The Onboard Awards is introducing a new way for exceptional products, services and experiences to gain recognition, with the launch of the Onboard Awards Mark of Excellence for 2027.
The new distinction will sit alongside the awards’ overall category winners, giving more outstanding entries the opportunity to demonstrate that their work has been assessed and recognised by leading industry experts.
For airlines and operators, the Mark provides a clear way to identify products and services that have met a high standard through independent judging. For suppliers, it offers another opportunity to showcase the quality of their work to the industry – and increasingly, to passengers.
More ways to be recognised
The introduction of the Mark of Excellence does not change the competitive core of the Onboard Awards. Every category will continue to have one overall winner, recognising the entry that judges consider to have demonstrated the strongest combination of quality, impact and innovation.
The Mark of Excellence recognises a wider group of entries that also demonstrate outstanding qualities against the awards’ judging criteria. An entry therefore does not have to win its category to receive recognition, while the category winner remains the ultimate accolade.
Entries will be assessed against clear criteria using a transparent scoring system, with judges anonymously scoring submissions before shortlisted finalists progress to physical sample evaluation where relevant. To earn the Mark of Excellence, entries must demonstrate outstanding performance across key areas including passenger experience, innovation, quality and execution, and operational effectiveness.
This reflects the breadth of today’s onboard hospitality industry, where excellence can take many forms – from a beautifully designed amenity kit or serviceware collection to a new food concept, digital experience, sustainability initiative or crew-focused solution.
Rewarding products that meet the mark
The new recognition also reflects the evolving role of industry awards. Onboard Awards recognition is already appearing on menus, products and communications as airlines and suppliers use it to demonstrate the quality of products passengers experience during their journeys.
The Mark of Excellence is intended to strengthen that role, providing a simple visual way for airlines, operators and suppliers to communicate that a product or experience has been independently assessed and recognised by specialists in the field.
As the Onboard Awards develops its role as an industry-recognised, passenger-facing benchmark, the Mark of Excellence will provide a clear shorthand for quality, while category winners continue to celebrate the very best in each field.
The first Mark of Excellence recipients will be announced as part of the 2027 Onboard Awards, alongside the overall category winners.
Entries for the 2027 Onboard Awards open in September 2026.
