Passenger Choice Awards Finalists Announced for 2014

Ethiopian APEX

Press Release

NEW YORK – The passengers have spoken! The 2013-2014 cycle of the Passenger Choice Awards officially ended in June, and the finalists have been selected. The winners will be honored at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Awards Ceremony, 15 September in Anaheim, California, USA.
The Passenger Choice Awards comprise 13 individual categories and were created to give the flying public a voice in the passenger experience. The survey is open each May and June at www.passengerchoiceawards.com, and passengers are encouraged to rate every flight they’ve taken.
“The Passenger Choice Awards is this industry’s way of finding out who’s exceeding passenger expectations, but it’s more than that; airlines can use the data and comments from each completed survey and use that information to actually improve the passenger experience,” said Dominic Green, chair of the APEX Awards Task Force. “We’re excited to find out who will take home the top honors at next month’s ceremony in California!”
In addition to the Passenger Choice Awards, the APEX Awards Ceremony will recognize industry innovation and contribution to the industry as part of the Avion Awards.
Passenger Choice Award Finalists are listed alphabetically:
Best Overall Passenger Experience 
EMIRATES
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
GARUDA INDONESIA
NORWEGIAN
VIRGIN AMERICA
Best in Region: Africa 
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
KENYA AIRWAYS
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINES
Best in Region: Americas 
AIR TRANSAT
ALASKA AIRLINES
AVIANCA
JETBLUE
VIRGIN AMERICA
Best in Region: Asia and Australasia
CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS
EVA
GARUDA INDONESIA
KOREAN AIRLINES
SINGAPORE AIRLINES
 
Best in Region: Europe
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
IBERIA LINEAS AEREAS DE ESPANA
NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE ASA
TURKISH AIRLINES
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Best in Region: Middle East  
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
EMIRATES
ETIHAD AIRWAYS
GULF AIR
QATAR AIRWAYS
 
Best Inflight Publication
AVIANCA
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES  
GARUDA INDONESIA
GULF AIR
NORWEGIAN
 
Best IFE User Interface 
EMIRATES
QANTAS
ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES
VIRGIN AMERICA
VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Best Inflight Connectivity & Communications 
ALASKA AIRLINES
EMIRATES
JETBLUE
NORWEGIAN
VIRGIN AMERICA
 
Best Inflight Video 
EMIRATES
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
GARUDA INDONESIA
NORWEGIAN
VIRGIN AMERICA
 
Best Cabin Ambiance 
AIR TRANSAT
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
GARUDA INDONESIA
VIRGIN AMERICA
Best Food & Beverage (in conjunction with the International Flight Services Association) 
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
EMIRATES
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
GARUDA INDONESIA
TURKISH AIRLINES
 
Best Ground Experience 
ALASKA AIRLINES
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES
NORWEGIAN
VIRGIN AMERICA
Additionally, the APEX Awards Ceremony will recognize both personal achievement and industry innovation. Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2014 are Lee Casey, Lumexis Corporation, and Mark Horton, Paramount Pictures. And the Avion Awards are given for specific company achievements in innovation. The finalists are below:
 
Best Achievement in Technology (recognizing a specific achievement successfully implemented by a vendor member)
Betria Systems: FlightPath3D – Future Proof Moving Map & In-flight Entertainment Content
Lufthansa Systems AG: SIT (Seat Integrated Tablet Solution) for BoardConnect
Panasonic Avionics: Panasonic Avionics Companion App
Thales Avionics: Immersive Business Class Seat
ViaSat Inc.: Exede In The Air In-Flight Internet
 
Best Single Achievement in Passenger Experience (recognizing a specific achievement – rather than a general improvement – which an airline has successfully implemented)
Air Canada: Air Canada 787 GUI
Air France KLM: IFE upgrade with next generation GUI
Delta Air Lines: Delta Air Lines ’80s and Holiday Safety Videos
Norwegian: Interactive ‘Geotainment’ moving map
Virgin America: The NEW Safety Video
While voting for the 2014 Passenger Choice Awards campaign ended on 30 June, the 2015 awards cycle will begin next May.  To take the survey, visit www.passengerchoiceawards.com.
Passenger Choice AwardsTo learn more about the awards and about APEX, visit www.apex.aero. Stay updated by liking the Passenger Choice Awards on Facebook and by following us on Twitter.
About the Passenger Choice Awards 
The Passenger Choice Awards were created to give voice to airline passengers. For an opportunity to pick your favorites for 2015, visit www.passengerchoiceawards.com to vote and be sure to visit the Passenger Choice Awards fan pages on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact:
Chris Peterson, Communications Specialist, APEX
cpeterson@kellencompany.com
+1-678-303-2968
Source: APEX