British readers have spoken, and they want their flights cheap, cheerful and dependable. At The Independent's first-ever Travel Awards, announced on 8 September, more than 17,000 readers cast votes for their favourite airlines, hotels and operators — and the results say a lot about how Brits like to travel.
The best short-haul airline category ended in a dead heat, with Jet2 and easyJet sharing first place. It's a fitting outcome: both carriers dominate the UK package holiday market, ferrying families to summer beaches and budget flyers across the continent. EasyJet's scale is enormous — 1,207 routes linking 164 airports in 38 countries — while Jet2, the UK's third-largest airline, serves more than 19.8 million passengers a year from 14 UK airports to over 75 European destinations.
EasyJet has also been quietly changing the face of its cabin crew. Since launching a targeted recruitment drive for older workers in 2022, the airline says the number of over-50s on crew has more than doubled, and crew members in their 60s have nearly quadrupled. A useful signal for anyone who assumed flying jobs came with an age limit.
Jet2, meanwhile, had just proven its worth before the awards were announced. When an air traffic control glitch grounded flights and derailed travel plans, the airline scrambled more than a dozen extra flights and mobilised extra teams and every available aircraft to bring thousands of customers home from Greece, Turkey, Spain and Malta, even laying on ground transport in the UK. Passengers whose trips were cancelled are being fully refunded — exactly the kind of operation that earns loyalty votes.
Over in the long-haul category, there was no tie to worry about. Emirates took the crown, flying its 140 destinations across six regions with the world's largest fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. The Dubai-based carrier keeps nudging comfort levels upward: multi-way adjustable headrests for proper neck support, and plans to fit first-class suites with en-suite bathrooms. Luxury, in other words, is still the brand's calling card.
Why does any of this matter if you're booking a trip? Because award lists like this are a shortcut through the maze of airline choice. If you're heading to Europe on a budget, both winners are solid bets, with Jet2's package deals and hands-on disruption handling a real differentiator when things go wrong. If you're flying long-haul and willing to pay for the experience rather than just the seat, Emirates' wide-body comfort makes the hours pass more easily. For the full winners list across hotels and tour operators, the awards are worth a browse before your next booking.