Skift Take
The ultimate reward of awards is good press for the winners. But aiming for the prize--any prize--helps spur on airlines and airports to make air travel better. That has to be a good thing.
As the aviation awards season gets under way we thought we’d take a moment to review some of the more popular recognitions in the industry, and the decision-making process behind them.
Airlines covet them, the press covers them and they get the attention of industry-watchers. Whether awards drive the choices passengers make when booking an airline ticket is debatable, but awards encourage airlines and airports to improve the passenger experience as well as deepen relationships with loyal customers.
The Freddie Awards
The Freddie Awards have been awarded by InsideFlyer magazine’s Randy Petersen since 1988. The Freddies are named after Sir Freddie Laker, who dedicated his life to the aviation industry and, through his many contributions, helped lay the foundations for a better flying experience. They are highly prestigious awards that recognize the best of the travel loyalty industry and reflect the preferences of the frequent flyer.
Results are calculated based on nearly 3 million ballots cast each year by travelers from around the world. Peterson's history as founder of FlyerTalk and the brains behind BoardingArea and Milepoint help the voting process reach one of the wider audiences of any of the awards. This year’s ballots are available in English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. They're backed by sponsors including USA Today and American Express. This year’s awards will be given out on April 30 at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, GA.
APEX Passenger Choice Awards
The Passenger Choice Awards were introduced by the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) Association in 2010 as a way to help gather usef
