Special recognition.

American Airlines AAdvantage

Recognized at the ceremony held at Citi Field, New York.

British Airways Executive Club

Recognized alongside American AAdvantage at Citi Field.

Hyatt Gold Passport

One of the two inaugural Loyalty Leadership honorees, in the year the ceremony briefly ran as the Frequent Traveler Awards.

SAS EuroBonus

Named alongside Hyatt as an inaugural Loyalty Leadership honoree.

Continental Airlines OnePass

United Airlines Mileage Plus

Etihad Airways Etihad Guest

Cited for the speed at which a young Gulf program reached global relevance.

United Airlines Mileage Plus

Mitch-Stuart

Michelle Cohen and Stuart Paskow, Founders, Mitch-Stuart Inc.

Recognized for turning donated miles and travel packages into a charity fundraising engine worth more than a billion dollars.

Northwest Airlines WorldPerks

Jet Airways Jet Privilege

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger

Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, U.S. Representative, Maryland

Founder of Operation Hero Miles, which gathered more than 550 million donated miles to fly service members home on leave.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Honored for personalized elite benefits — letting members choose their own perks, an industry first.

Lynne Roach-Hildebrand

Lynne Roach-Hildebrand, Marketing executive, Marriott

Credited with building Marriott's first guest loyalty program from 1983 and growing it to roughly 18 million members.

Starwood Preferred Guest

William Sanders, “The Starwood Lurker”, Community manager, Starwood Preferred Guest

Honored for inventing modern customer evangelism — a brand employee living inside the member community and answering for it in public.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

American Airlines AAdvantage

United Airlines Mileage Plus

FlyerTalk

Honored as the grassroots community that changed how members research, compare and hold programs to account.

Northwest Airlines WorldPerks

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Star Alliance

Recognized for launching the first global airline alliance, and with it the idea that miles could travel across carriers.

United College Plus

Cited for innovation in reaching a new generation of flyers.

American Express Membership Rewards Canada

ClickRewards

Senator Bob Graham

Senator Bob Graham, United States Senator, Florida

Honored for advocacy on frequent-flyer consumer issues in Washington.

Continental Airlines OnePass

Northwest Airlines WorldPerks

Sheraton Club International

Reno Air QQuick Miles

American Airlines AAdvantage

Bruce Chemel, Managing Director, American AAdvantage

Honored for leadership shaping the operations of the industry's largest frequent flyer program.

Southwest Airlines Company Club

Westin Premier

American AAdvantage Incentive Miles/United Mileage Plus Reward Miles

A joint honor for advancing corporate incentive-mile programs.

Budget Play It Smart

Recognized for bringing real loyalty innovation to car rental, a sector with almost no Freddie history before or since.

Hilton HHonors Reward Exchange

Cited for pioneering point exchange — letting members convert hotel points into airline miles.

Westin Premier/Red Lion Inn Frequent Guest Dividend

Diners Club Rewards

Write-in honor for building a following among cardholders looking for card benefits and traveler privileges in one place.

National Emerald Club

Write-in honor, finishing in a dead heat with Diners Club Rewards. Members kept valuing the extra awards it layered on top of their airline and hotel programs even after a 1990 award-structure change.

Alaska Airlines Gold Coast Travel

Named for customer service. United won the popular vote, but the Alaska GCT Service Center drew the most written-in praise of any program on the ballot.

Diners Club Club Rewards

Staff pick for best affinity card. Readers did not consider it a true affinity card, but its benefit range and point-to-mile exchange in both airline and hotel programs made it the editorial choice.

TWA Frequent Flight Bonus — Equity award

Staff pick for best overall award: 50,000 miles for a round-trip first-class ticket to Europe, a further first-class upgrade, plus hotel and car rental benefits.