Air France is reaping the rewards of the efforts it has made to move upmarket, particularly for high-spending travellers. On Tuesday, in London, the airline received the award for the best first-class lounge in the world, presented with great pomp by Skytrax at the World Airline Awards. And since good things come in threes, the award also includes the trophy for the best gastronomic offer in a first-class lounge. "This ranking shows that our strategy of moving upmarket is bearing fruit and encourages us to continue our efforts in all areas, both on the ground and in the air, to reach the best level in the world", said Frédéric Gagey, Chairman and CEO of Air France. The French airline also ranks as the sixth best European airline, with Turkish taking the regional title for the fourth year running, ahead of Lufthansa and Swiss. Worldwide, Cathay Pacific succeeded Emirates as best airline. Cathay is ahead of Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, who already completed the podium last year.
