Many travel companies are getting it right. Here are the ones at the top of our list.

In aviation, the leading edge is the forward rim of a wing or propeller. In business, it’s the foremost position of a trend. Executive Travel’s annual Leading Edge Awards appropriately honor companies on the vanguard of the travel industry. This year, our readers have once again voted for the companies they value and respect most. The list comprises a diverse group: large and small, old and new. New for 2009, we’ve added Editor's Picks as an additional way to acknowledge those who are ahead of the pack. Executive Travel salutes the winners of the 2009 Leading Edge Awards.

1. AIR TRAVEL-DOMESTIC

BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE
1st: Delta Air Lines
2nd: Southwest Airlines
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE FOR FIRST-CLASS SERVICE
1st: Continental Airlines
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: United Airlines

BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE FOR BUSINESS-CLASS SERVICE
1st: United Airlines
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR AIRPORT LOUNGES
1st: Delta Air Lines
2nd: Continental Airlines
3rd: United Airlines

BEST "LOW-COST" CARRIER
1st: Southwest Airlines
2nd: JetBlue Airways
3rd: AirTran

BEST FREQUENT FLIER PROGRAM—DOMESTIC
1st: Delta Air Lines
2nd: United Airlines
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE—DOMESTIC
1st: Southwest Airlines
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST PRIVATE JET SERVICE
1st: Delta Air Elite
2nd: Net Jets
3rd: Blue Star Jets

BEST AIRCRAFT
1st: Boeing 777
2nd: Boeing 747
3rd: Airbus 380

BEST DOMESTIC AIRPORT
1st: Denver
2nd: Chicago-O'Hare
3rd: Atlanta


2. AIR TRAVEL-INTERNATIONAL

BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE
1st: Singapore Airlines
2nd: British Airways
3rd: Virgin Atlantic Airways

BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE FOR FIRST-CLASS SERVICE
1st: Singapore Airlines
2nd: British Airways
3rd: Virgin Atlantic Airways

BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE FOR BUSINESS-CLASS SERVICE
1st: British Airways
2nd: Singapore Airlines
3rd: Virgin Atlantic Airways

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO AFRICA
1st: South African Airways
2nd: British Airways
3rd: Delta Air Lines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
1st: Qantas Airways
2nd: United Airlines
3rd: Air New Zealand

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN ASIA
1st: Singapore Airlines
2nd: United Airlines
3rd: Cathay Pacific

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO CANADA
1st: Air Canada
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: United Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO THE CARIBBEAN
1st: Delta Air Lines
2nd: American Airlines
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
1st: American Airlines
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: United Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO EASTERN EUROPE
1st: Lufthansa
2nd: British Airways
3rd: LOT Polish Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO MEXICO
1st: Delta Air Lines
2nd: Aeromexico
3rd: Continental Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
1st: Emirates
2nd: El Al
3rd: United Airlines

BEST AIRLINE FOR FLIGHTS TO WESTERN EUROPE
1st: British Airways
2nd: Delta Air Lines
3rd: Lufthansa

BEST AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE—EUROPE
1st: British Airways
2nd: Virgin Atlantic Airways
3rd: Lufthansa

BEST AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE—ASIA
1st: Singapore Airlines
2nd: Asiana Airlines
3rd: Cathay Pacific

BEST AIRLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE—AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
1st: Emirates
2nd: South African Airways
3rd: Air Canada

BEST FREQUENT FLIER PROGRAM—ASIA
1st: Singapore Airlines
2nd: Cathay Pacific
3rd: Korean Air

BEST FREQUENT FLIER PROGRAM—EUROPE
1st: British Airways
2nd: Lufthansa
3rd: Virgin Atlantic Airways

BEST FREQUENT FLIER PROGRAM—AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
1st: Emirates
2nd: Air Canada
3rd: Qatar Airways

BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
1st: Amsterdam
2nd: London-Heathrow
3rd: Dubai


3. HOTELS

BEST HOTEL CHAIN
1st: Marriott
2nd: Hilton
3rd: Four Seasons

BEST LUXURY HOTEL CHAIN WITH NORTH AMERICAN LOCATIONS
1st: Ritz-Carlton
2nd: Four Seasons
3rd: Fairmont

BEST LUXURY HOTEL CHAIN WITH LOCATIONS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA
1st: Ritz-Carlton
2nd: Four Seasons
3rd: Mandarin Oriental

BEST HOTEL FOR BUSINESS SERVICE
1st: Hilton
2nd: Marriott
3rd: Westin

BEST HOTEL FOR MEETINGS
1st: Hilton
2nd: Marriott
3rd: Courtyard By Marriott

BEST FREQUENT GUEST PROGRAM
1st: Starwood Preferred Guest
2nd: Marriott Rewards
3rd: Hilton HHonors

BEST DESTINATION CLUB/FRACTIONAL HOME OWNERSHIP TIMESHARE

1st: Marriott Vacation Club
2nd: Hilton Grand Vacations Club
3rd: Disney Vacation Club




4. OTHER CATEGORIES

BEST CAR RENTAL COMPANY
1st: Hertz
2nd: Avis
3rd: Enterprise

BEST CREDIT CARD REWARDS PROGRAM
1st: American Express Membership Rewards
2nd: United Airlines Mileage Plus Visa
3rd: Delta SkyMiles from American Express

BEST CARRY-ON CASE
1st: Travelpro
2nd: Tumi
3rd: Samsonite

BEST BRIEFCASE
1st: Tumi
2nd: Targus
3rd: Samsonite

BEST LAPTOP CASE
1st: Tumi
2nd: Targus
3rd: Travelpro


SPECIAL AWARDS - EDITOR'S PICKS

Midwest Airlines
Despite its unlikely hub in Milwaukee, Midwest Airlines has established itself as a force to be reckoned with. Its Signature Service seats are in a two-by-two configuration and discounted Saver Seats offer a generous 36" pitch—quite a luxury, given that most airlines are scrambling to add seats to their planes. The airline even offers fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies onboard. What more could a traveler possibly want?

Asiana Airlines
This airline, which flies extremely competitive routes between North America and Asia, is sometimes overlooked. Yet Asiana is consistently high-caliber, and the company's corporate commitment in two key areas—service and the environment—make it one to watch.

Seattle-Tacoma Airport
What’s that swimming above Sea-Tac’s upscale food court, Pacific Marketplace? It’s an art installation that gives the illusion of Canadian geese in flight, fashioned from a school of hundreds of suspended pewter fish. Sea-Tac’s central gathering place, where you’ll have a runway-side seat by 60-foot-high windows to watch planes arrive and depart, sets a distinctly local tone. But the airport’s real beauty is in its practical details: A third runway opened in December, and work will be completed later this year on a light rail system that will link Sea-Tac with downtown Seattle.

Kimpton Hotels
Stay at any Kimpton property—a collection of boutique hotels that includes the Monaco brand—and you’ll wonder what they’ve put in the water cooler:
Employees are just that happy and helpful. The company has distinguished itself for years with its supreme flavor of customer service, and it is now emerging as a green lodging leader as well.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
As a destination that depends heavily on convention and meetings business (offering more square feet of meeting space than any other city in the U.S.), Las Vegas was probably hurt more than any other city by public backlash against perceived excessive corporate spending. Despite this, the CVB has done an admirable job maintaining and attracting business travelers.