AIRPORT AWARDS THAT BOTH AIRPORTS & CUSTOMERS TRUST

		at Skytrax, we Guarantee that the World Airport Survey and subsequent World Airport Awards are 100% free of any commercial influence or bias, and that no airport featured in the study is able to exert any influence on the final results  Edward Plaisted, CEO, SKYTRAX
	SKYTRAX  explain why the World Airport Awards™ are the "Trusted" Awards

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH THAT CAN BE TRUSTED

Skytrax are strong proponents of the fact that any truly genuine Customer survey can only be properly promoted as such, if it can demonstrate complete Independence from the companies or organisations being assessed.

"Each year, we monitor a plethora of consumer surveys and study their results with fascination" said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax. "Whilst there are some which accord to an acceptable standard in terms of methodology, it is regrettable that many are either self-serving, or in some way subject to a commercial influence that impacts upon the value of results."

"From the outset of the World Airport Survey in 1999, Skytrax developed and implemented a Passenger Survey format that guarantees 100% transparency, 100% independence and adheres to our corporate ethos of research of without fear or favour. Without this standard of research, we do believe that the results produced by some surveys can be completely worthless! added Plaisted.


NO PAYMENT FOR SURVEY PARTICIPATION

Skytrax do not charge airport operators to be included in the survey, nor are results based on a finite number of airport choices.

"To classify a Survey as offering worldwide or industry coverage when it requires Airports paying a fee to be included in the Survey and Award process is a complete anomaly" says Peter Miller of Skytrax. "It not only makes a complete mockery of being able to survey customers in an open and balanced format, but results in the Awards that may subsequently be handed out being viewed as a worthless commodity ... indeed, in some cases when the methodology of such surveys is unveiled, customers had no concept of the false pretences that some of those Awards are labouring under."


NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF SURVEY AIRPORTS

Take a good look at many surveys today, and one often finds that the participants are only being offered a very limited number of options from which to make their choice - not so with the global Skytrax surveys.

"I am always amused when viewing a survey that asks me to choose a world-best from a very limited list of options. What if I don't agree with the available options? What if I want to vote for an organisation that is not on the list? The net effect of course is that in such circumstances the customer is being asked to take step inside a very controlled environment, and make their choice according to the organisers own particular conditions - and the end result can best be described as a sham designed to satisfy the aims and ambitions of the companies that are on the options list" added Miller.


NO RESTRICTED POOL OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS

As the world's largest Passenger Survey of Airport standards, Skytrax have no worry about limiting the global capacity of the study. But this is not always the case, and Skytrax point out that there are many surveys that proclaim to offer sufficient worldwide coverage - while at the same time, those Surveys may make an Airport Award on the basis of just 1,500 customers of that airport taking part in an annual study.

"I guess it is often about how well some Survey results can be used to satisfy the paying airports, and create a feel-good factor while the research organisation takes money off them!" said Miller. "We are well known across the aviation industry for pouring scorn on such practices, and have no intention of letting up now. Indeed, as surveys and awards continue to proliferate, we consider it our moral right to demand that there is better accountability in terms of releasing full survey methodology, what payments are made .. and so on."

	Check these points to determine between a "trusted" Survey, and the "self-serving" Surveys
	Independent Surveys		Self-serving Surveys
		Survey methodology is clearly stated		No detailed Survey methodology supplied
		Voted for by Real travellers		Voted for by travel professionals
		No payment to be included in Survey		Airports have to pay for inclusion in the Survey
		All survey costs are paid in-house		Sponsor and subscriber-paid Awards ceremony
		Unlimited selection of Airports to select		Airports limited to subscriber list only

Any further enquiries should be directed to:

Mr Peter Miller
Marketing Director
SKYTRAX RESEARCH
E-mail: miller@airlinequality.com