Welcome to the Freddie Awards, Live!

Welcome to the 19th Annual Freddie Awards! For the 19th year, frequent travelers around the world voted for their favorite airline, hotel and credit card loyalty programs. We tabulated the votes, and the winners will be recognized tonight with a prestigious Freddie Award. The Freddie Award ceremony will take place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The ceremony starts at 7pm ET, and the event will be covered live, right here. If you've tuned in early, you can take a peek behind the scenes to see how the preparations are coming along. We will update this live blog throughout the day - between sound offs, sound checks, checklist checks, spell checks and fainting spells. Enjoy, and again, welcome to the 19th Annual Freddie Awards. We're glad you've decided to join us! A Little Freddie Ceremony Background The Freddie Awards have been around for 19 years, but this the 9th year that there has been an awards ceremony. The first ceremony, for the 10th Annual Awards, was held in New York where approximately 60 people attended. This year, the number is closer to 300. Representatives from frequent travel programs from around the world will be here as well as some devout travel-wise FlyerTalkers and program members as well as a good sampling of media folks. The Freddie Awards allow everyone who is a frequent travel program member or executive to celebrate what the industry is doing right. It's all about the miles, points and just plain delight that these programs can offer. And the Drinks Begin to Flow The cocktail reception is now underway, with dinner service scheduled to begin in approximately 15 minutes. This year's cocktail reception is generously sponsored by Marriott Rewards, and the dinner is being provided by Visa. Based on early feedback, the investment by Marriott Rewards was a wise one, as several on-their-way-to-feeling-fine guests are throwing lavish praise on the program. And by the looks of the spread being laid out in front of us, many will soon be singing the praises of Visa as well. As a courtesty to the guests (and because we will be eating), we will not be taking photos during the dinner service. But stay tuned, as we are now just over one hour away from the start of the ceremony. Mr. Popular Our emcee for the evening, Randy Petersen, is in danger or becoming hoarse before the ceremony, what with all the schmoozing he's doing. What many of tonight's guests don't know is that, prior to joining the social party, Randy has spent somewhere around 71 of the past 72 hours preparing for the event. So, we will apologize for him in advance if he makes any inappropriate comments before, during, or after the event ... it would be the exhaustion, not the booze, talking. And that handsome guy with Randy, that would be world-renowned FlyerTalker, Canarsie. The Longest Quarter Hour Three hundred and sixty four days, 23 hours and 1400 some odd minutes have passed since the 18th Freddie Awards ceremony took place and now we are down to the last 15 minutes until we begin the 19th ceremony. Now is your last chance to grab a bite and use the facilities before names begin being named and awards distributed. A Word from Our Dinner Sponsor Kirk Stuart, Team Lead/VP, Co-branding Visa, and our dinner sponsor this evening accepts the Freddie sponsor award from Karen. He asks everyone to put their hands together to give a round of applause for Randy Petersen for putting on the Freddies. He congratulates all the winners this evening, including the first Freddie award for Visa. He jokingly states that yes, you can buy a Freddie. We watch a short video about the history of Visa and how it has changed the way the world does business. Karen Thanks Freddie Sponsors "Is anyone excited about the Freddies?" Karen Heldt of InsideFlyer starts the festivities off telling a story about how Randy took a break during the Freddie ceremony when it was in Colorado Springs - yes, during the ceremony - said simply, as he handed her the microphone, "I'll be right back." Seems he was planning something big - like asking Julie, his now-wife, to marry him and had some last-minute nerves to attend to. Tonight, Karen looks around - where's Randy? "I sure hope you're out there and I hope you're coming back." Karen starts the evening off with a very special thank you to the Freddie sponsors by presenting them with their very own Freddie Award. She asks Ed French of Marriott Rewards to come up to thank Marriott for sponsoring the cocktails this evening. (And everyone was VERY appreciative!) Ed asks for a round of applause for all the folks at the hotel who have done such a good job. And says, "I've won a Freddie tonight." Steve Selwood of Membership Rewards is called up. Membership Rewards is our After Party sponsor this evening. After the Freddie ceremony, everyone is welcome to continue the celebration in the Arlington Ballroom. Steve says, "I look forward to seeing everyone at the After Party!" Karen introduces Kirk Stuart of Visa, our dinner sponsor. Here's Randy Applause, applause, applause! "Thank you so, so much! I love being happy!" Randy takes the stage and says hello and welcomes everyone. The ceremony is officially underway. He has been called a frequent flyer guru, the "most influential frequent flyer in America" (The Wall Street Journal) and the "world's leading expert on airline frequent flyer programs" (The New York Times). But we just call him Randy. He makes everyone feel at home with, "Tonight, we are all Hokies." He goes on to thank the hard-working staff members (that's us) - Joshua, Karen, Janet, Eric, Tim, Darcie, Lynda and Mikel. "Thanks for making it happen." "And thanks to American and United for getting our crew here - and I already got my miles posted." Randy then sits on the stage to reminisce about Freddie Laker, the Freddie namesake. With nearly 300 attending, Randy introduces our sponsors for the evening: Rob MacLean with points.com; Jim O'Reilly with Awards for Mortgage and Real Estate; Terry Evans with Priority Pass; Janet Libert with Executive Travel SkyGuide; Martin Hood with American Express Incentive Services; Colin Evans with ICLP; Bruno Frieden with Loylogic. Lauren Haver, Marriott Event Planner "I've heard your name more than anything else," says Randy. Lauren Haver has done an incredible job organizing the event and making sure we have everything we need. Thanks Lauren! A Recap of the 18th Annual Freddie Awards Randy is giving everyone an overview of the 18th Annual Freddie Awards. He reminds everyone about the new names we saw in the Freddies last year including several strong programs from the Middle East. "We're going to get ready to hand out some Freddies..." Industry Impact Award :: United Mileage Plus Choices Program Industry Impact Awards, also known as the "Randys”, are determined by editorial decision rather than by ballot. These awards honor the programs or individuals that have had, or will have, the biggest impact on the industry in coming years. An Industry Impact Award goes to United Mileage Plus for that program's Choices program available to United Mileage Plus Visa cardholders. It's an innovative program that allows members to shop for airfares online as they normally would, but when it comes time to pay for the ticket, they can use their "Choices" miles at the prevailing rate instead of