The Editorial Picks of the 1989 Freddie Awards

Alongside the popular vote, we set aside a handful of choices of our own — based not on the count, but on the ballots that took the time to explain themselves.

Customer service: Alaska GCT. United won the popular vote, but Alaska had the most written votes by far. A small airline with a fiercely loyal following, and members who will happily write a paragraph about the Alaska GCT Service Center.

Best overall award: TWA's 50,000-mile Equity award. A round-trip first-class ticket to Europe, another first-class upgrade, plus hotel and car rental benefits.

Affinity card: Diners Club Club Rewards. Our readers do not perceive it as a true affinity card, which is why it did not win the vote. It remains our staff choice for its full range of benefits and the ability to trade points for miles in both airline and hotel programs.

Newsletters: we like the Holiday Inn newsletter but miss consistent promotions, and the new Hilton newsletter deserves extra attention.

On elite programs and program of the year, we agree with the readers. OnePass earned both.