Emirates’ focus on meeting and exceeding customer expectations both in the air and on the ground were recognised yesterday with four accolades at the ‎Business Traveller Middle East 2017 Awards.

At a ceremony attended by key travel industry executives, Emirates was crowned “Best Airline Worldwide”. It was also named “Airline with the Best First Class”, “Airline with the Best First Class Lounge” and “Best Frequent Flyer Programme”.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, said: “Our customers are at the heart of our brand. In every step of the customer’s journey, we thoroughly and regularly examine the product to achieve a high level of customer care. Providing a truly memorable experience is about continually innovating across our product and offering a personal touch and a warm welcome.”

“Moreover, our Skywards accolade solidifies the programme’s standing as an industry-leading loyalty programme that offers Emirates customers value through exceptional privileges and benefits. We are honoured to be recognised for our efforts by Business Traveller Middle East’s readers.”

“I would like thank our team and attribute this award to our dedicated staff who are the pillars behind every achievement and award we receive.”

Emirates invests continually in product developments and service enhancements. In the past year, the airline’s on-board enhancements include: newly designed Business Class seats, re-designed amenity kits for First and Business Class passengers, environmentally sustainable blankets and interactive augmented reality amenity kits for Economy Class passengers, and regular updates of its range of onboard toys for young flyers.

The airline also continues to lead on the in-flight entertainment front with a broad choice of over 2,600 channels on its ice system.

On the ground, Emirates completed a US$ 11 million makeover of its Business Class Lounge at Concourse B in Dubai International Airport, and expanded its global network of dedicated lounges with the opening of its newest Emirates Lounge in Cape Town International Airport.

Emirates Skywards, the airline’s loyalty programme, last year launched Cash+Miles, enabling members to redeem flights using a combination of cash and Skywards Miles, regardless of their membership tier. This popular initiative instantly reduces the cost of tickets and can be used on any Emirates flight across all classes, making any seat available to Emirates Skywards members. Emirates also introduced “pay-per-visit” lounge access, enabling Emirates Skywards members and their guests travelling on Emirates to enjoy the airline’s First and Business Class lounges at Dubai International Airport and abroad.

For corporate customers, Emirates launched a revamped Emirates Business Rewards programme to provide greater value, including easier Miles redemptions and upgrades even on last minute bookings.

Today, Emirates Skywards has 14 airline partners including strategic partnerships with Easyjet and Qantas, offering member access to one of the world’s largest networks of global travel destinations. The programme also has 24 hotel partner brands covering nearly 20,000 properties worldwide.

Earlier this month, Emirates was recognised as the ‘Best Airline in the World’ at the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for airlines. The award was based on thousands of reviews Emirates received from the TripAdvisor community over the past twelve months. Emirates was the most positively reviewed airline in the industry over that period of time.