Frequent Flyer

New Survey Picks Best for Business Travel


Tim Winship
Tim Winship

    The best airlines and hotels for business travel?

    Travel+Leisure and Fortune teamed up to query business travelers with nine or more trips per year on their preferences, and their gripes, in the first

    "Best in Business Travel"

    survey.

    Here's a summary of the findings, with rankings ordered from best to worst:



    Best Domestic Airlines

    1. Virgin America
    2. Alaska Airlines
    3. JetBlue
    4. Delta
    5. Southwest
    6. AirTran
    7. American
    8. United
    9. Frontier
    10. US Airways

      Best International Airlines
    11. Singapore
    12. Virgin Atlantic
    13. Emirates
    14. Qantas
    15. Cathay Pacific
    16. Korean
    17. Air New Zealand
    18. Swiss
    19. Lufthansa
    20. Turkish

      Best Hotel Chains
    21. Ritz-Carlton
    22. Luxury Collection
    23. Kimpton
    24. Waldorf Astoria
    25. Fairmont
    26. Four Seasons
    27. Grand Hyatt
    28. JW Marriott
    29. Omni
    30. InterContinental

      Best Hotel Loyalty Programs
    31. Marriott Rewards
    32. Starwood Preferred Guest
    33. Hilton Honors
    34. InterContinental Priority Rewards
    35. Hyatt Gold Passport

      Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Programs
    36. Alaska Airlines
    37. Virgin America
    38. Southwest
    39. American
    40. United
    41. AirTran
    42. JetBlue
    43. Delta
    44. Frontier
    45. US Airways



      And finally…



      Flying Gripes
    • Cramped legroom/seat comfort (51%)
    • Delays/cancellations (42%)
    • Poor customer service (26%)
    • Inefficient boarding process (23%)
    • Lack of space for carry-on baggage (20%)
    • Annoying fellow passengers (19%)
    • Airport security (16%)
    • Hidden fees (12%)
    • Lack of good food options (12%)
    • Limited seat availability (12%)
    • Restrictive loyalty programs (11%)
    • Lost/delayed luggage (10%)
    • Limited connectivity (e.g. Wi-Fi, cell service, etc.) (6%)
    • Immigration/passport control (5%)

      Reader Reality Check



      Any surprises? (I was particularly struck by the low-cost carriers' top rankings among business travelers, a group that has historically favored the full-service airlines.)



      This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.