Emirates is Middle East's top airline

Emirates airlines has emerged as the Middle East's top airline and Hilton as the region's best hotel, according to a survey released by Maktoob Research, a part of Maktoob.com.

The online survey titled The TravelMonitor – based on opinions of 2,457 UAE and Saudi residents – revealed that Emirates led the region in terms of overall customer satisfaction besides earning the distinction of being the most widely used carrier among UAE travellers, while Hilton led hotels in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in terms of usage and customer satisfaction.

However, in the category of overall customer satisfaction, Jumeirah stole the top spot from Hilton. Saudi Arabian Airlines emerged as the most widely used carrier among Saudi travellers.

Emirates' success comes as no surprise considering the airline is well on its way to becoming the world's largest airline. According to aviation analysts, the airline's unprecedented growth will make it the world's largest airline within the next decade. The carrier recently placed orders for 120 Airbus A350XWB (extra-wide body) aircraft, and 11 A380 superjumbos, besides 12 Boeing 777-300ERs.

Emirates though had an edge over its competitors in categories such as efficiency, innovation, luxury, distinctive style and reliability. It was also rated as the most expensive airline by the UAE travellers, according to the survey. The survey said there was a significant drop in the intention of Saudi travellers using Emirates in the future from 44 per cent in 2007 to 28 per cent this year.

While Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways and Dubai's Emirates received the highest votes from Saudi travellers in the value-for-money category, neither of the airlines could claim the top spot from UAE travellers, who picked Qatar Airways as the most economical airline.

In terms of usage Emirates led the way among UAE travellers with 39 per cent opting for the airline, leaving behind Etihad and Sharjah's budget carrier, Air Arabia.

Emirates also scored highest in overall satisfaction among both Saudi and UAE travellers, tallying 8.5 and 8.3 respectively on a 10-point scale. But while Emirates was comfortably ahead of rival carriers in Saudi Arabia, it faced stiffer competition within the UAE, with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways following closely behind with a score of 7.8 each.

In the hospitality sector, Hilton claimed top position in brand awareness, usage and intended future use. It was also rated the most expensive hotel.

In Saudi Arabia, Marriott was voted the most economical hotel while the distinction went to Radisson in the UAE.