The Second Freddie Awards: 3,800 Ballots and One Federal Express Delivery

The second Freddie Awards, honoring the best frequent traveler programs of 1989, produced the most interesting collection of traveler comments we have ever had the pleasure of reading.

More than 3,800 ballots came back. We estimate the voters between them held roughly 1.7 billion miles and points. Many carried more than 500,000 miles in their main frequent flyer program and more than 250,000 points in their main hotel program.

About one ballot in ten arrived by fax. Two were faxed on Christmas Day. One arrived by Federal Express, from a reader who was extremely serious about being counted.

The real surprise was Marriott. Honored Guest Awards swept every hotel category, averaging more than 68% of the vote in each one. Getting into the business early and running the Rapid Reward promotion in early 1989 built a lead the ballots made impossible to miss.

Among the airlines the vote spread out. Several programs finished within a few points of a trophy. Continental OnePass took the popular vote anyway, on the strength of relentless promotions and benefits aimed squarely at the people who fly the most.

The Freddies are named for Sir Freddie Laker, who introduced travel marketing to the world in the late 1970s. Two years in, the awards are already the readers' forum we hoped they would be.