CAL makes magazine list of top 15 airlines in world
(CNS): Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) has made it into the top 15 list of the world’s best international airlines in Travel + Leisure magazine’s World’s Best Awards 2024. CAL was the only airline in the western hemisphere to secure a top-15 spot in the “Best International Airlines in 2024” category and was awarded alongside leading and prestigious international carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Qatar Airways.
This evaluation by Travel + Leisure of all international airlines ranked carriers based on cabin comfort, inflight service, customer service and value. Cayman Airways’ score also placed it as the highest-ranking airline operating flights to and from the Cayman Islands.
“Cayman Airways has a longstanding mission to be a national airline we can all be proud of, providing top-quality service, and we fulfil this mission every day,” said CAL board chairperson John-Paul Clarke in a release from the airline. “The Cayman Airways board has placed significant emphasis on enhancing the customer experience and fostering employee engagement.”
The magazine has over 15 million monthly readers, and more than 186,000 readers participated in the annual World’s Best Awards survey. Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms said the recognition is both highly remarkable and legitimate.
“This ranking highlights the quality and value of Cayman Airways’ service compared to the hundreds of airlines around the world, and although there was a separate award category for US-based airlines, the score received by Cayman Airways also surpassed the scores achieved by every major US-based airline in their award category,” he said. “This level of achievement is therefore a true testament to the dedication of our awesome staff and reflects the pride, hospitality, and continuous pursuit of excellence for which Cayman Airways and the Cayman Islands are well known.”
Paul Tibbetts, Executive Vice President in charge of Commercial Affairs and the airline’s Chief Financial Officer, emphasised Cayman Airways’ commitment to delivering an unparalleled customer experience uniquely marked by the warmth and hospitality synonymous with the Cayman Islands.
“This accolade highlighting Cayman Airways as one of the world’s top international airlines speaks olumes about our operational excellence and our team’s heartfelt approach to service,” he said. “Every interaction with our passengers showcases the best of Caymanian hospitality, ensuring each passenger has a flight that is comfortable, enjoyable, and memorable. This acknowledgement as a top global airline is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and commitment of our team at Cayman Airways in sharing our islands with the world.”
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said it was an incredible distinction. “Ranking so favourably among some of the biggest international airlines is a true validation of our national airline’s quality and consistency,” he said, as he paid tribute to the management, board staff and crew members for their “stellar efforts in earning this well-deserved, world-class recognition”.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Local News, Travel
Yes, thanks Travel & Leisure readers for voting for our national airline! Bravo Cayman Airways!
Bring back the Goldfish they be number one.
I have flown on many airlines during my travels and always found CAL crew to be among the most courteous and passenger friendly. Keep it up!
YMMV. We got sternly yelled at for being taller and having our adjustable headrest raised an inch on the top of coach seats, with over 100 miles and 20 mins away from touchdown. Completely nonsensical intrusion into our space.
When your ranking is based on how much you advertise with the magazine, it aint hard to figure out how CAL got this ranking
From humble beginnings and a sense of patriotism inculcated by its founder the Hon James Manoah Bodden, CAL has grown from strength to strength.
That quality customer service foundation started with its first employees and continues to this day and is very commendable. Cal and its staff are the Best and to you all hearty congratulations. Keep on doing what you’re doing in representation of your country, your airlines and yourselves. Bless .
To the thumbs down 7 :”BITE ME”!!
to the 7 nay sayers “stick up”
Soul Rebel – Please get your info straight – James Manoah Bodden aka Jim Bodden was NOT the founder of CAL. CAL existed since 1968, when Jim Bodden was still scamming people in Texas. What Jim Bodden did was to bite LACSA’s hand and bring the total financial burden of CAL on the CI Government…i.e. he Nationalized CAL.That was 8 or 9 years after it was founded.
Stop saying things you know nothing about, or have no proof of.
This is what Travel and Leisure said about the ranking process:
“Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Airlines were specifically rated on the criteria below:
-Cabin comfort
-In-flight service
-Customer service
-Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.”
If you’d just read the article or do your own research instead of making rude and uninformed comments, you’d know this.
Furthermore, poor Cayman Airways doesn’t have the budget to advertise in major publications like this.
