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Etihad Airways rated 
among best three airlines

The ranking comes following a survey of frequent flyers in Switzerland and after comparisons of different airlines undertaken by BILANZ journalists themselves. BILANZ also used recent international surveys such as the Skytrax ratings - in which Etihad was awarded World’s Best First Class by almost 18 million air travellers worldwide - to confirm the airline’s overall ranking.

As well as being ranked third best airline in the world, Etihad Airways was ranked number one in the ‘Onboard Service’ category and second in the ‘Business Class’ category.

The BILANZ ratings are conducted annually, and the results are among the most highly regarded in the Swiss market.BILANZ places particular emphasis on ratings and league tables in a wide range of different areas: hotels; airlines; private banks; investment funds; annual reports; the most powerful figures in commerce; and Switzerland’s 300 richest.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “I am very proud that in less than seven years, Etihad Airways has risen to be among the top three airlines operating to Switzerland, which is a very important market for Etihad.

The airline has recently introduced its ‘Inspired Service’ concept in Economy class as well as in its premium cabins, which seeks to provide all customers with service individually tailored to their needs.

Etihad Airways flights to and from Geneva also feature the innovative Food and Beverage Manager position in the premium cabins.

Many of these managers are from five-star hospitality backgrounds, and are responsible for championing the quality, presentation and delivery of food and beverages on board to ensure consistent high standards.

In all cabins, Etihad offers its customers state-of-the-art, on-demand entertainment systems, allowing customers to enjoy the latest movies, TV shows, music and interactive games as well as recharge laptop computers and mobile devices.

Etihad, which began flying less than seven years ago, was awarded three titles at the recent 2010 Skytrax awards: World’s Best First Class; Best First Class Airline Seat; and Best First Class Onboard Catering. This win built upon its success at the 2009 Skytrax awards where it won the Best Business Class and Best Business Class Catering categories. It also won the title of the World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards (WTA) in November 2009, as well as six Middle East awards at the WTAs in May 2010.
—haseeb@khaleejtimes.com