Global Traveler Magazine’s "GT Tested" reader awards: Best airlines

Global Traveler Magazine has recently released the results of their annual "GT Tested" reader awards and to no one’s surprise, many of the top ranked airlines were based in Asia:

Best Airline in the World:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Emirates
3. Lufthansa
4. British Airways
5. Korean Air
6. Swiss International Airlines
7. Virgin Atlantic
8. United Airlines
9. Qantas
10. Asiana

Best Airline for First Class:

1. Emirates
2. Lufthansa
3. Qantas
4. Etihad Airways
5. British Airways
6. Korean Air
7. Cathay Pacific Airways
8. Singapore Airlines
9. Jet Airways
10. Qatar Airways

Best Airline for Business Class:

1. British Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Korean Air
4. Lufthansa
5. Cathay Pacific Airways
6. Emirates
7. Jet Airways
8. LAN
9. Air Canada
10. United Airlines

Best All-Business-Class Airline:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Lufthansa
3. Swiss International Airlines
4. British Airways (new)

Best First-Class Seat Design:

1. Swiss International Airlines
2. Etihad Airways
3. Cathay Pacific Airways
4. United Airlines
5. A siana Airlines
6. Emirates
7. British Airways
8. Qantas
9. Korean Air
10. Singapore Airlines

Best Business-Class Seat Design:

1. Korean Air
2. Swiss International Airlines
3. British Airways
4. Virgin Atlantic
5. Etihad Airways
6. Singapore Airlines
7. Air New Zealand
8. Qantas
9. Asiana Airlines
10. United Airlines

Best Airline for Premium-Economy Class:

1. EVA Air Elite Class
2. British Airways World Traveller Plus
3. All Nippon Airways Premium Economy
4. Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy
5. United Airlines Economy Plus
6. BMI Premium Economy
7. Japan Airlines Premium Economy
8. A ir New Zealand Pacific Premium Economy
9. Scandinavian Airlines Economy Extra
10. OpenSkies Prem+

Best Airline for Onboard Service and Flight Attendants:

1. Asiana Airlines
2. Korean Air
3. Thai Airways
4. Singapore Airlines
5. Jet Airways
6. Etihad Airways
7. Malaysia Airlines
8. Qatar Airways
9. Cathay Pacific Airways
10. Emirates

Best Trans-Pacific Airline:

1. Thai Airways
2. Asiana Airlines
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Korean Air
5. United Airlines
6. Japan Airlines
7. Cathay Pacific Airways
8. All Nippon Airways
9. EVA Air
10. Malaysia Airlines

Best Airline in Australia and New Zealand:

1. Qantas
2. Air Pacific
3. Air Tahiti Nui
4. Air New Zealand
5. V Australia

Best Airline in the South Pacific:

1. Air Pacific
2. Qantas
3. Air Tahiti Nui
4. Air New Zealand
5. V Australia

Best Airline in Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Ma laysia, Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines):

1. Malaysia Airlines
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Thai Airways
4. Royal Brunei
5. Silk Air
6. Asia Air
7. Philippine Airlines
8. Vietnam Airlines

Best Airline in China:

1. Air China
2. Hainan Airlines
3. China Southern Airlines
4. China Eastern Airlines

Best Airline in Central/ South Asia and India:

1. Air India
2. Jet Airways
3. Kingfisher
4. Biman Bangladesh Airlines
5. PIA

Best Airline in North Asia (excluding China):

1. Asiana Airlines
2. Korean Air
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Japan Airlines
5. EVA Air
6. Cathay Pacific Airways
7. Dragon Air
8. China Airlines

Best Airline to Japan:

1. All Nippon Airways
2. Japan Airlines
3. United Airlines
4. American Airlines
5. Delta Air Lines/Northwest

Best Airline for Security:

1. EL AL Israel Airlines
2. Lufthansa
3. Swiss International Airlines
4. British Airways
5. Air Canada

The survey itself was conducted from January 1, 2009, to August 31, 2009 and used open-ended questionnaires answered by 25,951 respondents (members of the travel industry were barred from participating in the survey).