2020 KAYAK Travel Awards Data Methodology

Best Hotels

Scores are calculated from ratings and reviews from travelers based on 7 categories:

1. Best Hotels
2. Best Resorts
3. Best B&B and Inns
4. Best Hostels
5. Best Budget Hotels
6. Best Luxury Hotels
7. Best Small Hotels

In order to qualify for selection as a best hotel in 2020 for a category, a hotel must have had a minimum of 25 new reviews published within 2019 with a minimum overall rating of 8.0.

The qualifying hotels for each of the categories above were selected per country from each of the following regions: US & Canada, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific.

Although there are more hotels that qualify for the Travel Awards, only the top 100 hotels per country per category are displayed on the Travel Awards site.

Best Airlines

Scores are calculated from ratings and reviews from travelers based on 9 categories:

1. Best Airline (Overall Score)
2. Best Food
3. Best Boarding
4. Best Entertainment
5. Best Crew
6. Best Comfort
7. Best Wifi Connection
8. Best Bathroom
9. Best Baggage Service

In order to qualify for selection as a best airline in 2020 for a category, an airline must have had a minimum of 150 new reviews published within 2019 with a minimum overall rating of 6.1.

Best Airlines

Selected the 10 highest scoring airlines (Full Service* and Regional**) for each of the categories above in each of the following regions and for countries within those regions: US & Canada, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia Pacific.

Best Budget Airlines

Selected the 10 highest scoring budget airlines (Low Cost***) worldwide and for countries for each of the categories above.

* Full Service: A full service airline is an airline that offers passengers traditional services such as in-flight entertainment, checked baggage, meals, beverages and amenities such as blankets and pillows in the price of the airline ticket. The seats traditionally have more recline than a low cost airline as well as more leg room. Full service airlines offer passengers the selection of economy or business class travel and on some flights premium economy and first class. Full service airlines are also traditionally the flag carriers for their countries.

** Low-cost: A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline, or LCC) is an airline without most of the traditional services provided in the fare, resulting in lower fares and fewer comforts.

*** Regional:
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service.

Best Car Rental Companies

Scores are calculated from ratings and reviews from travelers based on 5 categories:

1. Best Car Rental
2. Best Comfort
3. Best Cleanliness
4. Best Pickup/Dropoff
5. Best Value for Money
6. Best Airport Location

In order to qualify for selection as a best car rental company in 2020 for a category, an agency must have had a minimum of 100 new reviews published within 2019 with a minimum overall rating of 6.1 for the category.

A maximum of the 10 highest scoring car rental companies for each of the categories above were selected worldwide.