Ready to connect the aircraft cabin with the entire passenger journey? Join the global search for innovations that make travel more seamless — before, during and after the flight.
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.
Looking to submit your entry? Here's how:
The submission period runs from September 3 to September 30, 2026. Applications received after 23:59 CET of September 30, 2026, will not be accepted (subject to possible extension).
Step One: Download the Application Information Pack here.
Step Two: Put together your application
Step Three: Upload using the link below.
How to Upload
Applicants are requested to compile all files into a single ZIP folder, including:
– The application/PR form
– The main document
– PR images (at least two printable photos/graphics of your product/concept, 300 dpi, portrait format + landscape format)
– Company logo with transparent background (png or eps file)
Please name the folder after the main applicant’s company name and upload it by following the link below.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Do I meet the criteria for entry? Who are the judges? When will the winners be announced? Check out the most frequently asked questions around the APEX/Crystal Cabin Award "Seamless Journey".
Any corporation, airline, researcher, university, institution or individual natural person related with the civil aviation industry or airports may present an entry and apply for the 2026 APEX/Crystal Cabin Award.
Members of the Crystal Cabin Award Association, experts serving on the CCA Judging Panel, and official APEX representatives, such as Board or Committee members, are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Companies affiliated with or employing individuals who are excluded from participating may nevertheless enter the competition. However, any affiliated judges will be required to abstain from voting on their company’s entry to ensure that the judging process remains fully impartial and free from any potential conflicts of interest.
Moreover, military and defense products are excluded from the contest. Only civil aviation products or concepts are allowed to be entered for the Crystal Cabin Award.
An entry has to fulfil the general criteria of the award category SEAMLESS JOURNEY - see Category Description.
Entries should be viable for implementation within approximately two years, and the concept or product itself should not be older than one year.
The application requires the following steps:
• Download APEX/CCA Application Package
• Fill Application Form + PR Form
• Prepare Main Document
• Prepare PR Content
• Compile all files into a single ZIP folder and upload it by September 30, 2026, 23:59 CET.
The link to submit your entry is above this FAQ section.
The deadline may be extended at the organizers’ discretion.
We strongly advise you to study the 2026 APEX/CCA Competition Guidelines being part of the Application Package. They contain detailed information on the application requirements, the competition process and further topics.
Members of the Crystal Cabin Award Association and experts from the Judging Panel may not participate in the competition. Companies associated with members of the Judging Panel may participate in the competition. However, their associate will not be allowed to vote for their product, to make sure the scoring is completely neutral and unaffected by company loyalties.
The APEX/Crystal Cabin Award is presented in one category only:
Seamless Journey
The category honors products, concepts, services and systems that connect the aircraft cabin with the wider passenger journey, creating a more seamless experience beyond the aircraft itself. They must demonstrate meaningful integration between the cabin and other stages of the passenger journey, unlocking new possibilities for passengers, airlines, airports and their partners.
Entries may include, but are not limited to, digital interfaces and platforms, connected passenger and hospitality services, personalization and loyalty solutions, airport and ground services, baggage and mobility solutions, accessibility and assistance services, or integrated end-to-end journey concepts.
The Crystal Cabin Award is the first and only international accolade dedicated exclusively to excellence in aircraft interior innovation. Founded in 2007 by the cluster agency Hamburg Aviation as a non-profit initiative, it has since gained international recognition.
The Crystal Cabin Award, founded in Hamburg in 2007 by Hamburg Aviation, is the first and only international accolade dedicated exclusively to excellence
3
in aircraft interior innovation. It has since become an internationally recognized benchmark for innovation in passenger experience.
Presented in collaboration with APEX, the Airline Passenger Experience Association, the Seamless Journey Award gives innovators the opportunity to demonstrate how their solutions connect different stages of the passenger journey.
For participants, this means:
• A powerful communication platform for PR, brand positioning and business development, provided by two of the most influential international organizations in the aviation and passenger experience industry.
• Visibility among key industry decision-makers, including airlines, airports, suppliers and technology companies.
• International recognition through an established global aviation award.
The entries will be evaluated by the Crystal Cabin Award judging panel, comprising leading international aviation experts, including engineers, senior industry executives and academics. Around one-third of the jury members are nominated by airlines from across the international aviation industry.
The evaluation process consists of three stages.
