I first came across the Freddie Awards when I was checking in at a hotel some years ago. A sign was placed near the check-in counter to promote that the hotel brand is a winner of the award. I’ve since learned that it’s an award to “recognize world’s most outstanding frequent travel programs, after namesake of Sir Freddy“.
Why I Vote
Over the years, I became familiar with many of the hotel and airline programs. If you are like most people, you probably have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to voting. You may be nonchalant about a program. Maybe you think your vote doesn’t matter because someone else’ votes will offset yours. I simply vote in the spirit of the award — to make my vote count and to recognize the efforts and standard of excellence of those who are behind these programs.
While it hadn’t been the best few years for frequent fliers with some of the recent devaluations, I am of the opinion that programs that continue to serve its members well will rise up to the top and shine. Meanwhile, I hope the major players in the field can learn from the award winners and strive to improve their respective program.
The Award Categories
The awards are in these categories:
- Program of the Year (2 categories, 1 for airline, 1 for hotel)
- Best Promotion (2 categories, 1 for airline, 1 for hotel)
- Best Redemption Ability (2 categories, 1 for airline, 1 for hotel)
- Best Customer Service (2 categories, 1 for airline, 1 for hotel)
- Best Loyalty Credit Card
- Best Elite Program (2 categories, 1 for airline, 1 for hotel)
This year, I’ll have to think about the category for best customer service since I had one of the best AND the worst customer service experience with the same airline. I also have some thoughts on which programs I think should be the winners, but we will see how the votes pan out this year.
If you have a favorite program, now is your chance to vote:
