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Winner's Circle For 18 years, frequent travelers have made their picks for the best frequent traveler programs via the Freddie Awards. Introduced by InsideFlyer magazine publisher Randy Petersen in 1988, the Freddies allow consumers to rank programs from their point of view. The awards have grown in stature and importance and are the most prestigious consumer-generated awards in the industry. The Freddies were inspired by the late Sir Freddie Laker, who in 1978 was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to commercial aviation and the British economy. Known for his pioneering marketing ideas within the travel industry in the 1970s, Laker founded Britain's first all-jet air carrier, Laker Airways Limited. He also founded the "SKYTRAIN" service, which revolutionized the airline industry by offering no-reservation, low-cost air service. This year's co-sponsors are Points.com, Awards for Mortgages and Real Estate, Executive Travel SkyGuide, Priority Pass, BookingBuddy.com and InsideFlyer. These partnerships allow not only the readers of InsideFlyer magazine, but all travelers, the chance to choose the best programs that airlines, hotels and credit card companies have to offer. Nine categories make up the Freddie Awards, with Program of the Year the highest honor bestowed on a frequent flyer and frequent guest program. Individual categories are:
Freddie Awards focus on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined not by how many votes a program receives but by the overall merits of each program as reflected in "Value Voting." Value Voting asks the voter to assign a number between one and 10 to the program he or she votes for. The popular vote is still important, however; to be eligible to win a Freddie Award, a program must receive at least one percent of the popular vote to qualify. |