Those ads after the Sky TV weather forecasts are no idle boast – Qatar Airways really is the best airline in the world.
The state-owned Middle East flag carrier triumphed at the 2015 Skytrax World Airline Awards in Paris – the Oscars of the aviation industry – and it's the third time in five years that the Doha-based firm has been No1.
It’s been a landmark 12 months for ambitious Qatar – shirt sponsor of Champions League winners Barcelona .
New aircraft arrivals and a new airport home in Doha mean it’s the only carrier in the world where passengers can travel on the A380 superjumbo and the revolutionary Airbus A350 and Boeing Dreamliner jetlag-busting ‘plastic’ planes.
Singapore Airlines was runner-up and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, which won in 2014, took third place.
But there was some UK cheer, with Thomson Airways scooping World’s Best Leisure Airline for the third consecutive year and easyJet finishing a credible fourth in the World’s Best Low-Cost Airlines category. Best Cabin Staff gong went to Garuda Indonesia, followed by Cathay Pacific and Singapore.
In the airports awards it was no surprise to see the top three, Singapore Changi, Incheon in South Korea and Munich (how can you not love an airport with a beer garden?), repeat last year’s podium positions.
Heathrow moved up from 10th to eighth, while Gatwick slipped five places to 40th. Manchester and Birmingham were virtually unchanged at 80th and 82nd respectively.
The coveted Skytrax awards are collated from 18.9 million passenger surveys from 105 different nationalities and covering 245 airlines. airlinequality.com
WORLD’S TOP 10 AIRLINES
1 Qatar Airways 2 Singapore Airlines 3 Cathay Pacific Airways 4 Turkish Airlines 5 Emirates
6 Etihad Airways 7 ANA All Nippon Airways 8 Garuda indonesia 9 EVA Air 10 Qantas Airways
Great air fares to Dubai and Rio
STA Travel has some terrific return air fares on scheduled carriers flying from Heathrow if you can book before June 30.Deals include Dubai for £248, Bangkok for £319 and Johannesburg for £379, plus Rio de Janeiro for £379 with a June 23 booking cut-off. Travel is on selected dates this year. statravel.co.uk
Mid-West bar stars in Leeds hotel's £3.5million makeover
The Radisson Blu Hotel in Leeds has showcased the first phase of a £3.5million refurbishment.The 147-room city centre property has given a contemporary new look to 72 of the rooms, meeting rooms and public areas.
The ground floor has also been completely remodelled, creating a new USA Mid-West-themed Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar – a stand-alone venue within the hotel featuring open-flame cooking, barrel-aged cocktails and craft beers.
Rooms have been refurbished in two designs – Naturally Cool and Permanently Blu – and have media hubs with free fast wi-fi.
A spokesman said the move would help to ''reaffirm our position as one of this thriving city's leading hotels". Work will start on the remaining 75 rooms in January. Rates start at £85 per night r/o. radissonblu.co.uk
*Book a summer stay at Premier Inn with 500,000 rooms across the UK on offer for under £50 a night.
Locations include coast and city and the deal applies between June 26 and September 3 with free wi-fi included.
Hotels in the offer include Blackpool Bispham and Eastbourne from £39, and Newquay from £49, all for a family of four. premierinn.com
*Celebrating your 30th anniversary this year? So is Travelodge, and couples who got hitched in 1985 can have a free night in any one of its 504 UK hotels.
To qualify for the offer couples need to register their details before June 30 by emailing 30thweddinganniversary@travelodge.co.uk and sending proof as requested.
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