Together, the Crystal Cabin Award and the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) are launching a new distinction dedicated to innovations that connect the aircraft cabin with the wider travel experience.

The partnership brings together the Crystal Cabin Award’s expertise in aircraft interior innovation and APEX’s global passenger experience community. By looking beyond individual products and isolated touchpoints, the initiative complements both the eight established Crystal Cabin Award categories and the APEX Innovation Awards.

The winner will receive the renowned Crystal Cabin Award trophy on 19 November 2026 during the APEX FTE EXPO 2026 at Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.

Please note: This is a separate award with its own application and selection process. It is not part of the eight main categories of the Crystal Cabin Award 2027.

Seamless Journey recognizes visionary concepts that break down the boundaries between the aircraft cabin and the wider travel experience.

This new category focuses on ideas that connect the onboard experience with what happens before, between and beyond flights – from airport and ground services to transfers, destination experiences and post-flight interactions. Entries should demonstrate how the aircraft cabin can become an integrated part of a seamless travel ecosystem.

We are looking for concepts and solutions that connect different stages, services and stakeholders to create meaningful benefits for passengers and the aviation industry.

Potential areas of innovation include:

• Integrated digital passenger services and personalized journey platforms
• Connections between airport, ground and onboard experiences
  
• Seamless transfers and multimodal journeys
• Coordinated accessibility services across different stages of travel
• Baggage, retail or destination services connected with the cabin experience
• Data-driven solutions that provide continuity before, during and after a flight
• New forms of cooperation between airlines, airports, manufacturers, technology providers and service partners

At the heart of the category is cooperation. A genuinely seamless journey can only be created when organizations work across traditional boundaries – between the cabin and the airport, between physical and digital services, and between the many partners involved in delivering the passenger experience.