Skip to main content

Emirates rated Best Airline in the World at ULTRAs 2024 awards

Emirates awarded as the world's best airline

emirates best airline award widebody airplanes
Emirates wide-body aircraft Emirates

At the recent 2024 ULTRAs Awards, Emirates was recognized as the Best Airline in the World. Ultratravel — a luxury travel media brand — has held the awards since 2007, highlighting industry leaders across numerous categories. This year’s invite-only awards show took place at Kensington Palace in London, with luxury travel company managers and well-known travelers in attendance.

How Emirates earned the top spot at the 2024 ULTRAs

Emirates first-class dining Emirates

The Ultratravel publication reaches about 1.2 million readers. The ULTRAs awards consider the opinions of active and affluent travelers across the globe, who vote across many categories. This year, Emirates continued its recent run of awards, like Telegraph Travel’s “World’s Best Airline” and The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards “Best Airline”.

Recommended Videos

Emirates keeps investing in improving the experience for its passengers. Last year alone, the airline performed a $4 billion renovation across eight aircraft, with refreshed interiors for five Boeing 777s and three Airbus A380s. The airline also spent $11 million on new premium lounges at Jeddah and London Stansted. The current lounge at Paris Charles De Gaulle also received an upgrade. 

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, commented: “We’re delighted to be recognised as ‘Best Airline in the World’ by the prestigious ULTRAs. Our investments in product and services, in our people, training and technology, all aim to elevate the travel experience at every step of the journey so our customers truly ‘fly better’, and we’ll always work hard to raise the bar for them. Our multi-billion dollar nose-to-tail refurbishment programme will see over 200 aircraft receive fully refreshed interiors that will take the Emirates experience to even greater heights. Thank you to our loyal customers, and we’ll keep moving forward at pace to offer the very best in international air travel.”

Mark Reif
Mark Reif is a writer from Stowe, Vermont. During the winter, he works as a snowboard coach and rides more than 100 days. The…
This busy city has the world’s best public transport, according to a new study
Getting around is a breeze in this Asian city
Hong Kong

Time Out has unveiled its list of the best cities in the world for public transportation, with Hong Kong topping the rankings as the undisputed leader in transit excellence. The study, which surveyed over 18,500 locals from 50 countries, asked residents to rate their local bus, train, subway, and tram networks, resulting in a ranking based on those cities where the majority of people described their public transport as “good” or “amazing.”

Asian cities dominated the list, securing 9 of the top 19 spots. Hong Kong emerged as the clear frontrunner, with an impressive 98% of locals giving their public transport network a positive rating. The city's MTR (Mass Transit Railway) system, which covers Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, provides seamless connectivity across 10 different lines. With air-conditioned buses, minibuses, and even double-decker trams, the city's efficient options make it a standout in global transportation.

Read more
American Airlines plans to resume this Hawaiian route
American Airlines will resume flights to Kona, Hawaii
Kona, Hawaii

American Airlines has filed plans to resume its route between Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on the Big Island of Hawaii. The plan calls for the route to re-launch on November 20, 2025, and continue on a seasonal basis through February 28, 2026. That’ll continue through January 6, before a six-week break occurs, with flights re-starting on February 12. 
American’s Kona route will use a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Wikimedia Commons

According to The Points Guy, the route filing first appeared on Cirium flight schedules and was later confirmed by the airline. During the 3,724-mile flight, passengers can look forward to traveling aboard the latest and greatest aircraft, with a modern Boeing 787-8 handling flight duties. It’ll offer 20 Flagship Business pods, 28 Premium Economy recliners, 48 extra-legroom Main Cabin Extra seats, and 138 Standard Economy seats.

Read more
This American city was just named the best food city in the world
New Orleans, Louisiana took the top spot
Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Time Out has officially crowned New Orleans, Louisiana, as the best food city in the world for 2025. The annual ranking, based on thousands of local opinions, placed the Southern city at the top, with an impressive 93% of residents praising its dining scene – the third-highest local rating on the entire list.

New Orleans’ culinary excellence comes from its rich heritage, blending French, Spanish, Vietnamese, and African influences into a uniquely bold and flavorful cuisine. Locals and visitors alike indulge in iconic dishes such as seafood gumbo, jambalaya, po’boys, and powdered-sugar-dusted beignets. The city’s love for food extends beyond its famous restaurants, with cozy street vendors, busy seafood markets, and an ever-evolving fine-dining scene.

Read more