Singapore, Virgin Top Int'l Negotiating, Service List

<B> Singapore, Virgin Top Int'l Negotiating, Service List</B>

By Jay Campbell

Business travel managers and travel agents have awarded top honors to Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic for negotiating and providing service on an international basis in the first annual Business Travel News airline survey.

While it comes as no surprise to industry observers that these two airlines should take first and second place overall in the international segment of the survey, Qantas Airways startled some with a first-place finish among the 97 corporate travel managers surveyed.

Qantas placed ninth overall due to its finish in the twentieth spot among 64 agency respondents, but among travel managers it scored 21 percent above the average with four first-place finishes, more than any other carrier.

Altogether, business travel buyers were almost as dissatisfied with foreign carriers and the international divisions of U.S.-based airlines as they were with the domestic operations, giving them an overall grade of 6.08 out of a possible 10.