In the first stage, all entries are reviewed by the Crystal Cabin Awards Association pre-selection committee. Submissions that do not comply with the Award rules will be excluded. The committee will then compile a shortlist of all valid entries.
During the second stage, the judging panel evaluates each entry solely based on three criteria: degree of innovation (50%), operator benefit (25%), and passenger benefit (25%). For each award category, the three entries with the highest scores will be announced as finalists.
After the end of the application deadline, all entries complying with the award regulations will be evaluated online by the Crystal Cabin Award judging panel.
The criteria for the evaluation are: degree of innovation (50%), operator benefit (25%), and passenger benefit (25%). The three entries with the highest scores will be announced as finalists.
In the next and final stage, the finalists present their innovations to the judging panel at a virtual Final Viewing on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM CET. Afterwards the winner is determined by a secret vote of the judges.
The APEX/CCA SEAMLESS JOURNEY award will be presented at the
APEX Awards Ceremony on
Thursday 19 November 2026, 19:00 – 22:00, at the
Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.
4
All finalists will be invited to attend in person and receive two complementary tickets for the award ceremony.
The APEX/CCA SEAMLESS JOURNEY award will be presented at the
APEX Awards Ceremony on
Thursday 19 November 2026, 19:00 – 22:00, at the
Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.
4
All finalists will be invited to attend in person and receive two complementary tickets for the award ceremony.
The winners of each category are announced live at the Crystal Cabin Award ceremony at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. All winners get a certificate and the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy.
The winner is announced live at the APEX Awards Ceremony on
Thursday 19 November 2026, 19:00 – 22:00, at the Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.
The winning team will receive the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy on stage and a certificate.
The 2026 APEX/Crystal Cabin Award is a joint initiative of the long-standing association partners CCA (the Crystal Cabin Award Association), based in Hamburg, Germany, and APEX (the Airline Passenger Experience Association), based in Washington, D.C., USA.
Both associations are equal partners in the initiative. The Crystal Cabin Award Association is responsible for organizing and executing the competition, including the entry process, judging and award administration.
APEX contributes its extensive expertise and global network in airline passenger experience, while CCA brings its longstanding experience in managing and delivering the Crystal Cabin Award. Together, the two associations combine their complementary perspectives to recognize outstanding innovation that connects the aircraft cabin with the wider passenger journey.
The winners of each category are announced live at the Crystal Cabin Award ceremony at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. All winners get a certificate and the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy.
The winner is announced live at the APEX Awards Ceremony on
Thursday 19 November 2026, 19:00 – 22:00, at the Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.
The winning team will receive the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy on stage and a certificate.
The 2026 APEX/Crystal Cabin Award is a joint initiative of the long-standing association partners CCA (the Crystal Cabin Award Association), based in Hamburg, Germany, and APEX (the Airline Passenger Experience Association), based in Washington, D.C., USA.
Both associations are equal partners in the initiative. The Crystal Cabin Award Association is responsible for organizing and executing the competition, including the entry process, judging and award administration.
For this special Award we offer a reduced application fee of EUR 200.00 plus 19% VAT (if applicable). You will receive a corresponding invoice after having uploaded your application. The fee can be paid by wire transfer or credit card.
The winners of each category are announced live at the Crystal Cabin Award ceremony at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. All winners get a certificate and the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy.
The winner is announced live at the APEX Awards Ceremony on
Thursday 19 November 2026, 19:00 – 22:00, at the Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore.
The winning team will receive the coveted Crystal Cabin Award Trophy on stage and a certificate.
The 2026 APEX/Crystal Cabin Award is a joint initiative of the long-standing association partners CCA (the Crystal Cabin Award Association), based in Hamburg, Germany, and APEX (the Airline Passenger Experience Association), based in Washington, D.C., USA.
Both associations are equal partners in the initiative. The Crystal Cabin Award Association is responsible for organizing and executing the competition, including the entry process, judging and award administration.
Applicants are requested to compile all files into a single ZIP folder, including:– The application/PR form– The main document– PR images (at least two printable photos/graphics of your product/concept, 300 dpi, portrait format + landscape format)– Company logo with transparent background (png or eps file)Please name the folder after the main applicant’s company name and upload it by following the link above.











































