United Wins the Closest Vote of 1989

Best Customer Service — Airlines, Americas · United Mileage Plus

Best Customer Service by an airline program goes to United.

This was, by far, one of the closest votes of the year. There was only a 6% swing across the top three programs — close enough that a few dozen ballots would have changed the name on the trophy.

United has worked hard at the thing members actually experience: someone competent on the other end of the telephone. Our readers noticed, and said thank you in the only currency the Freddies deal in.

The margin is the story. In a category this tight, winning means being marginally better at service than airlines that were also trying hard.