Skift Take
Can 4.2 million flyers be wrong?
Skift doesn't usually write about travel industry awards because there are too many of them — and many of them lack transparency or real meaning to consumers. One of the rare exceptions is the Freddie Awards, which on Thursday evening were given out to the world's top travel loyalty programs.
In the poll, 4.2 million frequent travelers worldwide ranked loyalty programs. The poll comes just as a few U.S. major airlines have overhauled their frequent flyer rewards. We were curious at the results: Would the move from a miles-flown to a revenue-based model make the legacy players less popular.
The short answer, it turns out, is no.
Winners list 2017
Awards for airlines in the Americas:
Program of the Year — Southwest Airlines - Rapid Rewards
Best Elite Program — American Airlines - AAdvantage
Best Customer Service — Southwest Airlines - Rapid Rewards
Best Redemption Ability — Southwest Airlines - Rapid Rewards
Awards for North American hotel operators were:
Program of the Year — Marriott Hotels - M
