Air NZ wins coveted award

LONG HAUL: Conde Nast readers rated Air New Zealand's child-friendliness and food.

Opinion poll

What do you look for in a long-haul airline?

Child-friendliness

Entertainment

Food/drink

Price

Range of destinations

Safety record

Vote Result

Relevant offers

Air New Zealand's dream run in recognition continues after picking up another accolade.

The national airline has been awarded the favourite long-haul leisure airline, nudging out Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific, in the Conde Nast Readers' Travel Awards 2010.

Air NZ was preferred by readers because of its "excellent food/catering" and "child-friendliness".

Virgin Atlantic lead the awards for service and staff while Singapore Airlines topped the list for in-flight entertainment.

In the same Conde Nast awards, New Zealand was voted the 5th most popular holiday destination behind Turkey, Egypt, Australia and Italy.

The award comes a day after business leaders rated Air New Zealand this country's most reputable organisation.

A survey conducted by global management consultancy Hay Group in association with NZ Management magazine, put Fonterra in second place, Fletcher Building third, engineering consultancy Beca Group fourth, and Kiwibank fifth.

Air New Zealand also ranked first among companies, while Kiwibank was the top-ranked state owned enterprise, NZ Police led government departments, and the Salvation Army topped non-profit organisations.

Other awards picked up by Air NZ this year include Best Airline at the 2010 Which? Awards, two Skytrax Awards for the Best Airline Australia/Pacific and the Staff Service Excellence Award for the Australia/Pacific region, and the Air Transport World Airline of the Year.

- © Fairfax NZ News