Honourable mentions

The honour system has been rather blemished in recent months following the police investigation into the so-called Cash-For-Peerages scandal involving UK political parties.

But while the Westminster Village drawls at the prospect of prime minister Tony Blair getting himself into a right legal pickle over the issue, five members of the travel industry can celebrate this evening after finding themselves singled out in the latest New Year Honours.

Grabbing CBEs are Michael Gooley, chairman of Trailfinders, and Stephen Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic.

OBEs have been handed to Anthony Cairns, deputy chair of Leeds-Bradford International Airport, and Rita Sharma, the managing director of the BestAtTravel website.

Last but not least, John Grey, head shoe shiner at Virgin Atlantic, has been awarded a MBE.

Say what you like about execs of big companies getting honoured by Her Majesty (or is that the government?) for services to a particular industry, it is nice to see someone at the coal face of a company, like Grey, receiving some recognition.

Ridgway was pretty nice about it too:

"Of the two of us, I suspect John has been more influential in helping to look after our passengers."

Full list of honours here on the BBC website

Kevin May, editor, Travolution