cash. Randy tells the audience, "I actually think this is one of the best things to come along in a long time." He also likes how the "Choices" program creatively gets around award capacity controls. Jean Patterson with United Mileage Plus is called to the stage for her Industry Impact Award. "We're certainly excited to bring this wonderful redemption option to our members." Industry Impact Award :: Etihad Guest Etihad Guest receives the second and final Industry Impact Award for the evening with its Web site “slider” that allows members to create their own cash plus miles award with as little as one mile. Etihad launched their program last year and Randy explains that Etihad Guest reinvented how programs look at liability. They have the one mile redemption and "I've never seen a program where every single mile has value, a very unique program." How do they do it? They have a really cool slider tool that you can slide back and forth to decide how much you want to pay for the award you want. An amazing little thing. Dr. Barry Green, Manager CRM, Etihad Airways comes up to receive the award. As a very new addition, only 8 months old, Dr. Green says, "we wanted to be different and innovative" and indeed you have. Randy Takes a Break from the Freddies No, he doesn't leave the stage... but shares his recent experience seeing a particular TV commercial...he just didn't "get it." But then, he did. He sees that the new industry standard isn't just for the true "Road Warrior" like the old days but also for the leisure traveler. The new American Express TV commercial is shown. Randy says the star of the commercial, Shawn White, snowboarding, is a great example of where this industry is going these days. "But I'll be darned if I'll let that guy get more miles than me." Best Award :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott, make room on the shelf for a Freddie. Marriott Rewards wins with its PointSavers awards in the Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia region. Marriott Rewards received high praise from many of its members during Freddie voting, such as this: "Marriott Rewards is of very high value. I use reward points with ease and am always treated like a paying customer at the hotel even when I use my points for the stay." PointSavers awards allow members to redeem points for a savings up to 33 percent. It’s interesting to note that Marriott Rewards won first in this category last year with the same award offer, but this year, the Value Vote went up from 7.565 to 8.378. Starwood Preferred Guest is at number two as it was last year. Marriott Rewards is at number three and four while Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport takes the middle at number five and six. Marriott junkies always wait for the PointSaver list so its not surprising to see this award win. Marriott accepts the award, the first award winner of the evening. Congratulations Marriott! Best Award :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Emirates SriLankan/Skywards Emirates/SriLankan Skywards is a second-time winner in this category in this region and demonstrates that 50 percent off flight awards are indeed very popular and appreciated. Jet Airways Privilege, is second for the second year in a row with its targeted award sale. Virgin Blue Velocity makes its debut in this category coming in at third place with the program’s innovative award that determines the amount of points based on the cost of the seat if you were to purchase a ticket. Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus is number four with its birthday month bonus while Northwest Airlines WorldPerks demonstrates its strength in this area of the world with its respectable fifth place finish through its Cash-and-Miles award. Accepting the award this evening is Emirates' is Brian LaBelle. "We offer this award offer every year - looks like it was very popular this year." Best Award :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott Rewards continues its dominance in this category obtaining the number one, two and five positions after placing first last year with the PointSavers award option. Among voters, Marriott stands out: "The best rewards programme available & some stunning hotels." "Amsterdam Marriott Hotel is the best hotel in the world." and even, "Marriott Rocks, Dude!" Marriott’s PointSavers are a regular feature of the program that offers redemption for hotel stays at one category down. The properties vary, but all Marriott brands participate as well as The Ritz-Carlton hotels. Marriott Rewards’ elite-only promotion earned the number two spot while Starwood Preferred Guest’s Cash & Points came in at number three. Starwood dominated this category just a couple of years ago. Coming in at four and five are InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Marriott Rewards. Randy says, "I think in Vegas this is called a pair.." when Marriott wins first and second place. "I'll just say thanks to all the road warriors that made it out and thanks to Randy!" Best Award :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: TAP Portugal Victoria No stranger to the Freddie Awards is TAP Portugal Victoria, coming in as the winner with the program’s creative award offer featuring luxury hotels. TAP won in this category two years ago but came in eighth last year so this is a good move upward. Not only did Victoria win, but the program also placed fourth this year with its part miles part cash flight and hotel packages. Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More was just a breath away from earning the top honor with it’s innovative soccer award. So close to GOAL!, we give the program credit for originality. Miles & More also came in at third place. Emirates/Sri Lankan Skywards came in a very close fifth place with it’s stellar award sale. Randy says, "As you know, soccer in Europe means a whole lot," but... TAP Portugal Victoria wins. Randy accepts the award in their honor. Best Award :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: Choice Privileges Choice Privileges, a first-time Freddie Award winner, takes its place at the top of the list with the program’s very popular and flexible gift card award. As one voter says, "Choice Privileges gives you the most for your points on gift certificates," and another simply stated, "Choice Privledges is an outstanding value." Last year’s winner, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards is number two and number four this year. Previous eight-time winner in this category, Marriott Rewards comes in at number three with its PointSavers awards and number five with its travel packages. Greg Brown, Vice President, Choice Privileges comes up to accept the Freddie. Congratulations to Choice Privileges on their first Freddie win. Best Award :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns is a first-time winner in this category taking the honor from last year’s winner, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. Frontier’s award sales proved very popular with members – and how could they not when you could get a roundtrip flight to Mexico for only 15,000 miles? Historically, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has fared well in this category and this year is no exception with the program coming in at number two. US Airways Dividend Miles’ offer of mixing award