And the envelope for the top frequent-flier program goes to … Southwest Airlines. Again.
Southwest Airlines took home the coveted title at the 2018 “Freddie” awards, an Oscars-like award ceremony recognizing the top travel loyalty programs.
Overall, Southwest and hotel chain Marriott won the “Program of the Year” titles for the “Americas” region at the 2018 Freddies, which were revealed Thursday evening at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Both programs were repeat winners. For Marriott, the win was the 11th in a row for its Marriott Rewards loyalty program. The win for Southwest and its Rapid Rewards program was its third in a row. (Scroll down for the full list of award winners)
Among the overall results, which include regional award winners from all parts of the world, the Le Club AccorHotels program claimed more individual Freddies than any other program. It took six in total, all from the Middle East & Asia/Oceania regions.
Southwest and Marriott each won five individual Freddies. The five-Freddie tally for Southwest included a win in the “Best Loyalty Credit Card” category.
Looking just at the Americas, winners of multiple Freddies were Southwest’s Rapid Rewards (5), Marriott’s Marriott Rewards (4) and the M life program of Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts (2).
The annual “Freddie” awards recognize the world’s top airline and hotel loyalty programs. The awards are determined by votes from frequent fliers and hotel patrons, recognizing five “best of” categories for both airlines and hotels in each of three global regions. The Freddies also honor the best loyalty credit cards in each of the regions. And there’s a special “210 Award” for programs being recognized programs “trending higher” among travelers.
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The awards employ a scoring system weighted to balance high-scoring votes against a simple quantity of votes. In doing so, Freddie organizers say the loyalty program of a smaller airline or hotel chain is able to be judged more fairly against bigger programs that can mobilize a large number of voters. A record 4.4 million frequent travelers voted in the latest Freddie Awards.
The Freddie Awards, first given in 1988, are named for the late Sir Freddie Laker, who achieved knighthood in the United Kingdom for pioneering low-cost air travel across the Atlantic in the 1970s.
“We are delighted to once again allow frequent fliers throughout the world the opportunity to select the travel loyalty programs that they believe have achieved excellence,” Freddie Awards founder Randy Petersen said about the 2018 Freddies. “This is not an elitist view of these programs nor a popular vote, but rather the ‘best’ are determined by the votes of those who spend a great deal of their life on the road and in turn are appreciative of the value they bring to their members.”
Scroll down for a full list of the awards:
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AMERICAS
Airline
Program of the Year – Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Best Elite Program – American Airlines – Advantage
Best Customer Service – Southwest Rapid Rewards
Best Redemption Ability – Southwest Rapid Rewards
Best Promotion – Southwest Rapid Rewards – Unbelievable Companion Pass Offer
210 Award – Avianca Lifemiles
Hotel Category
Program of the Year – Marriott Rewards
Best Elite Program – Marriott Rewards
Best Customer Service – Marriott Rewards
Best Redemption Ability – Marriott Rewards
Best Promotion – MGM – M life Rewards – Holiday Gift Shoppe
210 Award – MGM – M life reward
Credit Card
Best Loyalty Credit Card – Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
EUROPE & AFRICA
Airline Category
Program of the Year – Norwegian Air – Norwegian Reward
Best Elite Program – Aeroflot Bonus
Best Customer Service – Aeroflot Bonus
Best Redemption Ability – Aeroflot Bonus
Best Promotion – Norwegian Reward – Christmas Advent Calendar
210 Award – Aeroflot Bonus
Hotel Category
Program of the Year – Le Club Accor Hotels
Best Elite Program – Marriott Rewards
Best Customer Service – Le Club Accor Hotels
Best Redemption Ability – Le Club Accor Hotels
Best Promotion – Le Club Accor Hotels – Activation Booster
210 Award – IHG Reward Club
Credit Card
Best Loyalty Credit Card – American Express – Membership Rewards
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MIDDLE EAST & ASIA/OCEANIA
Airline Category
Program of the Year – Virgin Australia – Velocity Frequent Flyer
Best Elite Program – Virgin Australia – Velocity Frequent Flyer
Best Customer Service – Virgin Australia – Velocity Frequent Flyer
Best Redemption Ability – Virgin Australia – Velocity Frequent Flyer
Best Promotion – Emirates Skywards – 50% off first class upgrades
210 Award – Saudia Alfursan
Hotel Category
Program of the Year – IHG Rewards Club
Best Elite Program – Starwood Preferred Guest
Best Customer Service – Le Club Accor Hotels
Best Redemption Ability – Le Club Accor Hotels
Best Promotion – IHG Rewards Club – Accelerate
210 Award – TAJ Innercircle
Credit Card
Best Loyalty Credit Card – ADCB Etihad Guest Above Visa Card
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Source : USAToday