Cayman Airways won this accolade fair and square based on their reader’s reviews, just like all of the other airlines on the list that you’re not bashing here.
Applaud them. Or take a seat while the rest of us do.
Where are the “customer” Sir Turtle mileage credits from COVID imprisonment? Did we not pay full rack rates? Where are the flight credits from canceled flights?
They do their best….but I don’t believe that list is scientific. Not even on SKTRAX ‘radar.’
I am proud though. Thanks Travel & Leisure…this will do CAL good.
Yes, thanks Travel & Leisure readers for voting for our national airline! Bravo Cayman Airways!
Always sad to read comments from a bunch of angry, envious immigrants any time Cayman and her people dare to shine brightly.
Exactly. It’s really disgusting.
SHAME ON ALL OF THEM.
I had a full career in local aviation, never with Cayman Airways, which involved a lot of international flying. I can honestly say that, after CAL received 3 jets and more in their fleet (mid-1995) their efficiency greatly improved. Their customer service was always high. During the entire 90s and 00s I traveled regularly out of and into Cayman on every airline serving Cayman during that time, as well as within North and Central America, Caribbean and CAL was always the most pleasant experience, in every way. Statistically, CAL and Delta shared the best on-time performance for years. I know this from my work. A top 15 rating in those days would have been justified, in my opinion.
I haven’t traveled on CAL for years (mostly BA to London and back these days) so I can’t say how the experience is now. I would like to think they haven’t declined.
However, times change. With the egos in charge of the Tourism portfolio and their unquestioned access to public funds, I could see a scenario….
An arrangement a-la the Porthsmouth football sponsorship and the bespoke leather bags endorsement, to exchange afavourable rating for CAL in their review for “pre-arranged” world class treatment. “Ms. and/or Mr. So&So will be on KX flights XYZ from JFK on Oneday. VVIP, pull out all the stops!”.
Instead of the “Myster Shopper” approach.
I hope the award could be genuinely earned for the former reason.
Out of 186,000 readers how many fly regularly on CAL?. I suspect that some of the “high fliers” travelling from the UK to Cayman via Barbados had something to do with this.
And if so, that still makes them a customer who has experience with their brand to share their vote.
Furthermore, flying “regularly” on any of the airlines nominated is not a criteria to vote. Just as visiting a destination regularly is not.
This is a pointless comment.
Congrats CAL. One question. How the Board decide on the failed Barbados’s route and miss on the Orlando route? Southwest is flying from Grand cayman Orlando for the summer and is jammed packed with Caymanians.
Another failed politically appointed board.
The board didn’t decide. The board was told.
Really !! This survey is flawed
Cayman airways express offers miserable service to the sister islands and has done so for many many years
My record of being stranded in Little cayman is 2 days ? ( I could have flown to Sydney Australia in that time) instead of the 120 miles to Grand
Still waiting for Kenneth to find that third otter ?
How long does it take ?
Last time I was there (and I visit often), Little Cayman was a pretty amazing island to be “stranded” on, though I’ve never been stranded there. Not by CAL anyway. Always on time. Always great.
That aside, locals and residents appreciate the critical airbridge that CAL provides for our Sister Islands, especially Little Cayman which has an airport too small for bigger planes to land when backup is needed. One extra small plane isn’t the only solution for a developing island. So be grateful and respectful. Or yes, fly to Australia instead.
If not for Cayman Airways and Express, the Sister Islands would be cut off from the world period, especially Little Cayman.
The airline also provides jobs for Sister Islands people, and flies in cargo with goods for grocery stores when the barge can’t make it by sea due to weather.
Since you’re an airline expert, you know very well that no airline is perfect, but here in the Sister Islands we love and respect our national airline because no other can provide air transport and cargo for our Sister Islands like them.
Cayman Airways deserves all the awards in the world.
CAL is definitely in the top 15 of airlines serving the Sister Islands.
Only since they bought Island Air.
Island Air still exists as a private business. Nobody bought it. Get your facts straight please.
Slow clap for the rude sarcastic bullies at the back.
Cayman Air staff in Miami were nice to me when I had to return due to unexpected death in my family. They didn’t charge me a change fee and put me in a first class seat.
Thank you for your comment. That kind of compassion goes a long way with most of us. That’s the kind of personal service that Cayman Airways should be known for.
The real question here is how much paid advertisement is done on this publication to determine why Cayman airways was rated so high. The recognized authority on airlines ratings is SKYTRAX and Cayman Airways is a 3 star rating which does not put it anywhere near a top airline. As a matter of fact, at the world airline awards 2023, Cayman Airways did not even make the top 100??
hey…don’t bring facts into this story!!!
You guys obviously never got an award in your life. So sorry for you.
Just to clarify … Is that you being sorry for CAL, for celebrating such an obviously phony victory … Or are you sorry for the “haters” that are calling out this phony story ?
What “phony” story? You mean to say that Travel + Leisure magazine publishes phony stories?
Just sharing here what’s on Travel + Leisure’s website, in case it helps clarify the voting criteria and process (not sure how advertising would be a factor, but I know I’ve never seen a Cayman Airways ad anywhere in the T+L magazine nor on their website):
How Voting Works
Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Airlines were specifically rated on the criteria below:
Cabin comfort
In-flight service
Customer service
Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
I have no idea how CAL even had the volume of flyers/readers/voters to be in the running for this. You’ll note that they were specifically ranked on things that did not include delays or schedules. I don’t know how this happened. There’s no in flight entertainment, no wifi, no food. The seats are as cheap as they get and the flights are always late.
Correction:
1. Cayman Airways DOES offer inflight entertainment which is FREE and streamed directly to personal devices so passengers can watch a variety of movies, TV shows, Kids content, plus listen to podcasts, play games, and other cool things. Check it out next time you’re on board. There’s a big flyer in the seat back pockets with instructions on how to access it. Can’t miss it.
2. Cayman Airways DOES offer FREE meals in economy for every passenger on international flights that are 2+ hours long, including vegetarian options. And since you’re talking about inflight service, don’t forget that no other airline flying into Cayman offers passengers FREE Rum Punch.
3. Flights are not “always” late. Come on now.
4. The seats have charging ports to keep your devices going and do offer more leg room than most other carriers flying into Cayman. And by the way, CAL’s jets are new! Some other airlines flying into Cayman are very old and don’t even have a Business Class cabin like CAL does, much less comfortable seats.
5. Nominees have no say on what services they’re rated on for these awards. But you’re welcome to go ask Travel + Leisure “how this happened”.
?…smells fishy to me…
cal to hugely over-priced, unreliable, poor on flight entertainment/food options, no wi-fi….
i would recommend people look at trip advisor reviews for cayman airways for real reviews
If you are observant you’ll notice that TA reviews are often fake, monitored by someone local, especially in the forum section.
There is no way Cayman Caves are a top attraction to visit, as TA allegedly claims.
I have been to Bermuda Caves which can’t be even compared to Cayman Caves and a must visit if you are in Bermuda.
Not saying Cayman Caves are bad, just not in the same league as world’s famous caves .
Yes, good suggestion about TripAdvisor.
Because in TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travellers’ Choice Awards, Cayman Airways was named the “Best Airline in the Caribbean” AND a top “Specialty and Leisure Airline” within THE ENTIRE North America region!
So if you love Cayman Airways folks, head over to TripAdvisor and post a raving “real review” about your experience so CAL can bring home even more awards.
being on time was obviously not a category
A couple of weeks after the caves beat the Taj Mahal in a Trip Advisor listing of best attractions worldwide. CAL in the same list as Singapore and Emirates🤣Does that PR contract DOT signed include bot work? 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟
I am certain the Crystal Caves here beat the cave & cavern complex in Borneo,that are large enough to fly a 747 into.
Dream on Cayman, Dream on.
The real injustice was that Hell in West Bay did not make one of the best attractions in the world.
The Crystal Caves arent even in the top five in Cayman: 1) Hell 2) the blowholes in East End 3) the fish market in George Town 4) Fort George remnants in GT 5) the haunted remains of the former Hyatt Regency.
Forgot the Asbestos Palace, aka the Glasshouse
Why are you guys even following a news site about the Cayman Islands if you hate Cayman so much? This article isn’t even about Cayman attractions yet you feel the need to come on here and bash them. You’re not even offering constructive criticism or feedback for the destination so scroll on please. Your hate isn’t welcome here.
CAL, “where on time departures and arrivals don’t exist!”