redemption levels proves that members of frequent flyer programs appreciate flexibility when redeeming awards – borne out with the Dividend Miles offer coming in at number three. The placement of Midwest Miles at number four confirms that members like flexibility when it comes to their award redemption choices – this time when combining miles and cash. Rounding out the top five is Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. Mark Dority, EarlyReturns Program Manager, picks up the Freddie for Frontier. Randy asks Mark if he would like to speak, but I guess not as Mark smiles and leaves the stage. Congratulations Frontier! Best Bonus :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Starwood Preferred Guest We love our bonuses don't we - they keep us engaged. Starwood Preferred Guest program matches its last year’s first place win in this category on the strength of the program’s triple-point promotion. It’s easy to understand how this promotion would be popular when members have properties such as the Le Meridien Bora Bora beckoning. Robin Korman, VP of Loyalty Programs, poses for a picture with Randy and proudly displays her new Freddie. Marriott Rewards’ MegaBonus fared well in this category at number two. Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport’s Faster Free Nights promotion is number three, down from second place last year, and the program also placed fifth this year. In fourth place is InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards with its double miles or points promotion. Best Bonus :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Emirates/SriLankan Skywards Emirates/SriLankan Skywards wins its second Freddie this evening, this time with a Gold member offer. In second place is Virgin Blue Velocity, the aptly-named lively little program from Australia with its true Aussie-style bonus offer. We say any bonus promotion that involves a case of beer can’t be bad. Randy says, "Is there any program ever in the world that has given away a free case of beer? And not just beer, but wine too." United Mileage Plus comes in a respectable third place with its elite-only bonus. Randy likes this one - keeps members engaged. Jet Airways Privilege, last year’s winner in this category, is number four for its bonus offer that awarded members for time-saving travel choices. And the number five spot goes to Qatar Privilege Club with a credit card bonus. Brian LaBelle once again takes the stage for Emirates. "The idea is to award the top Gold members so between 50,000 and 200,000 miles members earned, they got an increased discount on an award, up to 100 percent." Best Bonus :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Marriott Rewards Randy asks, "Have I seen this before?" Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest in the top two spots. And a lovely Freddie award goes to ...Marriott Rewards. Marriott Rewards wins with its MegaBonus that lived up to its name for Rewards members. Marriott Rewards also claimed number three this year with an online booking bonus. Among Marriott's many fans is one of the Freddie voters, who said, "I am a frequent traveller throughout the world and Marriott guarantees perfection." Last year’s winner, Starwood Preferred Guest, is number two for its triple-point offer while Priority Club Rewards holds the number four and five spots. Best Bonus :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Emirates/SriLankan Skywards This is Emirates/SriLankan Skywards first win in this category. Skywards Gold members were treated with an award sale in 2007 based on the amount of miles they earned in 2006. Last year, the three top spots in this category went to airlines in the Middle East, this year, the number two and three spots have been taken by Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More and SAS EuroBonus. The creative Miles & More bonus offer was targeted for members offering them an individual goal. SAS EuroBonus is no stranger to the Freddie Award in this category, and the program’s bonus offer this year was all about earning bonus points – always popular. The last two programs of the top five are Qatar Privilege Club, last year’s winner in this category, and TAP Portugal Victoria’s animal-friendly bonus wherein members could earn miles for adopting zoo animals. Randy comments that the interesting thing about TAP's award is that the bonuses demonstrate what's important to people in different parts of the world. Richard A. Pasciuto takes the stage representing Emirates. Best Bonus :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards It’s déjà vu all over again for the top two this year as they mirror last year’s Freddies. This is win number four for Priority Club Rewards in this category with the same bonus offer – double points or double miles on every stay after a member’s second stay. Priority Club keeps on running these double points or miles promotions. "Here's my basketball buddy," Randy says as Don Berg, Director of Loyalty Programs, when he comes up to pick up the award. Choice Privileges comes in at number two with its stay two times, earn a free night offer. Marriott Rewards and Hilton HHonors have won quite often in this category in the past, but can’t seem to break to the top the last few years. Marriott Rewards is number three this year followed by Starwood Preferred Guest and Priority Club Rewards in an exact Value Vote tie for fourth. Best Bonus :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: US Airways Dividend Miles US Airways Dividend Miles pleased its members this year with its hugely popular Everything Counts Promotion - enough to earn a very impressive 9.171 Value Vote. Not only could members earn more miles during the promotion, but they also earned toward elite status during that all-critical end-of-year elite qualifying season. This is the first Freddie for US Airways Dividend Miles in this category. Congratulations, Dividend Miles! At number two, and also a newbie for recognition in this category is Aeromexico Club Premier with its imaginative and universal soccer bonus that awarded all members of the program 1,000 kilometers for each goal scored by Mexico during the 2006 World Cup. As Randy says, "Mexico is the heart of soccer." A United Airlines Mileage Plus bonus offer for the program’s elite members is at number three and number four and five are the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns bonus offers. Alaska’s credit card bonus was the program’s richest ever and did not go unnoticed by its members. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards has absolutely dominated this category for eight straight years, but this year, the program fell to sixth place. Michael Spillman with US Airways takes the stage to accepts the award. And is a man of few words as he leaves the stage with a quick nod to the audience. Best Member Communications :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott Rewards is the Freddie winner this year after placing fourth last year. Memberships in Marriott Rewards in the Asia/Pacific region have grown at a quick pace over the last few years and Marriott is doing well at keeping in touch with the new members. Starwood Preferred Guest, Hyatt Gold Passport, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Choice Privileges are the final four in the top five. Best Member Communications :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club wins. Gulf Air Frequent flyer won this category last year, but comes in third this year. Korean Air Skypass is number two, a first mention for this program and Jet Airways Jet Privilege and Virgin Blue Velocity are at the number four and five slots. No less than 13 programs earned a Value Vote above eight, which tells us quite a few programs are doing something right. Nadeem Khan, Area Manager, for Qatar Airlines accepts the award and reminds the audience that the airline will soon add routes to the U.S.. "Thank you very much and we look forward to getting a lot more awards." Best Member Communications :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Radisson SAS goldpoints Radisson SAS goldpoints plus is welcomed into the winners circle with the program’s first Freddie Award after coming in fourth in this category last year. The goldpoints plus program in Europe is managed by Rezidor, whereas the goldpoints plus program in the U.S. is managed by Carlson Hotels Worldwide. John Kennedy comes on stage and says thanks for a chance to stretch his legs. He says the team back home in Brussels will be so proud. They are a small program and still have a lot to learn. "A lot of what we do today couldn't have been done without ICLP." Members in the European program receive special goldpoints plus offers via the e-mail they have listed in their member profile. Marriott Rewards comes in a very close second place. Starwood Preferred Guest, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport are the final three in the top five. Best Member Communications :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club This is the first win in this category for Qatar Airways Privilege Club after coming in at number four last year. Qatar Airways Privilege Club members can keep on top of the latest news and promotions through the Miles Ahead newsletter. Coming in at a close second is Etihad Airways Etihad Guest, which is impressive considering that the Etihad program didn’t even exist until August 2006. At number three is Gulf Air Frequent flyer and Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More and US Airways Dividend Miles round out the top five. Nadeem Kahn once again takes the stage for Privilege Club with a quick smile for the camera, he takes his seat. "Congratulations," from Randy. Best Member Communications :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards Priority Club Rewards wins for the fourth year in a row in this category. Priority Club Rewards members can sign up for e-mail updates and members can count on the program to keep them updated on the latest offers. As one voter says, "The Intercontinental Hotels Group Priority Club has been wonderful for our family. Their customer service and e-mail updates are superior to any any other program." They were the first hotel program to introduce a blog, Randy mentions. "This is one of the nicest compliments we can receive from our members," says Amy Ceriani-Nelson, Manager of Loyalty Programs when she accepts the award. "Thanks on behalf of the entire company." Choice Privileges is second, moving up from its fourth place finish last year. Marriott Rewards moves down a notch to third place and Starwood Preferred Guest is fourth and Hilton HHonors fifth. Best Member Communications :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan wins for the fifth time with this fourth win in a row. Through the program’s excellent Insider e-newsletter and other avenues, the program keeps its members informed and engaged. The remaining top five in this category are Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, Midwest Miles and US Airways Dividend Miles. "Looks like we got a shootout between the top two," says Randy "...and the survey says, Alaska Airlines. Congratulations." Rick Rasmussen of Alaska takes the stage to accept the award, "Thank you to all of our members." And he continues, "Back on the home front, they are working on a redesign of our newsletter - perhaps I should call them and let them know they don't need to change it." Congratulations to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan for holding on to number one in this all-important category. One Freddie voter summed it up well: "I love Alaska Airlines. They keep me informed of special fares all the time. Their staff and crew are helpful and friendly." Best Web Site :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott Rewards wins with its ability to reach out to members in Asia/Pacific. Dedicated Web sites are available for members residing in Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Coming in at second place this year is last year’s number four Web site, Starwood Preferred Guest . Last year’s winner, Hyatt Gold Passport has slipped to the number three position. InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hilton HHonors are four and five; a move down for Priority Club and a move up for HHonors. Best Web Site :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club takes top place for the second year in a row in this category. Privilege Club’s supremely functional, non-flashing, user-friendly Web site wins once again. In second place, for the second year in a row, is Gulf Air Frequent flyer. Virgin Blue Velocity and Korean Air Skypass are new to the top five at number three and four and Jet Airways Jet Privilege is in the number five spot. Nadeem Khan, Area Manager, Qatar Airways accepts another Freddie. Randy asks him what the baggage allowance is for his flight back because he might have to pay a little more. Best Web Site :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott has worked hard to build Web sites for different areas of the world and it has paid off with another Freddie win. In Europe alone, there are dedicated Web sites for members residing in France, Germany, Ireland and the U.K., complete with online shopping. This is the second year in a row for Marriott to win in this category. And if you're keeping score, this is Marriott Rewards' sixth win so far this evening. Starwood Preferred Guest moves up a notch to number two while Radisson SAS goldpoints plus moves up from number five to third place. InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport are fourth and fifth. Best Web Site :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Etihad Guest This is the first voter-generated Freddie Award win for Etihad Airways Etihad Guest, the new frequent flyer program out of the United Arab Emirates. The Web site features a “slider” that allows members to design their own cash plus miles awards (you can redeem an award with as little as one mile) as well as a Reward of the Day and a great many of the features frequent flyers expect from an award-winning Web site. Coming in at second place is Qatar Airways Privilege Club, last year’s fifth place Web site. Gulf Air Frequent flyer, Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles round out the top five. SkyMiles was at number 11 last year, so this is a good leap up for them. Randy tells Delta, "Glad to see you alive again." Sharada Iyer, Manager, CRM Development accepts the award for Etihad Airways accepts the award. "Right from the beginning, Etihad Guest has been all about innovation, and this award will motivate us to challenge more conventions