It seems like every airline has won an award of some kind for its business class. Publications dole out honors, she says, to drum up publicity for themselves and their advertisers. So while picking favorites can be a fun exercise, most flyers shouldn't choose an airline by its trophy case.
Most magazines get their results by polling readers.
But the respondents may not be a reliable test group. Business travelers tend to travel within alliances like Star Alliance and Oneworld, however, which means they don't sample the full range of options. Singapore as the region's best airline, but most of its respondents had already locked in the airline as their carrier of choice. An alternative survey that may be more reliable is conducted by U.K.-based Inflight Research Services, which polls a diverse range of frequent travelers from across the globe. Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.