more.
Emirates first-class staples, such as personal minibars, free-flowing Champagne, top-shelf liquor and celebrity chef-designed meals, will also be waiting for you when you fly in a Game Changer suite.
What you won't find on the Boeing 777 are showers, which are a feature exclusively found on Emirates' Airbus A380s. While these double-deckers might offer showers for first-class passengers, everything else about the Game Changer is a massive improvement, making this already industry-leading product the world's best first-class experience.
While Emirates is the first of the three Gulf megacarriers to install a premium economy cabin, the airline is very much playing catch-up with the rest of the industry that's been flying this elevated product for years.
But though it might've taken the airline a little longer than its U.S. and European peers to install this product, Emirates clearly spent some time thinking about the details.
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Tonight marks a momentous occasion for the global travel industry as the Grand Final of the World Travel Awards (WTA) unfolds in the vibrant city of Dubai. After months of excitement and anticipation, industry leaders, professionals, and enthusiasts from around the world are gearing up for an unforgettable night that will unveil the crème de la crème of the travel and hospitality sector.
The Middle East is not just a destination; it’s a living testament to the transformative power of forward-thinking ideas. It’s a natural fit for Skift to host a Forum, a location that thrives on innovation and embraces the ever-evolving landscape of global travel. Which is why I am excited Skift and Dubai are hosting Skift Global Forum East there for the second year on December 12-14 at Atlantis The Royal.
Gulf carrier Emirates is spending $2 billion to refurbish the more than 100 Airbus A380 airplanes in its fleet, and doing a good deed at the same time.
World Travel Awards is delighted to announce that it will host its Grand Final 2023 – the climax of its 30th anniversary of rewarding travel excellence – at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab.
World Ski Awards – the only global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in ski tourism – has revealed the winners of its 11th annual programme.
The beautiful winning images of the 2023 international Nature Photographer of the Year contest celebrating the beauty of nature photography were unveiled at an awards ceremony that took place at the annual Nature Talks Photo Festival in the Netherlands.
Emirates today announced an order for 15 additional Airbus A350-900s during the fourth day of the Dubai Airshow 2023, taking the Emirates’ total A350 order book to 65 units.
Emirates President Tim Clark said Tuesday he is sticking with Boeing despite long-running delays and that he needed to see much better performance from Rolls Royce engines before going with Airbus’ A350. He didn’t mince words, referring to the Rolls Royce engine as “defective.”
The chief operating officer of Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air, doesn’t expect the carrier will become a “super-connecter” but will focus instead on “point-to-point” travel. And COO Peter Bellew told at the Dubai Airshow Tuesday that Ryadh Air will meet different needs than nearby Emirates.
Dubai’s national carrier Emirates has ordered an additional 90 aircraft from Boeing in a $52 billion mega-deal the entire industry was waiting for today. Announced on day one of the Dubai Airshow, the deal brings Emirates’ total orders to 295 aircraft.