and givens in the loyalty industry." He continues, "On behalf of the entire Etihad Guest team, I thank our Guests and all those who helped us earn such an achievement so early in the life of Etihad Guest." Best Web Site :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards Web site wins for the third year in a row. One Freddie voter put it this way, "InterContinental Hotels Priority Club has an excellent Web site and it is very easy to use points and also to cancel reservations with points returning quickly to my account." Priority Club Rewards offers its Web site in nine different languages and members can bid in the online award auction, redeem points and utilize many other member options. Congratulations - get your fingerprints on this Freddie, InterContinental! "Thank you to our guests and our great Web team!" Last year’s number five Web site is at number two, Choice Hotels Choice Privileges. All former winners in this category, Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton HHonors round out the top five. Best Web Site :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan wins for the fourth time in this category. The Mileage Plan Web site wins with quick loading pages, clean graphics and strong functionality. As this Freddie voter says, "I love how easy it is to purchase a ticket online from the Alaska Airlines Web site. They make it so simple! I need simple!! Miles, miles, miles! So easy to rack them up!! I love Alaska Airlines!!" Another simply says it's a "friendly Web site." Alaska's Rick Rasmussen, Director - Customer Loyalty takes the stage to accept the award. "Very functional easy Web site," says Randy. "Thanks to all our friends at alaskaair.com - I'm sure they're going to read about their Freddie in about five minutes on LiveFlyer," comments Rick. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards won the Freddie last year and is number two this year, followed by Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns, Midwest Miles and Continental OnePass. Best Affinity Credit Card [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus American Express Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus American Express take top honors this year and although a small percentage of voters turned out to vote for the card, those who did found it most beneficial. It looks as though co-branding with American Express is an award-winning partnership. It's a very close race and on behalf of Royal Orchid Plus who couldn't make it this evening, Randy says, "Thanks!" Jet Airways Citibank MasterCard moved up to the second position after last year’s third place finish. The Value Vote percentage difference between these top two was extremely slim and not far behind at number three is American Express Membership Rewards, which came in as our winner last year and the year before. Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles Visa and Korean Air Skypass Visa close out the top five. Best Affinity Credit Card [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More takes home its first Freddie in this category, barely beating out second place Marriott Rewards Visa. Qatar Airways National Bank MasterCard and Qatar Airways Commercialbank Visa are number three and number five while Etihad Guest MasterCard came in at number four. The top five finishers have very close Value Votes. Thomas Gesing with Lufthansa accepts the award, "This is my first time here. We've never jumped over 11th place and now we're taking one home. It's fantastic." Best Affinity Credit Card [Americas] :: Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Starwood Preferred Guest American Express is this year's winning credit card. Starwood's card wins with its advantage of favorable conversions to most frequent flyer miles, its fee-free card for the first year and the no-capacity control award redemptions. And a loud joyful shout comes from the Starwood table. "I'd like to say thank you - I accept this award on behalf of our partnership with American Express." If you’ve followed the Freddie Awards through the years, you’ll remember seeing Diners Club’s Club Rewards top this category. This year would have seen the program’s 10th year at the top, but Diners did not meet the one percent minimum vote. At number two is last year’s fourth place winner, American Express Membership Rewards. In the 1990s, Membership Rewards won the top spot five times and the program comes very close this year with its impressive Value Vote over nine. Marriott Rewards Visa, Choice Privileges Visa and Hilton HHonors American Express are third, fourth and fifth in line. As usual, hotel program credit cards reign in this category. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Starwood wins again! The secret? No blackout dates or availability restrictions on free night awards. A Freddie voter says is best: "I belong to many very good hotel programmes; however I consider Starwood to be the best. Being able to transfer American Express points to my Starwood account is very convenient and I particularly like the instant rewards available at many of their properties." "We'd like to thank everyone who stays with us and voted for us and ultimately those who redeem with us." Marriott Hotels Marriott Rewards is second and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hilton HHonors complete the top five list. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Virgin Blue Velocity Virgin Blue Velocity wins its second Freddie the second year in a row. As the program’s Web site reads, “There are no restrictions on how many seats are allocated for redemptions with Velocity Points. If there is a seat available, you can be on it. After all, points are pointless if you can't go where you want, when you want.” Up from number six last year is this year’s number two, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and from seventh to third is Gulf Air Frequent flyer. Jet Airways Jet Privilege is number four and Korean Air Skypass is number five. Randy accepts the award on behalf of Virgin Blue. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Starwood Preferred Guest continues its dominance of the Award Redemption category with this year's win in Europe, Middle East, Africa - Starwood is the sole winner of this category since the awards inception in the 17th Annual Freddie Awards. "To receive this recognition is huge for us. Thank you." Marriott Rewards is second, Radisson SAS goldpoints plus third, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards, fourth and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport is fifth. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club takes home its first Freddie in this category followed by Gulf Air Frequent flyer and Emirates/SriLankan Skywards. These three programs moved en masse from last year's fourth, fifth and sixth place to this year's top three. Taking an impressive leap from 14th to fourth is Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles once again shows that the airline is becoming a global player with its fifth place spot. Nadeem Khan once again takes the stage to accept the award. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Randy walks into the crowd - "Does anyone have your card filled out? Do you want to know who won?" He doesn't keep us waiting for long. Starwood Preferred Guest wins Best Award Redemption for the ninth year in a row. "The other chains don't even seem to be trying to compete with Starwood on their rewards programs," says one voter. And another states, "Wish everyone would adopt Starwoods' philosophy of NO black-out dates!" "This is something that we are most proud of, so it's wonderful to receive this award across the board. Thank you." Following Starwood Preferred Guest at number two and three are InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Marriott Rewards. Making upward moves this year to the fourth and fifth place are Choice Privileges and Hilton HHonors. Best Award Redemption :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Southwest Rapid Rewards Things are heating up... the speed is increasing... the excitement is building... It might be time to rename this category. This is Rapid Rewards' ninth win in this category. When a member earns 16 credits (eight roundtrips), a free flight is waiting for them in their account - simple and effective. As one voter put it, "Southwest is the best airline awards program because you can actually use the awards." And another comments, "No other program even competes with Southwest Airlines! By far the easiest concept and redemption." The top five is rounded out with the other "usual suspects" in this category: Alaska Mileage Plan, Frontier EarlyReturns, Midwest Miles and Continental OnePass. It's interesting to note that the top 12 programs in this category earned a Value Vote over eight. Ryan Green, Senior Manager Planning & Customer Loyalty speaks for Southwest. "Thank you everyone, thank you Randy." Best Customer Service :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Starwood Preferred Guest If you can't deliver good service, you won't survive in this business. Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards once again find their programs in first and second place. This is the third Freddie for Starwood Preferred Guest in this category, and if you're keeping track, Starwood's fifth Freddie so far tonight (and it's five for Starwood, six for Marriott). "Good evening. On behalf of all of our associates worldwide, thank you!" Once again, we'll turn to Freddie voters to give their say: "I stay at Sheraton hotels as a Starwood Preferred Guest and have without exception received superior service every time. They really go out of their way to make you feel as if "you do belong" and are not just a paying customer staying overnight." And, "Starwood is very customer focused and wins my vote hands down." Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport is third, up from fourth last year, InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Reward moves down one notch to fourth and Shangri-La Hotels Golden Circle holds its fifth place spot. Best Customer Service :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club is honored for its first-rate customer service. As one voter said, "Qatar is simply a marvelous airline - affordable, customer service is impeccable and I cannot see myself using any other airline soon. Way to go Qatar!" Last year, the Privilege Club program was number two. This year, it edged out Jet Airways Jet Privilege to win – by a very narrow margin with both programs getting a 9+ Value Vote. Korean Air Skypass is number three followed by newcomer in the top five, Virgin Blue Velocity. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is this year’s number five, down from number three last year. Qatar Airways' Nadeem Khan accepts the Best Customer Service award. He could make his way to the stage in the dark by now - he certainly knows the way. He's all smiles as he makes his way to the stage and smiles as he makes his way back to his seat. Best Customer Service :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards trade places from last year with Starwood Preferred Guest taking the Freddie home this year – and an extremely close race it was with Value Votes at 8.228 and 8.226. "We've made customer service our number one priority this year so it's very thrilling for us to receive this. Thank you." Not terribly far behind is Radisson SAS goldpoints plus, last year’s fourth place winner. The final two of the top five are InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Shangri-La Hotels Golden Circle. Best Customer Service :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club comes in at the top - last year’s number five program. This category sees some new names and a lot of shuffling. Last year’s number eight program, Gulf Air Frequent flyer, is second, while Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More is this year’s third place program – up from 15th last year. Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus is fourth and Etihad Airways Etihad Guest is fifth. One voter commented, "Qatar Airways continues to provide service beyond all others." Qatar should be proud of their accomplishments in Customer Service with their second Freddie this year in this category. Nadeem Khan once again accepts a Freddie. Randy suggests we should get a chair close to the stage for Nadeem. Best Customer Service :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: Marriott Rewards Marriott Rewards takes home the Freddie for the 10th time and the third consecutive year in this all-important category. Clearly, Marriott is able to offer members responsive customer service. As one voter put it, "We love staying at all the Marriott properties. The service can't be beat and the staff and rooms are always top notch. They are like staying with family." Ed French, Senior VP, steps up on stage to accept the Freddie and Randy tells him, "I have the utmost respect for Bill Marriott. Tell him personally that I think he's doing a great job." InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards is number two for the second year in a row, and Starwood Preferred Guest is number three. Starwood won the Freddie in this category six times in the past. Choice Hotels Choice Privileges is up from spot six to four and Hilton HHonors is up from seven to five. Best Customer Service :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Midwest Miles Midwest Miles comes in first for the second consecutive year after taking the win from Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards after Southwest's four consecutive wins. What makes Midwest special? As one of the voters commented, "My family tries to fly Midwest Airlines whenever possible because of their 'down home' friendly service." It doesn't get much better than that. Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns is number two and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is number three. Southwest Rapid Rewards slipped from its second place last year to fourth place and Continental OnePass is fifth. Accepting the award for Midwest this evening is Marie O'Shea, Marketing Manager. She takes the award with a smile but chooses not to speak. Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Janet says this is the "bling bling" award category. Who doesn't want to be a member of elite programs? Starwood Preferred Guest is back on top of this category after a one-year absence. Elite bonus points and a lower minimum threshold when converting points to frequent flyer miles are two of the perks that come with a Preferred Guest elite membership. Much applause from the crowd as Robin Korman walks down the aisle to accept the award. She thanks all of the members who voted for Starwood in this category. Last year's number three program is number two this year, Marriott Rewards, followed by former winner in this category, Hyatt Gold Passport. InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hilton HHonors are at fourth and fifth. Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Thai Royal Orchid Plus As Randy says, "This is a very important category." Thai Royal Orchid Plus wins. The program last won a Freddie in this category in 1999. Star Alliance lounge access, threshold bonus miles and additional baggage allowance are some of the perks a Royal Orchid Plus elite member can expect. The program placed eighth in this category last year, so this is an admirable move up. At second place is Jet Airways Jet Privilege followed by Lufthansa (and Partners ) Miles & More at third - an impressive rise from 13th place last year. Korean Air Skypass and Qatar Airways Pivilege Club are at four and five. Randy accepts the award for Thai, "This is for you Thai - congratulations." Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Randy jokes with the crowd and sets the Freddie on the stage - can you see who it is? Can anyone read the name of the winner? Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards traded places this year in the top two, with Starwood Preferred Guest coming in at the top this year. Starwood Preferred Guest elite-level members can benefit from personalized concierge service, room and floor upgrades and 4pm late checkout. " The overall benefits of SPG (for me as a Platinum member) are the best that the industry has to offer as of right now." says one Freddie voter. William Sanders, the infamous Starwood lurker, gets a round of applause as he steps up to receive the Freddie on behalf of Starwood. Radisson SAS goldpoints plus finished at number three with InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport finishing out four and five. Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qatar Airways Privilege Club wins for the first time in this category, moving up from third place last year. Elite members in Privilege Club at the higher levels have unlimited lounge access along with other benefits such as being able to share your good fortune as an elite member with family members who can earn miles based on your elite level. As one voter says, "Qatar Airways has the most valuable program. The Gold tier service is amazing - better than any airline I have travelled on." And another simply states: "Qatar Airways has a five-star operation." Gulf Air Frequent flyer is number two after being sixth last year. Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More made a leap to number three from 13 and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles jumped from 11th place last year to fourth this year. The new kid on the runway, Etihad Airways Etihad Guest, is fifth. Everyone knows Nadeem by now as he takes the stage once again to accept the seventh Freddie this evening for Qatar (don't worry, we don't make the winners take their crystal, and quite heavy, awards home in their luggage - we've made allowances to have them shipped to the programs when necessary). "It's the airline version of the split deck - Gulf Air and Qatar," says Randy after the two airlines' frequent top-two finishes. Karen gets the most applause of the evening when she hands Nadeem a big box - for all the awards he'll be taking home. Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: Marriott Rewards There's some palpable tension in the audience when Marriott and Starwood show up again as the top two finishers. Marriott Rewards is the winner! The program won the first six Freddies in this category and are back on top again for the second year in a row. A mere 10 night stays in a given year will secure elite status in Marriott Rewards that offers a 20 percent point bonus on stays and elite-only awards. Higher status will lead to such benefits as a dedicated reservations line and exclusive offers. From a voter's point of view, "Marriott really understands how to take care of loyal customers, that's why we keep going back to them." In second place is Starwood Preferred Guest, third is InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards, fourth is Choice Privileges and at number five is Hilton HHonors. Best Elite-Level Program :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan wins for the program's second year in a row. Elite-level members appreciate the upgrades, waived fees, priority treatment at the airport and the variety of partners they can fly to earn elite status. Loyal Alaska Freddie voters had this to say: "Alaska has gone above ane beyond for me on several occasions. I especially like the evening flight warm cookies in coach right now." And, "I have been extremely happy from start to finish with Alaska Airlines." Continental Airlines OnePass used to own this category but has placed second behind United Airlines Mileage Plus for the last two years. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards follows very closely in third place. Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns is fourth (Randy likes the free direct TV) and US Airways Dividend Miles is fifth, up from seventh place last year. Jean Whiteley, a.k.a. Missydarlin, an Alaska Airlines Reservation Sales Representative and FlyerTalker, takes the stage to accept the award on behalf of Alaska to thunderous applause. Program of the Year :: Frequent Guest Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Starwood Preferred Guest wins! No other hotel program has ever won in this category since it was introduced a few years ago. Starwood Preferred Guest continues its reign in this region helped along by its no blackout date policy on free night awards and the high level of service Preferred Guest customers receive. Preferred Guest members can earn free nights at 850 hotels and resorts in 95 countries - truly a global program. Robin Korman makes her way to the stage and says thank you. "This is the one that we are most proud to have." She thanks her team and FlyerTalkers for making this award possible. Marriott Rewards came in second for the second year in a row and Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport and InterContinental Hotels Priority Club Rewards traded places from last year, with Gold Passport coming in third and Priority Club fourth. The final program in the top five is Hilton HHonors, which has made somewhat of a comeback this year after placing eighth last year. Program of the Year :: Frequent Flyer Program [Japan, Pacific, Asia, Australia] :: Jet Airways Jet Privilege India's Jet Airways Jet Privilege has moved up from its recent position as second best to the top of the category this year. With a Value Vote of 8.93, this program has won over its members with its innovative dynamic tier review system (a Freddie Industry Impact Award winner in the 17th Annual Freddie Awards) that offers five tier membership levels and a host of benefits and earning opportunities. Lufthansa Miles & More comes in second. Last year's winner, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, slipped to the number nine position with a Value Vote of 8.64 compared to its Value Vote of 8.59 last year - obviously, the program isn't doing that poorly, in fact, it has gone up in estimation with its members - but this is the nature of the Freddie Awards. Being good isn't always good enough to win the top prize. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Virgin Blue Velocity and Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus round out the top five. Rahul Kucheria Dy, General Manager - Relationship Marketing, Jet Airways accepts the award. "It's an honor to win. Thank you very much to all our flyers and everyone." Program of the Year :: Frequent Guest Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Starwood Preferred Guest Survey says...Starwood Preferred Guest! Starwood comes in at number one this year after being third behind Marriott Rewards and InterContinental Priority Club Rewards last year. Members like the choice of hotels throughout the world as well as worldwide promotions, the flexibility the program offers and its stellar hospitality. "Thank you so much to our members for this recognition!" Coming in at number two is Marriott Rewards, last year's winner with a slim margin between it and Starwood. Members of Marriott often point out that they appreciate the consistency the program and the hotel properties provide. Radisson SAS goldpoints plus moves up from fifth place last year to match its third place finish from two years ago. InterContinental Priority Club Rewards fell from its second place position last year to fourth place, and completing the top five is Hyatt Hotels Gold Passport which has fallen from number two in 2005, to number four last year to its current spot. Program of the Year :: Frequent Flyer Program [Europe, Middle East, Africa] :: Qatar Airways Privilege Club Randy says to Nadeem, "There might be room in the box for one more." Qatar Airways Privilege Club wins. Privilege Club offers generous lounge access to its topmost members as well as a family program that allows up to nine nominated family members to earn mileage bonuses when flying based on the elite-level members' tier. Gold member family members earn a very generous 100 percent mileage bonus on the miles they fly. The program's focus on benefits designed to make traveling smooth and comfortable, along with a solid partner list, has earned Privilege a Value Vote of 8.96 from its members who voted. The number two program this year is Miles & More - up from number 17 and 13 the last two years. Rounding out the top five is Gulf Air Frequent flyer at number three, SAS EuroBonus at number four and 2002's winner, Emirates/Sri Lankan Skywards at number five. Come on down, Nadeem, for your final Freddie of the evening. Randy warns Nadeem that he has set a precedent and that they'll have a lot to live up to now. Nadeem's not worried, as he says, "This shows all the hard work we do. This time it's eight - next time, it will be 10!" Program of the Year :: Frequent Guest Program [Americas] :: InterContinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards Priority Club Rewards does it again! After wrenching the top position last year from Starwood Preferred Guest, the program wins for the second consecutive year. With a respectable 9.025 Value Vote, Preferred Guest wins over its members with solid promotions, good customer service, an excellent credit card and value. "We are very, very honored to win this award with such stiff competition. Thank you." Marriott Rewards is in second place for the second year in a row. Marriott's program has won the Freddie in this category eight times but has not won since 1998. Starwood held the top position for six years in a row and comes in at a respectable third place this year. Marriott and Starwood ran a very close race this year with both programs earning an almost identical Value Vote. Choice Privileges comes in at number four. Hilton HHonors comes in at number five. Program of the Year :: Frequent Flyer Program [Americas] :: Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns "Okay... we're down to one Freddie Award..." Randy tells the audience. "This is a good one to have..." [drum roll] And the winner of the Frequent Flyer Program of the Year is... Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns As Frontier's Web site states, "Sometimes it's all about the free stuff." With free tickets starting at just 15,000 miles, EarlyReturns has proved very popular with its members. This is the first year that EarlyReturns has won Program of the Year - it made it to the number four spot last year behind Alaska, Midwest and Southwest. As one Freddie voter says, "Domestically, Frontier offers the best all around program...I always enjoy flying with Frontier...the "energy" seems to be more positive, even tho' the planes are full I don't get the "cram 'em in like sardines" feeling..." All of these various elements add up to happy members. With one of the highest Value Vote numbers in recent years for this category, at 9.07, Frontier EarlyReturns has a lot to be proud of. Following very closely, at second through fourth place - all with an impressive Value Vote over nine - are three-time Program of the Year winner Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, two-time and last year's winner Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards and Midwest Airlines Midwest Miles. All of these programs share similar traits - straightforward programs with an emphasis on value. Among the top five programs' Value Vote, there is only a .047 point difference. Clearly, several airlines are the winners here. Mark Dority and Katie Fay of EarlyReturns will take home the big one - the Program of the Year. Mark says, "What an upset, really. Thanks to all our members. We made a lot of improvements this year and I guess it paid off. Thank you everyone." Thank You and Good Night Well, here we are at the end of this year's Freddie awards. We'd like to thank everyone who has attended tonight. A special thank you goes to the sponsors of the evening, Points.com, Awards For Mortgage And Real Estate, Priority Pass, Executive Travel/SkyGuide, American Express Incentive Services, ICLP, Loylogic, and the magazine that started it all, InsideFlyer. Thank you too to the program members who made time to be with us tonight and to share in the festivities. A big thank you goes to the representatives of frequent travel programs throughout the world who were with us. May your travels home be happy. (And let us know if you'd like us to mail those awards to you so you don't have to pack them in your luggage!) For those of you with a bit of trainspotter in you, here are some Freddie numbers from tonight: Most Freddies Overall & Most Freddies for Hotel Program: Starwood Preferred Guest, with 11. Most Freddies for an Airline Program: Qatar Airways Privilege Club, with eight. Second Most Freddies, Hotel Program: Marriott Rewards, with eight. Second Most Freddies, Airline Program: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, with three. Programs winning a Freddie for the first time: Choice Privileges, Etihad Guest, Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns, Lufthansa (and Partners) Miles & More and Radisson SAS goldpoints plus. Congratulations to all the Freddie winners! The ceremony is over, everyone is slowly making their way to the door, but the party has just begun as guests make their way to the After Party. Good night and happy travels.