New Emirates onboard duty-free goods featured in award-winning shopping guide

The luxury goods include new-style ladies and gents watches from Mont Blanc, which are available exclusively to customers travelling on board any Emirates flight.

John Sime, Emirates' Manager Duty Free Sales, said: "We're very excited about these new products for our customers, especially the Mont Blanc watches which are destined to become a collector's item as only 500 of each will be made - you won't even be able to buy them in a Mont Blanc boutique!

"We have seen a big increase in sales on board over the past few years, which is due, in large part, to our beautifully-designed guide, Emirates dutyfree which recently came out on top in an industry survey."

Emirates dutyfree was voted overall winner by a panel of experts in a survey of inflight shopping catalogues in The Airline Book, an annual publication for Duty Free Sales professionals worldwide which deals with inflight retailing issues.

Designed inhouse by the airline's Graphic Design Unit, the guide took top honours amid stiff competition from other airline shopping guides such as British Airways' Shopping the World, Swiss' Swiss Shopping and Cathay Pacific's Shop.

The judging criteria included style, design, layout, cover, product choice, product quality and price range.

The three judges' comments ranged from "This is one of the classier and best catalogues I have seen. Large, crisp photos, soft backgrounds" to "The front cover looked and felt luxurious, the products were very well spaced using good photography" to "Quality cues are evident throughout as you would expect from Emirates."

Mike Simon, Emirates' Senior Vice President Corporate Communications, commented: "We were very pleased to be voted the overall winner. It's great industry recognition for all the people involved in the brochure's production - John and his team, Professional Photographer Nick Otty and our own Graphic Design Unit, of course.

"However, we don't intend to lie back and rest on our laurels. In fact, we have enhanced this new issue of the brochure, with better photography, so that our customers can have the best possible view of the items they wish to buy."