Last night, industry leaders and frequent travelers gathered from far and near at the brand-new T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas for the 28th annual Freddie Awards. As a nod to the glamorous side of the city that never sleeps, attendees were greeted by Las Vegas showgirls decked out in sparkles and feathery plumage, and used the photo booth on the floor of the arena to capture memories during the cocktail reception.

There was also a buzz that the group was only the 4th to ever be inside the brand-new arena, and the stunning venue was a great fit for the ceremony.

The Freddie Awards was created by Randy Petersen, known by many as a travel visionary. Since that first year in 1988, the Freddie Awards has grown to become known as the Oscars of the travel industry. Wikipedia even says a Freddie Award is the “oldest and most prominent recognition award for frequent traveler reward programs”.

Each year, hotel and airline programs send out emails to millions of members hoping that they’ve earned your vote as being the “best” in a particular category. Voters decide on the frequent travel programs they feel have achieved excellence, and their voices are heard. Over 3.7 million visits were made to the Freddies during the voting period this year. Once the votes are all tallied the winners are announced live at the event, and trophies are handed out as awards for their successes. The Freddie Awards gives voters a voice, and the travel loyalty programs from around the world the chance to shine.

During the event, guests noshed on food from the buffet and settled in to their seats to enjoy the witty commentary by chair of the Nominations Committee and MC, Gary Leff.

As winners were announced one by one, many that came up on stage to collect their Freddie award took the opportunity to thank members for their vote, and gave speeches to the crowd.

Without further ado, here are the winners from the 2016 Freddie Awards –

Americas

Airline

Best Customer Service — Southwest Airlines – Rapid Rewards
Best Promotion — Avianca – LifeMiles
Best Elite Program — American Airlines – AAdvantage
Best Redemption Ability — Avianca – LifeMiles
210 Award — Avianca – LifeMiles
Program of the Year — Southwest Airlines – Rapid Rewards

Hotel

Best Customer Service — Marriott Hotels – Marriott Rewards
Best Promotion — MGM – M Life
Best Elite Program — Hyatt – Gold Passport
Best Redemption Ability — Marriott Hotels – Marriott Rewards
210 Award — MGM – M life
Program of the Year — Marriott Hotels – Marriott Rewards
Best Loyalty Credit Card — Starwood – Starwood Preferred Guest from American Express

Europe & Africa

Airline

Best Customer Service — Air France/KLM – Flying Blue
Best Promotion — Air France/KLM – Flying Blue
Best Elite Program — Lufthansa – Miles & More
Best Redemption Ability — Air France/KLM – Flying Blue
210 Award — Norwegian Air – Norwegian Reward
Program of the Year — Air France/KLM – Flying Blue

Hotel

Best Customer Service — Accor Hotels – Le Club Accorhotels
Best Promotion — Accor Hotels – Le Club Accorhotels
Best Elite Program — Starwood – Starwood Preferred Guest
Best Redemption Ability — IHG – IHG Rewards Club
210 Award — IHG – IHG Rewards Club
Program of the Year — Accor Hotels – Le Club Accorhotels
Best Loyalty Credit Card — Flying Blue American Express Card

Middle East and Asia/Oceania

Airline

Best Customer Service — Virgin Australia – Velocity
Best Promotion — EL AL – Matmid Club
Best Elite Program — EL AL – Matmid Club
Best Redemption Ability — Virgin Australia – Velocity
210 Award — Jet Airways – JetPrivilege
Program of the Year — Virgin Australia – Velocity

Hotel

Best Customer Service — IHG – IHG Rewards Club
Best Promotion — Accor Hotels – Le Club Accorhotels
Best Elite Program — Hyatt – Gold Passport
Best Redemption Ability — IHG – IHG Rewards Club
210 Award — ITC Hotels – Club ITC
Program of the Year — Accor Hotels – Le Club Accorhotels
Best Loyalty Credit Card — ADIB Etihad Guest VISA Card

Were the winners the ones you voted for? What do you think of the results?

Congratulations to all the programs who won last night!