Forbes Travel Guide Names 2025’s Top Airlines, Airports, and Lounges
Forbes Travel Guide’s second annual Verified Air Travel Awards spotlight the best airlines, airports, and private jet services of 2025.
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Forbes Travel Guide has unveiled the winners of its second annual Verified Air Travel Awards, recognizing excellence across commercial airlines, airports, and private aviation. The 2025 list emphasizes how air travel—long viewed as a means to an end—has become an integral part of the luxury experience.
The awards are drawn from a survey of more than 9,000 seasoned travel professionals, including FTG-rated hoteliers, inspectors, and select advisors, and spotlight 18 categories that define the modern flight experience. Delta Air Lines was named Best U.S. Airline, Emirates took Best International Airline, JSX earned Best Small Airline, and Singapore Changi Airport received Best Airport Dining honors. Air France and chef Daniel Boulud won Best In-Flight Culinary Collaboration, while the Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno in Doha took Best Independent Airport Lounge.
“The Verified Air Travel Awards provide a trusted benchmark—an annual check validated by Forbes Travel Guide to separate substance from spin,” said travel journalist Peter Greenberg, who praised the initiative’s data integrity. “These awards aren’t driven by a transient popularity contest but by the expertise of the most discerning voices in travel and hospitality.”
Forbes Travel Guide CEO Hermann Elger noted that air travel now represents a distinct dimension of the journey. “The winners of our 2025 Verified Air Travel Awards set new standards for service, comfort and innovation, delivering journeys that not only meet expectations but redefine what exceptional travel can be,” Elger said.
That sentiment plays out through two of the most headline-grabbing honorees. For Air France, Boulud’s second collaboration focused on creating “dishes that are soulful, balanced and seasonal,” translating the elegance of French dining to altitude. Meanwhile, Alléno’s Louis Vuitton Lounge, open 24 hours a day, embodies what he calls “a new expression of hospitality—elegant, international, and defined by serenity.”
Forbes Travel Guide, best known for its 67-year-old Star Rating system for hotels, restaurants, and spas, continues to expand its influence across the broader travel ecosystem. The awards will be celebrated at The Summit in Monaco in February 2026, where Forbes gathers leaders across luxury brands and travel.
While the awards are distinct from the brand’s formal Star Ratings, they reflect a shared mission: bringing accountability and discernment to a space where brand marketing often outpaces verification. In recognizing airlines, airports, and private jet services with the same rigor as its hospitality benchmarks, Forbes Travel Guide is effectively extending its gold standard from land to sky.
