Best Airline and Hotel Innovators in 2017 From a Business Traveler’s Perspective

Colin Nagy, head of strategy at Fred & Farid, a global advertising agency, writes this opinion column for Skift on hospitality, innovation, and business travel. “On Experience” dissects customer-centric experiences and innovation across hospitality, aviation, and beyond. Today, he cites his personal favorites — not necessarily Skift's — for top innovators in 2017.  It’s been an exciting year for travel and as this column has long argued: Where business travelers spend their money matters. There are brands that actually care about customer experience, and others seem to be driven only by cost cuts, earnings per share, and the bottom lines. As we close out 2017, it is worth highlighting inspiring efforts in travel and hospitality. Here's to the companies that are innovating, and doing the heavy lifting to make travel and hospitality inspiring. Best Airline Lounges The lounge wars are heating up, and top carriers put a lot of time, effort and thought into pre-d